Research Assistant

An exciting opportunity is available for a Research Assistant to join the Snow Centre for Immune Health at Australia's pre-eminent biomedical research institute.

About the position
The Snow Centre for Immune Health has a global mission to improve the lives of people with immune diseases, using a new approach to immune health. The centre, co-led by WEHI and the Royal Melbourne Hospital, will bring together leading Australian and international researchers with a shared mission to transform how we research and treat the immune system. Our goal is to accelerate discoveries into the underlying features and markers of immune health, to identify disease causes early and target appropriate treatment. The Centre has been established in partnership with the Snow Medical Research Foundation.

WEHI is seeking an experienced Research Assistant to join the Snow Centre research team, working closely with the Tye-Din laboratory in the Immunity division and the Snow Assay Hub. In this role, you will contribute to the execution and optimisation of functional immune assays using human samples, such as whole blood cytokine-release assays, PBMC-based assays, immune cell stimulation assays, antigen-specific T cell assays, and flow cytometry-based phenotyping. The successful candidate will support the progression of assays through a structured development and validation pipeline, working collaboratively with researchers and assay development teams. Responsibilities will include sample processing, cell isolation and cryopreservation, performing functional immune assays in a time-sensitive manner, cytokine assessments using sensitive assays following standardised protocols, and data handling, analysis, and collation.

Selection Criteria
Knowledge and skills

• BSc with Honours or Masters in an appropriate area of study, or relevant experience
• Demonstrated laboratory research experience, previous human sample handling and processing preferred
• Basic computer skills and ability to accurately record data, results and the development of new methods
• Excellent oral and written communication and reporting skills

Personal qualities

• Good communication skills and the ability to work constructively within a team environment
• Ability to work as part of a team using laboratory experimental protocols
• Motivated to perform experiments to the highest quality and keep a meticulous laboratory notebook
• Excellent attention to detail
• Ability to manage time effectively, to be reliable, respectful, and approachable
• Open to flexibility, including work hours, based on patient sample collection
• Willing to take direction and have their progress reviewed where required

Terms of appointment
This position is available for two years in a full-time capacity, with the possibility of extension subject to funding and project requirements. Salary is Research Employee Level 5-6 ($84,479 - $106,069). Up to 17% superannuation and very attractive salary packaging options are available.

General enquiries can be directed to Dr Melinda Hardy - ******@wehi.edu.au.
A position description is available here.

How to apply
Please apply by uploading your CV, cover letter and a document addressing the key selection criteria in pdf format.

Application closing date: Monday 14 September 2026.

WEHI - Brighter together

WEHI is where the world's brightest minds collaborate and innovate to make discoveries that will help us to live healthier for longer. Our medical researchers have been serving the community for more than 100 years. We bring together people with different skills and experience who are committed to long-term discovery. Our teams of researchers are committed to solving the most complex health problems, making transformative discoveries for cancer, infectious and immune diseases, developmental disorders and healthy ageing.

WEHI is a place where people are able to shine. People who are inquisitive, who are committed, who are passionate. People who want to make a difference. And we are committed to ensuring they have the tools to flourish, personally and professionally. We are a community of researchers, students and professional service staff who work towards achieving discoveries that improve human health. We are driven by collaboration, curiosity and creativity. We are committed to making a positive difference to the lives of people in Australia and around the world. We are WEHI. We are brighter together.

WEHI's commitment to diversity and inclusion

At WEHI we strive to foster a flexible working environment that encourages individual differences and promotes collaboration and creativity. We recognise that talent does not sit within a single identifiable group in our society and that WEHI's ability to shape contemporary scientific thinking and deliver leading professional services relies on a diversity of thought within our organisation. Our action to promote gender equality has been recognised with an Athena SWAN Bronze Award from Science in Australia Gender Equity (SAGE) and we offer a range of support for women researchers.

Our commitment to celebrating diversity and addressing inequities is further demonstrated through our Diversity and Inclusion Strategy, Gender Action Plan, Reconciliation Action Plan and our WE-Pride network for LGBTQIA+ staff and students. We actively encourage applications from, people with a disability, culturally, religiously and linguistically diverse people and people with diverse genders and sexualities. Should you require support during the recruitment process due to special needs or consideration, please contact the People and Culture team.

WEHI's commitment to Indigenous employment

WEHI is working to create a future where Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples will be engaged at the scientific frontier, making exciting discoveries and decisions about the future of health in this country, and part of a leading professional services workforce supporting the realisation of these discoveries. We are committed to creating a culturally safe workplace and offering career development and leadership opportunities to First Nations staff and students. We strongly encourage any Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples to apply.