• School of Mechanical and Mining Engineering – Faculty of EAIT
• Full-time (100%), fixed-term position for up to 2 years
• Full-time equivalent base salary will be in the range $85,372.89 - $113,659.72 + 17% super (Academic Level A)
• Australian citizenship is a requirement for this position
• Based at our St Lucia Campus - Brisbane

About This Opportunity 

Join our team as a Postdoctoral Research Fellow / Research Officer and conduct computational research and development contributing to projects within ARC Industry Transformation Training Centre on High-Speed Propulsion, Rocket and Launch Systems (HiPR-LS). In this role you will develop novel multi-physics simulation capabilities to model complex supersonic and hypersonic reacting flows and support impactful research with HDR students and industry partners.

Key responsibilities will include: 

• Research: Undertake cutting-edge computational research in supersonic reacting flow simulation, including advanced multi-physics model development for ablation, moving meshes and electron transport. Conduct high-fidelity simulations, publish research findings, contribute to competitive funding applications and collaborate on innovative research projects using best-practice methodologies.

• Teaching: Contribute to coursework teaching if required but contribution to teaching is encouraged for those who are interested as part of their career planning.

• Supervision and Researcher Development: Contribute to the supervision and development of Honours, Masters and HDR students within the ARC HiPR-LS Training Centre, providing effective guidance, feedback, coaching and professional development to support researcher success and performance.

• Citizenship and Service: Contribute to the effective operation of the research group through administrative support, maintenance of the Gas Dynamics Toolkit, and active participation in team priorities. Foster a positive safety culture, demonstrate UQ values and collaborate with colleagues to support broader academic and operational activities.

This is a research focused position. Further information can be found by viewing UQ’s Criteria for Academic Performance.

About You 

• Australian Citizenship, and ability to obtain and maintain a security clearance with AGSVA for the duration of the position.
• PhD (or PhD submitted) in the field of Aerospace or Mechanical Engineering or a related field
• Demonstrated competence in:
  • Fluid simulation code development, verification and management for massively parallel high-performance computing platforms
  • Simulation of high-speed reacting flows at all levels of fidelity, preferably for hypersonic applications
  • Non-equilibrium thermochemistry model development and implementation
• Ability and willingness to:
  • Participate in applications for external research funding support.
  • Publish in high-quality outlets.
  • Supervise honours and/or Higher Degree by Research (HDR) students.
  • Participate in coursework teaching activities.
  • Promote and adhere to a positive safety culture including assuming the role of a laboratory manager if required.
• Demonstrated:
  • High level of drive and enthusiasm.
  • High level of interpersonal, written, and verbal communication skills.
  • Commitment to UQ’s values. 

In addition, the following mandatory requirements apply:

• Australian Citizenship: It is a requirement of this position that the applicant is an Australian citizen.
• AGSVA Clearance: It is a requirement of this position that the applicant is eligible and willing to obtain and maintain a security clearance as required by the project activities.
• Background Checks: All final applicants for this position may be asked to consent to an educational check.

We particularly welcome applications from women, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, people with disability, members of the LGBTQIA+ community, and others who may be underrepresented in this discipline.

About UQ

As part of the UQ community, you will have the opportunity to work alongside the brightest minds, who have joined us from all over the world, and within an environment where interdisciplinary collaborations are encouraged. As part of our commitment to excellence in research and professional practice in academic contexts, we are proud to provide our staff with access to world-class facilities and equipment, grant writing support, greater research funding opportunities, and other forms of staff support and development.

The greater benefits of joining the UQ community are broad: from being part of a Group of Eight university, to recognition of prior service with other Australian universities, up to 26 weeks of paid parental leave, 17.5% annual leave loading, flexible working arrangements, access to exclusive internal-only vacancies, and genuine career progression opportunities via the academic promotions process.

Interested?

For more information about this opportunity, please contact Prof Vincent Wheatley via v.wheatley@uq.edu.au. For application inquiries, please reach out to the Talent Acquisition team at talent@uq.edu.au, stating the job reference number (below) in the subject line. 

When you apply, please ensure you upload a resume, cover letter, and responses to the ‘About You’ section. Please note that applications received via email will not be accepted.

Other Information 

It is a requirement of this position that the successful candidate undertakes and passes the pre-employment screening. Other pre-employment checks may include: verification of the right to work in Australia and qualifications checks. This may also include checks relating to gender-based violence matters or other integrity and conduct requirements.

We are dedicated to equity, diversity, and inclusion. We recognise that career pathways and opportunities differ and encourage applications from candidates who may not meet every criteria but can demonstrate their potential relative to opportunity. We are also happy to support any accessibility needs throughout the recruitment process. Just let us know how we can help by emailing talent@uq.edu.au or calling +61 7 3365 2623.

Applications close on Wednesday, 25 November 2026 at 11.00pm AEST (R-70872).