Senior Research Fellow – Principal Research Fellow, Food Design and Formulation Lead

Lead high-impact research in Food Design and Formulation at UQ, developing innovative food processing technologies. Supervise researchers and build academic partnerships while driving meaningful change.

Posted 7/21/2026full-timeSt Lucia • 🇦🇺 AustraliaSenior💰 A$145,961 - A$193,070 per yearWebsite

Core Competencies

Role fit

Core Competencies

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Demonstrates expertise in food design and formulation, ingredient chemistry, and scaling technologies from laboratory to commercial environments. Proven ability to lead high-impact research, secure funding, and mentor emerging researchers while fostering collaborative partnerships across academia and industry.

Highest-signal resume keywords

PhD In Food ScienceFood Design And FormulationIngredient ChemistryResearch Funding AcquisitionHDR Supervision

ATS Keywords

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Applicant Tracking System Keywords

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Hard Skills

Food Processing TechnologiesComplex Food Systems DevelopmentStructure-Function RelationshipsAI And Machine Learning ApplicationProcess Optimisation

Soft Skills

MentoringCollaborationLeadership

Industry Keywords

Food EngineeringFood ChemistryResearch PublicationsIndustry PartnershipsCommercialisation Pathways

About the role

Key responsibilities & impact

Lead high-impact research in food design and formulation, food processing, ingredient functionality, and structure-function relationships, producing high-quality publications and presentations in leading national and international forums
Develop innovative food processing technologies and scalable solutions that support translation from laboratory research through to pilot plant and commercial manufacturing environments, while strengthening industry partnerships and commercialisation pathways
Supervise Higher Degree by Research students and mentor emerging researchers, fostering a supportive, inclusive, and high-performing research culture
Build strategic partnerships across academia, industry, and government, contribute to governance and service activities, and champion a collaborative culture aligned with UQ values

Requirements

What you’ll need

Completion of a PhD in Food Science, Food Chemistry, Food Engineering, or a closely related discipline
An established research profile with national recognition and a strong record of publications in high-quality refereed journals and conference outputs
Demonstrated expertise in food design and formulation, ingredient chemistry, food functionality, and structure-function relationships
Experience developing and optimising complex food systems and translating research outcomes into practical applications
Evidence of capability in scaling technologies and formulations from laboratory through pilot-scale environments, including collaboration with industry partners
Experience applying AI, machine learning, or advanced analytics to integrate chemical, sensory, process, and experimental data to support innovation and process optimisation
A strong record of securing competitive research funding from national, industry, or commercial sources
Demonstrated success in HDR supervision, researcher mentoring, and collaboration across multidisciplinary teams

Benefits

Comp & perks

Access to world-class facilities and equipment
Grant writing support
Greater research funding opportunities
Up to 26 weeks of paid parental leave
17.5% annual leave loading
Flexible working arrangements
Access to exclusive internal-only vacancies
Genuine career progression opportunities