Senior Research Fellow (Indigenous Targeted)

• Employment Type: Part Time (21 hours per week)
• Duration: Fixed Term Contract until June 2029    
• Remuneration: Level C from $155k + 17% superannuation & leave loading  
• Location: Kensington, NSW (open to other locations in Australia)
• Benefits: Cultural Leave and Indigenous Employee Network

Whilst this role is open to everyone, we strongly encourage Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander to apply. 

Why your role matters

Join the Division of Societal Impact, Equity and Engagement (SIEE) at UNSW, where we work to foster a diverse and inclusive staff and student community while partnering with communities and broader society to create positive and lasting change.

We are seeking an experienced and motivated Senior Research Fellow to play a leading quantitative research role within the Yuwaya Ngarra-li partnership with the Dharriwaa Elders Group. As part of the Societal Transformation and Equity team, this position offers a unique opportunity to contribute to community-led research that supports systemic change for Aboriginal children and young people in Walgett and beyond.

A key focus of the role is overseeing the innovative Walgett Children and Young People Linked Administrative Dataset and leading high-quality research that enhances understanding of the relationships between education, health and criminal justice outcomes. This role is part of the Yuwaya Ngarra-li Research and Evaluation team at UNSW and works collaboratively with the Dharriwaa Elders Group. The successful candidate will lead the management, analysis and drafting of publications drawing on this important dataset, making independent and original contributions to a growing body of community-led evidence that informs policy and practice.

Reporting to the Director of Yuwaya Ngarra-li, the Senior Research Fellow will work within a collaborative and highly respected research environment. This position offers the opportunity to be mentored by Dr Rebecca Reeve, providing valuable support for professional growth, research leadership and career development. While the role currently has no direct reports, there may be opportunities to undertake supervisory responsibilities in the future.

Specific accountabilities include:

• Make independent contributions to research that have a significant impact in the fields of quantitative data, criminology and Indigenous Data Governance and create a nationally recognised research track record.
• Undertake independent research in community-led place-based linked administrative data analysis, making an independent contribution through professional practice and expertise.
• Collaborate with and provide expert advice on data linkage and quantitative data analysis to the Director and other Yuwaya Ngarra-li team members at UNSW and in Walgett.
• Lead the management, analysis and reporting on studies of the Walgett Children and Young People Linked Administrative Dataset in collaboration with co-investigators at UNSW and DEG, including liaison with and reporting to relevant data custodians, ethics committees and other stakeholders.
• Contribute to Yuwaya Ngarra-li publications, presentations, planning and reflection sessions as required.

About You:  

• A PhD in a related discipline, and/or relevant work experience.
• Proven commitment to proactively keeping up to date with discipline knowledge and developments.
• Demonstrated track record in quantitative research with outcomes of high quality and high impact with clear evidence of the desire and ability to continually achieve research excellence as well as the capacity for research leadership.
• Demonstrated ability to work in a team, collaborate across disciplines and build effective relationships including with Aboriginal community-controlled organisations.
• Evidence of highly developed interpersonal and organisational skills.
• An understanding of and commitment to UNSW’s aims, objectives and values in action, together with relevant policies and guidelines.
• Knowledge of health and safety responsibilities and commitment to attending relevant health and safety training.

For further details on role responsibilities and skills & experience required, refer to the position description found under the position listing on Jobs@UNSW.

Benefits and Culture:

People are at the core of everything we do. We recognise it is the contributions of our staff who make UNSW one of the best universities in Australia and the world.

Our benefits include:

• Flexible working options.
• Career development opportunities.
• 17% Superannuation contributions and additional leave loading payments.
• Additional 3 days of leave over Christmas period.
• Discounts and entitlements (retail, education, fitness).

For further details on the benefits, please visit https://www.jobs.unsw.edu.au/lifestyle-benefits

In addition to creative a safe and inclusive workplace for our Indigenous staff, we offer other great staff benefits, such as career development opportunities, generous superannuation, additional leave over the end of the year, and other discounts. You can find more information here.  

To find out more about how we support our Indigenous staff and grow their careers, refer to this page Careers at UNSW for Indigenous Australians | UNSW Sydney 

To access our Indigenous Strategy, refer to https://www.indigenous.unsw.edu.au/  

Any questions? 

For any questions about the kind of support available for our Indigenous staff, get in touch with our Manager, Indigenous Employment, Nat Chenhall: n.chenhall@unsw.edu.au 

How to Apply: Submit your CV & cover letter addressing the key selection criteria (no more than 2 pages) before 11.55pm Tuesday 30^th June 2026. Please note: Sponsorship is not available for this role, valid Australian working rights are required on application.

Job queries contact: Chloe Gane, Talent Acquisition Consultant E: chloe.gane@unsw.edu.au  (applications to the address cannot be accepted, please apply online)

Pre-Employment Checks
Aligned with UNSW’s focus on cultivating a workplace defined by safety, ethical conduct, and strong integrity, preferred candidates will be required to participate in a combination of pre-employment checks relevant to the role they have applied for.

These pre-employment checks may include a combination of some of the following checks:- 

• National and International Criminal history checks
• Entitlement to work and ID checks
• Working With Children Checks
• Completion of a Gender-Based Violence Prevention Declaration
• Verification of relevant qualifications
• Verification of relevant professional membership
• Employment history and reference checks
• Financial responsibility assessments/checks.
• Medical Checks and Assessments

Compliance with the necessary combination of these checks is a condition of employment at UNSW.

UNSW is committed to equity diversity and inclusion. Applications from women, people of culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, those living with disabilities, members of the LGBTIQ+ community; and people of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander descent, are encouraged. UNSW provides workplace adjustments for people with disability, and access to flexible work options for eligible staff.