Careers at UniSC

• Thompson Institute | UniSC Moreton Bay, Petrie or UniSC Faser Coast, Hervey Bay
• Level 4, $73,874 – 77,693 p.a., plus up to 17% employer superannuation
• Part-time (60% FTE / 21.75 hours per week), fixed-term appointment for 2 years (Oct 2027)

The Opportunity

Join the Let’s Yarn About Sleep (LYAS) initiative and play a key role in supporting better sleep health outcomes across regional Queensland. In this dynamic role, you’ll coordinate participant recruitment and provide essential administrative support to ensure the smooth delivery of LYAS activities. As the first point of contact for the initiative in your region, you’ll deliver exceptional customer service to participants, staff, students, clients, and visitors by responding to enquiries, providing guidance, and ensuring every interaction is positive, professional, and community-focused.

The University of the Sunshine Coast considers that being Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander is a genuine occupational requirement for this position under s25 of the Anti-Discrimination Act 1991 (Qld) and the filling of this position constitutes a special/equal opportunity measure under section 8(1) of the Racial Discrimination Act 1975 (Cth).

The position is therefore only open to Australian Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people.

Our ideal candidate will possess excellent interpersonal and written communication skills and will be able to manage projects and interact with Indigenous and non-Indigenous stakeholders in a culturally safe and competent manner.

For more information, please visit us online: Thompson Institute

You will

• Assist with participant recruitment for the sleep health service delivery in the North West Queensland region;
• Provide high quality, responsive administration service;
• Provide high level administrative and communication support for research including recruitment, data collection and collation, participant enquiries and effective triage of stakeholder communications; and
• Support community sleep health improvement activities and service delivery.

About you

You’re a self-motivated professional with exceptional interpersonal and communication skills, able to build strong relationships and engage effectively with a wide range of people. You take initiative and manage your workload efficiently to meet research deadlines, maintaining a strong commitment to excellence and delivering work with diligence, precision, and a high level of accuracy.

You will possess:

• Completion of a diploma level qualification with relevant work-related experience; or completion of a Certificate IV with relevant work experience; or a post-trades certificate and extensive relevant experience and on the job training; or an equivalent combination of relevant experience and/or education/training.;
• A foundational understanding of research processes and data management including sleep science and narrative therapy;
• An understanding of community yarning for research data collection;
• Experience in maintaining databases and ensuring data integrity;
• Technical proficiency in MS office suite and actigraphy; and
• Hold a blue card.

Don't meet every requirement? At UniSC, we understand that your work and life experiences can be just as valuable. If you're excited about this role but your CV doesn't align perfectly with our position description, we encourage you to apply anyway. You may be just the right candidate for this or one of our many other opportunities.

UniSC is an equal opportunity employer, committed to diversity and inclusion. We encourage applications from all backgrounds, including those with disabilities, women in STEM, First Nations Peoples, and individuals of diverse cultures, genders, abilities, and experiences. We value achievement relative to opportunity and encourage your commentary on your achievements in this context. For additional support during the application process, please contact us at unisc-careers@usc.edu.au or call +61 7 5430 2830.

Position description:  493808 - Community Research Assistant - Identified position.pdf

All applications must be lodged through the Careers at UniSC website.

Applications for this position close midnight, Sunday 1 March 2026.

Your completed application must include:

• a resume, noting your application will be reviewed in alignment to the specified selection criteria as outlined within the position description. There will be opportunity within the application form to also include supporting documentation should you wish.

Further information regarding how to prepare your application is available on our website: Join our team

We would love the opportunity to get to know you better, but we know it works both ways. To get to know a little more about us, visit us at: Welcome to UniSC and LinkedIn Life

Have questions or want to know more? For a confidential discussion, please contact:

Prof Fatima Yaqoot
Professor in Sleep Research - Thompson Institute
Telephone: 07 5456 5315
Email: fyaqoot@usc.edu.au

Discover UniSC

We're all about doing work that matters, connecting with great people, and being part of an incredible journey. We’re not the biggest university. But we’re growing every day, and doing big things. Like ground-breaking research, championing sustainability, producing gold-winning athletes and award-winning alumni.

We're one of the fastest growing universities in Australia, growing to over 2,000 people across 5 campuses in South East Queensland and a growing footprint in major capital cities.

Teaching excellence is at the heart of what we do, and our commitment to sustainability is integrated into our teaching, research, and daily operations. Our research tackles the most pressing challenges of our time, with 13 research fields ranked well above world standard, characterised by evidence of outstanding performance according to the Excellence Research for Australia Rankings. At UniSC you will have the opportunity to contribute to the educational landscape for future generations.

We foster a collaborative and supportive environment, encouraging continuous professional development and providing resources to enhance your career. We recognise and value the contributions of each team member to our culture and success. We're not afraid to be different, and we're looking for people who share our values and want to be part of a team that is working together to improve our local and global challenges.

Our Culture & Benefits:

• Our collaborative, passionate and welcoming culture is what really sets us apart.
• Modern teaching & research facilities.
• Professional development and career pathway opportunities.
• We are a proud recipient of the prestigious Athena SWAN Bronze Award, granted as part of the Science in Australia Gender Equity (SAGE) initiative.
• Flexible work arrangements & generous leave options.
• Salary packing options + 17% Super.
• EAP, fitness passport & discounted private health.