We save & change lives. At Children’s Cancer Institute we believe that a life should be long. Cancer cuts life short for hundreds of children every year, before they’ve even had a chance to make their mark. We aim to not only improve their quality of life but eradicate the cause of their pain.

As the only independent Medical Research institute in Australia focused on childhood cancer, our purpose is to translate and discover (through world class research), new treatments that will cure cancer and reduce the side effects in children and adolescents.

Choose to be part of a team that will nurture your talent, so you too can contribute to this purpose. Together, we can and we will cure all children of cancer. It’s not if. It’s when.

As our Research Scientist in our Minimal Residual Disease (MRD) team your purpose will be to:

• Conduct diagnostic qPCR-based MRD testing for patients with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia with a high level of competence at every stage of the process from sample acquisition to patient reporting, as required by the MRD Research Manager and the MRD Diagnostics Manager.
• Develop and validate leukaemia-specific molecular tests for clinical translation to enable individualised treatment of patients with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia.
• Development and documentation of protocols
• Produce or contribute to high impact manuscripts and conference presentations, receiving co-authorship or acknowledgement as per the Australian Code for the Responsible Conduct of Research.
• Present data at internal research meetings and relevant local or national conferences.

To succeed you will have:

• Tertiary qualifications of at least a Bachelor Degree in Science/Biomedical Science or relevant field or an equivalent recognised qualification relevant to Medical Laboratory Science or relevant specialty.
• Previous practical experience in scientific/medical research with experience in genomics, DNA and/or RNA sequencing, real-time quantitative PCR and sequence analysis
• Prior experience in R&D, genetic testing or NATA-certified lab environment
• Competency in Microsoft office, with an ability to prepare detailed, consistent and thorough experiment documentation
• High level research and technical skills, especially accuracy of liquid handling and sample annotation
• Perseverance and ability to troubleshoot problems
• Excellent attention to detail and analytical skills
• Excellent listening, verbal and writing skills
• Demonstrated ability to work independently and in a team environment while working autonomously to deliver results within specified timeframes and contribute to a range of research activities relevant to the laboratory
• Commitment to conducting experiments under strict ethical and regulatory guidelines and to maintaining confidentiality of information.

We will support you to be your best with benefits that include but are not limited to:

• Access to our ‘FlexBEST’ program – true flexibility from day 1
• Focus on employee wellbeing, including up to 5 gifted wellbeing days off (paid) per year

Join a group of dedicated people in a purpose-driven environment to achieve success and discover what it's like to look forward to coming to work every day and make a real difference.

Additional information about Children's Cancer Institute can be found on our website at: https://www.ccia.org.au/careers-study. We embrace diversity and encourage applications from people from diverse backgrounds and cultures.

To apply, please click the "Apply Now" link and forward both your resume AND cover letter (mandatory) clearly addressing the qualifications, experience and skills required.