Research Associate in Physical Pyrogeography

• Excellent organisational skills
• Adept at performing accurate research and analysis methods
• Full time, Fixed-Term  (April 2026) based in Hobart

About the opportunity

The Fire Centre in the School of Natural Sciences are seeking a spatial and statistical analyst to conduct a range of research projects in the field of bushfire risk management. The Centre is the leading centre for bushfire research in Tasmania and is growing to become a key partner for developing evidence-based bushfire risk management in Tasmania and more broadly across Australia and the world. The position will contribute primarily to excellent research in two products focused on landscape fire modelling and pyrogeography, including a Natural Hazards Research Australia grant focused on geostatistical analysis the effectiveness of prescribed burning operations, and a NSW Bushfire and Natural Hazards Research Centre grant focused on remote sensing severity validation and fire regime landscape metric analysis. The Fire Centre is also conducting projects related to fire ecology, flammability of garden plants, fire risk in the Wildland Urban Interface, and the effectiveness of different risk reduction strategies. You may contribute to any and all of these.

What you’ll do:

• Undertake high-quality research/scholarly activities under limited supervision either independently or as a member of a team, standing, publish research findings as sole author or in collaboration, to meet and regularly exceed the University’s research performance expectations for Level A.
• Undertake high-quality original research and meet agreed research objectives on the development of tools, methods and models of prescribed burning, fire regime and ecosystem change analysis.
• Drive day-to-day execution of research-related tasks and provide support to project supervisors (Assoc. Prof. Owen Price and Dr Grant Williamson) as part as an interdisciplinary and multi-institutional team, including preparation of reports and manuscripts for publication in refereed journals, and preparing and presenting research findings at national and international seminars, conferences, and workshops.
• Make an effective and sustained contribution to the University in achieving its strategic objectives and fulfilling its operational responsibilities.

What we’re looking for:

• A PhD completed or imminent (
• Resume
• Cover letter outlining your suitability and motivation for the role
• Your responses to the success criteria from the Position Description below

• For further information about this position, please contact Professor David Bowman, Professor of Pyrogeography & Fire Science, David.Bowman@utas.edu.au or 03 6220 9415
• Please visit https://www.utas.edu.au/jobs/applying for our guide to applying and details on the recruitment process.
• Please refer to the attached Position Description Below for full details.

 Position Description - 499805 - Research Associate in Physical Pyrogeography.pdf

Applications close Friday, 12 April 2024, 11.55pm