Research Assistant - Oliaro Lab

Date: 7 Feb 2025

Site: VCCC (Parkville)

Location:

MELBOURNE, VIC, AU, 3000

Company: Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre

Unit: Car T

Division: Business Ventures

Department: Car T

Enterprise Agreement: Allied Health Professionals (Victorian Public Sect

Car T

At Peter Mac we aim to continuously improve cancer care, research and education across all cancers and for all people affected by cancer: changing lives, breaking new ground. Everything we do is underpinned by our core values, Excellence, Compassion and Innovation. Welcoming people from a wide variety of different backgrounds and experiences is critical to fostering innovation, cultivating compassion, attracting and retaining top talent and providing the best possible cancer care for our patients.

YOUR ROLE IN OUR FUTURE

Research Assistant - Oliaro Lab

12-month Fixed-Term, Full-Time position
80 hours per fortnight with monthly ADO's
Level A equivalent: 1RA2-1RA8
$81,196.96 - $105,518.40 AUD p.a. (depending on qualifications and experience)

We are seeking a highly motivated research assistant/junior postdoctoral scientist (less then 2yrs post-doc) with experience in immunology and/or clinical research to provide technical support for research projects and clinical trials conducted within the Centre of Excellence in Cellular Immunotherapy (CoE CIT) Translation Laboratory, under the direction of A/Prof Jane Oliaro and Dr Mark Dowling. The successful candidate will join the Translation Laboratory team which conducts highly translational cellular immunotherapy research. The lab collaborates closely with the Cancer Research Division and with the cell manufacturing business, Cell Therapies Pty. Ltd., to develop and test novel cellular immunotherapies for patients.

The role will entail experimental support for translational research projects and clinical trial correlative studies. Duties will include co-ordinating collection of clinical samples and lab-based processing and multi-omic analyses of samples for clinical research. The successful applicant will work closely with researchers, clinicians and nursing staff.

The successful candidate should hold a BSc (Honours) or PhD in cancer research. Experience in immunology research, including flow cytometry, is essential and skills in genomics and/or transcriptomics highly desirable. The person will be expected to be a team player, have strong technical skills, and exceptional communication and organisational skills.

Applicants to this role should provide a covering letter outlining relative key skills and experience to assist us with our assessment.

For further information about this opportunity, click Apply to be redirected to the Peter Mac Careers page where you can review the position summary. Alternatively, please contact us using the information below for a confidential discussion.

Hiring Manager: A/Prof Jane Oliaro
Email: jane.oliaro@petermac.org

Applications Close: 28th February 2025
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Position Summary

We are seeking a highly motivated research assistant/junior postdoctoral scientist (less then 2yrs post-doc) with experience in immunology and/or clinical research to provide technical support for research projects and clinical trials conducted within the Centre of Excellence in Cellular Immunotherapy (CoE CIT) Translation Laboratory, under the direction of A/Prof Jane Oliaro and Dr Mark Dowling. The successful candidate will join the Translation Laboratory team which conducts highly translational cellular immunotherapy research. The lab collaborates closely with the Cancer Research Division and with the cell manufacturing business, Cell Therapies Pty. Ltd., to develop and test novel cellular immunotherapies for patients.

The role will entail experimental support for translational research projects and clinical trial correlative studies. Duties will include co-ordinating collection of clinical samples and lab-based processing and multi-omic analyses of samples for clinical research. The successful applicant will work closely with researchers, clinicians and nursing staff.

The successful candidate should hold a BSc (Honours) or PhD in cancer research. Experience in immunology research, including flow cytometry, is essential and skills in genomics and/or transcriptomics highly desirable. The person will be expected to be a team player, have strong technical skills, and exceptional communication and organisational skills.

Enterprise Agreement

Allied Health Professionals

Classification or Salary Range

Level A (RA2-RA8) depending on qualifications and experience

Immunisation Risk Category

Category A: Position involving direct patient contact, potential for exposure to blood, body fluid, human tissue specimens during course of a normal working day

Key Relationships

Internal

Peter Mac staff:

CoE CIT leadership team and Translation Laboratory staff
Research staff within the Cancer Research Division
Cell Therapies Pty. Ltd. staff
Clinical CAR-T and oncology day ward unit service staff
Research staff in the pathology laboratories at Peter Mac/RMH
Patients and their carers

External

External collaborators and researchers from:

VCCC / Parkville Precinct
Other Victorian and national research institutes and cancer treatment centres
International research institutes and cancer treatment centres
For-profit entities such as pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies

Education

Skills

Essential Requirements

BSc (Honours) or PhD in cancer research
Experience in immunology research, including flow cytometry
High level of technical skills
High quality written and oral communication skills
Exceptional organisational and time management skills
Personal integrity and discretion
Demonstrated ability to work as a team player
Flexibility and ability to develop new skills

Desirable Requirements

Experience in genomics and/or transcriptomics
Experience with RedCap database and EPIC, or other clinical data management systems
Experience with patient facing activities

Certifications, Licenses & Registrations

Key Accountabilities

Key Accountabilities	Demonstrated by / Key Performance Indicators
1. Conducts rigorous, valid and ethical research both independently and as part of the laboratory team	Competently carries out experiments that fulfil the aims of the projects Excellent technical skills and eye for detail Accurate analysis and interpretation of experiment results Willingness to learn and follow instructions Ability to work independently and identify areas where extra assistance is required High level of integrity and ethics Complete tasks in a timely and efficient manner Excellent record-keeping skills
2. Co-ordinates collection, processing and analyses of clinical samples	Prepares quality PBMC, serum/ plasma and RNA//DNA from CAR-T patient clinical samples for downstream analyses in accordance with procedure manuals Liaises with all involved groups/departments to ensure relevant biological samples are collected from CAR-T patients Executes timely record-keeping and documentation Maintains a flexible approach to working hours in order to meet the requirements of sample collection Maintain effective communication processes with patients and carers, investigators, and other members of the clinical teams to ensure sample collection complies with the relevant guidelines and regulations

Key Accountabilities (Contd..)

3. Communication of research outcomes

Provide assistance in the writing and publishing of scientific papers
Presentation of research results at lab meetings
Participation in discussions, lab and program meetings
Ability to communicate effectively with others in the laboratory and the Research Division
Excellent oral and written communication skills

4. Foster a good working relationship with colleagues

Establishes good working relationships with others - both within the laboratory and within the wider institute
Works effectively within in a team
Is willing to help others in lab as required

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For further information about this opportunity, click Apply to be redirected to the Peter Mac Careers page where you can review the position profile. Alternatively, please contact us for a confidential discussion.

Peter Mac requires its staff to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19. Please contact us if you would like to discuss this requirement.

WHY WORK FOR PETER MAC

Peter Mac offer a range of benefits which support our people both personally and professionally.
Our staff benefits include award winning facilities, professional development and events, a health and wellbeing program, flexible work practices and policies and financial benefits such as salary packaging.
We encourage applications from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, all members of the LGBTQI community and people with a disability.