Acknowledgement of Country

CSIRO acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the land, sea and waters, of the area that we live and work on across Australia. We acknowledge their continuing connection to their culture and pay our respects to their Elders past and present. View our vision towards reconciliation

Child Safety

CSIRO is committed to the safety and wellbeing of all children and young people involved in our activities and programs. View our Child Safe Policy.

The Opportunity

• Do you have a PhD in mathematics, atmospheric physics, environmental engineering or fluid mechanics?
• An exciting research opportunity to solve challenges and transform Australia's future.
• Join CSIRO – Australia’s leading scientific research organisation! 

CSIRO Early Research Career (CERC) Postdoctoral Fellowships provide opportunities to scientists and engineers who have completed their doctorate and have less than three years of relevant postdoctoral work experience. These fellowships aim to develop the next generation of future leaders of the innovation system.

Nationally and internationally, reaching net-zero emissions and beyond will require new methods of permanently removing significant amounts of carbon from the atmosphere that are fast, scalable, and responsible. CarbonLock, CSIRO’s Permanent Carbon Locking Future Science Platform (FSP) will address this challenge by driving radical innovation at the nexus of biology, chemistry and engineering in negative emissions technology and their integration to permanently remove atmospheric carbon dioxide in novel and unconventional ways.

The CERC Fellow will join a team of internationally recognised scientists in conducting research on developing a novel, modelling based, optimal design and deployment methodology for direct air capture systems in Australia that takes into account air quality and other environmental considerations.  We are seeking a candidate who wants to work in a multi-disciplinary team, has keen interest in long-lasting carbon removal solutions and a strong drive to deliver science aimed at minimising environmental impact.

Your duties will include:

• Using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and turbulent dispersion principles to test the configuration and position of the DAC units to optimise the performance (for example, in terms of atmospheric temperature and humidity).
• Consider how the DAC units might be scaled up, with a view to maximise CO2 sequestration.
• Running and using output from the CSIRO chemical transport model to assess the likelihood of air quality problems (for example, dust storms and bushfires) in future in Australia on climate scale with regards to optimal DAC siting. This will also consider options for permanent carbon locking, such as underground storage, or location of mineral deposits suitable for CO2 binding.
• Studying whether the position of DAC plants could have co-benefits for air quality, such as a distributed DAC system within urban areas or as part of tunnel ventilation system.
• Evaluating the potential impacts of the DAC on the immediate surroundings in terms of noise, emissions and other undesirable effects.

Location: Melbourne, VIC

Salary: AU$92k - AU$101k plus up to 15.4% superannuation

Tenure: Specified term of 3 years

​​​​​​​Reference: 93682

To be considered you will need:

• A doctorate (or will shortly satisfy the requirements of a PhD) in a relevant discipline area, such as atmospheric physics, environmental engineering or fluid mechanics. Please note: To be eligible for this role you must have no more than 3 years (full-time equivalent) of postdoctoral research experience.
• Strong mathematical modelling background, preferably in computational fluid dynamics.
• Demonstrated experience in one or more of the following areas: Air pollution transport processes; Optimisation methods; Data analysis and visualisation.
• Strong programming skills for both modelling and visualisation of results, e.g. Fortran and Python, and familiarity with command-language scripting in Unix or Linux environments.
• High level written and oral communication skills with the ability to represent the research team effectively internally and externally, including the presentation of research outcomes at national and international conferences.

For full details about this role please view the Position Description

Eligibility

Appointment to this role is subject to provision of a national police check and may be subject to other security/medical/character requirements.

Flexible Working Arrangements

We work flexibly at CSIRO, offering a range of options for how, when and where you work. 

Diversity and Inclusion

We are working hard to recruit people representing the diversity across our society, and ensure that all our people feel supported to do their best work and feel empowered to let their ideas flourish. 

About CSIRO

At CSIRO Australia's national science agency, we solve the greatest challenges through innovative science and technology. We put the safety and wellbeing of our people above all else and earn trust everywhere because we only deal in facts. We collaborate widely and generously and deliver solutions with real impact. 

CSIRO is committed to values-based leadership to inspire performance and unlock the potential of our people.

CSIRO is committed to the safety and wellbeing of all children and young people involved in our activities and programs, whether we are undertaking research, engaging with the public or nurturing future scientists in person or online. Source – CSIRO Child Safe policy 2023

Join us and start creating tomorrow today!

How to Apply

Please apply on-line and provide a cover letter and CV that best demonstrate your motivation and ability to meet the requirements of this role.

Applications Close

28 August 2023, 11:00pm AEST