Research Director, Olga Tennison Autism Research Centre & Professor of Neurodiversity and Education

• A continuing full-time Teaching & Research Academic appointment and Leadership Role in the School of Education, with a fixed-term Research Only appointment with OTARC for the first 5 years
• Melbourne (Bundoora)
• Level E Professor – Salary $219,678 inclusive of 17% superannuation

About the School of Education 

Within the School of Education, a Level E academic is expected to provide leadership and foster excellence in research, teaching and policy development in the academic discipline within the School of Education and within the community, professional, commercial or industrial sectors. A Level E academic will have attained recognition as an eminent authority in his or her discipline and will have achieved distinction at the national level. A Level E academic is expected to make original, innovative and distinguished contributions to scholarship, researching and teaching in his or her discipline within the School of Education. He or she will make a commensurate contribution to the work of the institution.

About the position

La Trobe University is seeking a joint appointment for an outstanding scholar in the field of autism and education research to provide leadership within the world class Olga Tennison Autism Research Centre (OTARC) and the School of Education. The position holder will contribute to shaping the University’s strategic vision for research, leadership and engagement. The position will be responsible for co-leading the Educational and Vocational Engagement Research Program area at OTARC, and enhancing the Centre’s research agenda, culture and its outcomes. The position holder will also drive research in the School of Education within the areas of the Learning Sciences, Impactful Pedagogies and Social Justice and Diversity.

A Level E research only academic is expected to have achieved international recognition through original, innovative and distinguished contributions to their field of research. The Research Professor will be expected to meet LTU annual publication and income targets consistent with a research workload allocation of 70%. They will be expected to provide leadership in their disciplinary field and foster excellence in research, research policy and research training within the institution and within the scholarly and general community. All Professors are members of the University’s Academic Board and are expected to contribute to the leadership not only of their Academic Unit and School, but also of the University as a whole.

The incumbent will be part of the leadership team at the Olga Tennison Autism Research Centre, one of four research centres within the School of Psychology and Public Health. One of the larger Schools within the University, the School of Psychology and Public Health undertakes teaching and research across a broad range of disciplines, including: Neuroscience; Psychology; Counselling; Rehabilitation Counselling; Art Therapy; Family Therapy; Public Health; Digital Health and Analytics; Health Information Management; and Ergonomics, Safety and Health. The School currently comprises six academic units: the Department of Public Health, the Department of Psychology, Counselling and Therapy, the Olga Tennison Autism Research Centre (OTARC), The Bouverie Centre, the Centre for Alcohol Policy Research (CAPR), and the Australian Research Centre in Sex, Health and Society (ARCSHS). Additionally, the successful incumbent will co-lead the Educational and Vocational Engagement Research Program.

Duties at this level will include: 

• Provide leadership and foster excellence in research and policy development in the discipline within La Trobe and the scholarly and/or general community.
• Prepare research proposal submissions to external funding bodies and be responsible for the financial management of grants.
• Provide occasional contributions to the teaching program.
• Undertake other duties commensurate with the classification and scope of the position as required by the Director, OTARC and/or Dean of Education.
• Facilitate collaboration between OTARC researchers and affiliates and School of Education staff with expertise in the program area towards shared outputs such as peer-reviewed papers, externally funded projects and higher degree research student completions.
• Together with the OTARC leadership team and stakeholder representatives, develop a strategy to achieve KPIs for the designated program area.
• Play a leading role in discipline-based mentoring and supporting the development of more junior research and teaching staff within the School.
• Provide leadership to the School by undertaking major management and planning responsibilities, and chairing School, faculty, university committees/working parties.

Skills and knowledge required for the position 

• Completion of a PhD or equivalent accreditation and standing, together with substantial research experience.
• Proven experience in supervising, mentoring and fostering the research activities of others and contributing effectively at school, and/or university levels.
• Demonstrated effectiveness in the preparation of research proposal submissions to external funding bodies and a substantial record of external research funding through competitive grants, industry grants or consultancies.
• Demonstrated effectiveness in liaising with collaborators and industry partners and in promoting research links with outside organisations/agencies.
• Proven commitment to the highest quality teaching in related discipline or professional fields, including evidence of leadership in teaching and curriculum development at undergraduate and postgraduate levels.
• Demonstrated ability to attract honours/postgraduate research students and supervise to successful completion.
• Excellent interpersonal skills with a proven ability to build robust working relationships with academic and professional staff across the University.
• Lived experience of Autism and/or another neuro-divergence and/or relevant workplace experience in a neurodiverse workplace would be highly regarded.

Please refer to the Position Descriptions for other duties, skills and experience required for this position. 

Welcome to Bundoora campus – Please click on the video link below: 

https://f.io/KDo0ceng

Benefits

• 17% employer contributed superannuation
• On site child care facilities
• Flexible work arrangements
• Discounts for staff and their family members to study a range of La Trobe courses

How to apply

Closing date: By 11:55 pm on Sunday 15th October, 2023

Position Enquiries: Professor Alison Lane, Director, OTARC, Olga Tennison Autism RC, School of Psychology and Public Health Email:
A.Lane@latrobe.edu.au

Recruitment Enquiries: Vicki Stavrou, Senior Talent Acquisition Business Partner, Email v.stavrou@latrobe.edu.au, Phone 03 9479 5191

Position Descriptions below:

PD-Research Director OTARC, Professor Education.pdf

PD-Professor of Neurodiversity and Education Level-E.pdf

Please submit an online application ONLY and include the following documents:

• Cover letter;
• An up-to-date resume; and
• A separate document addressing the Key Selection Criteria which is located in the position description.

Please scroll down to apply.

We’d love to stay connected! If you would like to find out more about this School, please follow us on LinkedIn:

School of Education: https://www.linkedin.com/company/76215971

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Applicants 
We welcome and strongly encourage applications from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. 

La Trobe University is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive workforce. We take an intersectional approach by actively supporting and encouraging people of all backgrounds and abilities to submit an application and aim to ensure that the recruitment and employee experience is as accessible and inclusive as possible. Flexibility in interview format will be offered to shortlisted candidates.

Why La Trobe:

• Develop your career at an innovative, global university where you’ll collaborate with community and industry to create impact.
• Enjoy working on our inspiring and stunning campuses – the perfect hub for industry, students and academics
• Help transform the lives of students, partners and communities now and in future

All La Trobe University employees are bound by the Working with Children Act 2005. If you are successful, you will be required to hold a valid Victorian Employee Working with Children Check prior to commencement.

Closing Date:15/10/2023