Senior Research Officer - Geospatial Health & Development It is a very exciting time at The Kids Research Institute Australia as we continue to evolve from what began in the 1980's as a vision to create a world-class child health research hub. We have recently changed our name from the Telethon Kids Institute, but we continue to achieve our vision of happy, healthy kids!
The Smart Walking and Cycling: Active Travel to School Simulator project, supported by the Healthway Exploratory Research Grant, seeks to address the declining rates of active travel to school in Perth, WA. Using a digital twin framework, the research aims to integrate extensive data to simulate human mobility patterns, analyse barriers to active travel, and develop localised policy recommendations tailored to specific school catchment areas. This pioneering work will contribute to healthier lifestyles, reduce traffic congestion, and foster vibrant communities across Perth.
The successful candidate will join a multidisciplinary team focusing on geospatial modelling, predictive analytics, and policy simulation to enhance active travel.
Some of your duties will include, but not be limited to:
Lead data integration, processing and spatial analysis within our digital twin framework, working with datasets on infrastructure, demographics, safety perceptions and travel behaviour. Develop and validate predictive models, including travel mode choice, route choice and health outcome models, calibrated against real-world data. Design and conduct policy simulations to assess various intervention scenarios (e.g., infrastructure improvements, safety programs and incentives) and evaluate their impacts on active travel and related health outcomes. Engage with stakeholders through workshops and presentations to refine models, interpret results and co-design policy recommendations. Prepare research findings for academic publications, reports and interactive dashboards for stakeholder engagement. This is a full-time role based at the Perth Children's Hospital for a one-year period.
About You If you are passionate about spatial analysis and interested in contributing to this project, your success is dependent on the following criteria:
A Ph.D. in geography, urban planning, epidemiology, data science or a related field. Proficiency in R and/or Python. Strong expertise in GIS and/or spatial analysis and modelling. Experience in machine learning and predictive modelling. Strong communication skills and the ability to collaborate with multidisciplinary stakeholders, including government agencies, local councils, and community groups. Experience with cloud platforms (e.g., AWS, Google Cloud) for data storage and processing. Familiarity with JAVA. We are driving inclusion and diversity as part of the way we work and embrace the diverse career and life experiences of our staff. If you meet a number of the requirements (and not all), we encourage you to submit your application. We also encourage you to address any career disruptions (if applicable) you may have had in your cover letter. About Us Our aim is to create a workplace where people are respected and encouraged to fulfil their potential. We encourage a workforce that is innovative, eager to acquire knowledge and enhance skills; we embrace all employee differences, foster a culture that supports diversity and inclusion, and are committed to providing reasonable accommodations where required.
Some of our staff benefits include: Additional annual leave over Christmas and Easter. Save on tax and increase your take home pay by salary packaging up to $15,899 of Living Expenses and up to $2,650 on Entertainment Benefits each FBT year. World leader in child health research. Early and Mid-Career Researcher Mentoring Program. Various initiatives providing strategic support to researchers, including funding support. Extensive health and wellbeing program with weekly events. Flexible work options and hybrid working. Modern offices and end of trip facilities, including sit to stand desks. Access to Corporate Health Insurance. Staff purchasing discounts including travel, IT Hardware and stationery. How to apply If you think that this is the right role and an exciting new challenge for you, please click on 'Apply Now' to navigate to our Career Site to view the Job Description and submit your application.
Your cover letter (no more than 2 pages) should specifically address your skills and experience outlined in the "About You" section above. Applications will only be accepted through our career portal. If you are experiencing technical difficulties with our online portal, please direct your query to
If you require reasonable accommodation in completing this application, please direct your inquiries to
Closing Date: 28/11/2024 - We reserve the right to hire prior to the closing date.
The Kids Research Institute Australia is committed to being champions of gender equity, diversity, and inclusivity. We actively encourage applications from people of all ages, nationalities, abilities, and cultures, including: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, people with diverse genders, sexes and sexualities and people living with disability. As such we are a proud Bronze award recipient of the first Australian Athena Swan Science in Australia Gender Equity (SAGE) pilot program.
We acknowledge that when working in environments which contribute to the health and wellbeing of Aboriginal people, it is imperative that Aboriginal people are at the forefront of this work. We have launched the Aboriginal Employment and Career Development Strategy to increase the number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander staff, students and researchers employed in the Institute who provide guidance and support in our work in Aboriginal health.
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