Position Number: 0064099
Location: Parkville
Role type: Full-time; Fixed-term for up to 5 years. Multiple positions available.
Faculty: Melbourne Law School
Salary: Level A $105,518 – $113,262 p.a. OR Level B $119,231 – $141,581 p.a plus 17% super
- Conduct cutting-edge research within an interdisciplinary team focused on transforming international law to ensure corporate accountability for climate action.
- Be involved in a pioneering program that provides a platform for impactful research and collaboration with leading scholars and policymakers on a critical global issue.
- Salary packaging, subsidised health and wellbeing services, fitness and cultural clubs, and a 25% discount on graduate courses to our staff and their immediate families!
About the Role
Contribute to a groundbreaking Australian Research Council Laureate Program on Transforming International Law for Corporate Climate Accountability. As a Research Fellow, you will undertake innovative research into global standards, practices, and legal frameworks aimed at holding corporations accountable for their climate commitments. Collaborating closely with the Laureate Fellow, Professor Jacqueline Peel, and an interdisciplinary team of scholars, you will engage in cutting-edge projects addressing corporate net zero targets, transition plans, and climate accountability mechanisms. With access to world-class resources at Melbourne Law School and Melbourne Climate Futures, this role provides a platform to develop your expertise, produce impactful scholarly work, and contribute to the advancement of this nascent field on a global stage.
Your responsibilities will include:
- Conducting high-quality research aligned with the program's objectives, contributing to scholarly publications, conference presentations, and collaborative research projects.
- Engaging in academic and public activities, including seminars, workshops, and events to disseminate findings and strengthen links with stakeholders, policymakers, and industry organisations.
- Collaborating with the Laureate Fellow and team members, assisting with research student supervision, and supporting funding proposals to advance the program’s initiatives.
- Participating actively in institutional activities, contributing to the collegial culture of Melbourne Law School and Melbourne Climate Futures through administrative tasks, committee work, and public outreach.
Who We Are Looking For
You bring intellectual curiosity, enthusiasm, and a commitment to advancing meaningful research in the emerging field of corporate climate accountability. You are a collaborative and motivated individual, capable of thriving in a dynamic, interdisciplinary research environment. With excellent interpersonal skills, you build strong professional relationships, working effectively with colleagues, students, and external stakeholders. Your exceptional communication abilities, both written and verbal, enable you to convey complex ideas with clarity to diverse audiences. Highly organised and adaptable, you manage competing priorities with poise, ensuring deadlines are met while maintaining attention to detail.
You also have:
- A completed or near-completed PhD in international law, corporate law, environmental law, or a related field, with candidates from relevant disciplines such as climate science or climate governance also being considered.
- Demonstrated expertise in areas pertinent to the program, including corporate climate accountability, international law, and related fields.
- Proven ability to design and manage research projects independently, with a strong track record of delivering high-quality outcomes with minimal supervision.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English, with the ability to effectively engage with diverse audiences and present research findings clearly and persuasively.
For further information regarding responsibilities and requirements, please refer to the attached PD.
This role requires that the successful candidate must undergo and maintain an up-to-date Working with Children Check. This is essential to guarantee a secure environment for all individuals at the University. In the case the selected candidate doesn't have a valid Working with Children Check, they will be able to apply for the WWCC as part of the initial onboarding procedures.
Please note: International applicants are welcome to apply, however, visa sponsorship is not available for this position. This role requires valid work rights for Australia which will need to be obtained independently.
Your New Team – Melbourne Climate Futures, Melbourne Law School
Melbourne Climate Futures connects and amplifies the depth and breadth of the University’s research, creates a portal to share ideas and collaborate on real action, and empowers the next generation of climate leaders and researchers. MCF is committed to leading our national, regional and global communities to a sustainable, safe, fair and equitable climate future. For more information on MCF, visit us at https://unimelb.edu.au/climate.
Melbourne Law School is Australia's first all-graduate law faculty. The Melbourne Law School was the first faculty in Australia to teach law and awarded this country's first law degrees. The Law School has committed itself to build on our more than 150 year history of excellence and innovation by shifting from undergraduate legal education to the global standard, graduate level Juris Doctor degree. Coupled with the unrivalled excellence of the Melbourne Law Masters and its internationally renowned Research Higher Degree programs, the Law School offers a unique opportunity for the integration of scholarship and teaching.
Its faculty is a vibrant community of creative scholars, committed to a highly collegial, research-intensive institutional life. The Law School has particular strengths in cross-disciplinary and comparative analysis. It aims to integrate teaching with research and engagement activities and to engage with local, national and global communities.
The Law School is a single department faculty located in a custom designed building in University Square. The Law School has approximately 2,200 graduate students (including JD, Melbourne Law Masters and Research High Degrees).
What We Offer You!
In addition, we offer the opportunity to be part of a vibrant community and enjoy a range of benefits, including generous leave provisions, salary packaging, health and well-being services and discounts on graduate courses. For more information, check out our benefits page!
About the University of Melbourne
We’re tightly connected with the community, both at home and abroad. We take pride in our people, who all contribute to our mission to benefit society through the transformative impact of education and research. Discover more via our website and stay connected with our stories and people on LinkedIn.
Be Yourself
The University of Melbourne values the unique backgrounds, experiences and contributions that each person brings to our community and welcomes and celebrates diversity. First Nations people, those identifying as LGBTQIA+, parents, carers, people of all ages, abilities and genders, and people of diverse ethnicity, nationality and faith are encouraged to apply. Our aim is to create a workforce that reflects the diversity of the community in which we live. For more information please visit our Diversity and Inclusion page.
We are dedicated to ensuring barrier free and inclusive practices to recruit the most talented candidates. If you require reasonable adjustments, please contact the employee listed on the first page of the Position Description found below, with an email containing your name and contact details for a confidential discussion. Please ensure your email is titled "Reasonable Adjustments Request".
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Applicants
We aspire to be the University of choice for Indigenous Australians, with unprecedented investment to attract, nurture and retain Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students and staff. Tangible support through a range of programs and initiatives will ensure that you personally succeed and flourish while at the University of Melbourne.
For further information, including our 2023-2027 Indigenous strategy please visit -https://about.unimelb.edu.au/reconciliation/murmuk-djerring
Join Us!
If you feel this role is right for you, please provide your application as a single PDF comprising the following:
- Cover Letter explaining your interest in and aptitude for the position.
- Evidence of PhD, thesis abstract and examination reports (if available).
- Academic Transcripts for all relevant degrees undertaken.
- List of Publications (including those accepted for publication but not yet published).
- Brief CV (no more than 4 pages) including work experience, summary of teaching or research supervision experience (if any), conference papers and presentations, community engagement/activism, prizes and scholarships, work in progress, information about language ability.
- 3 referees preferably at least one of whom was your PhD supervisor. Make sure you have sought permission for Professor Peel to contact them.
Please note that you are not required to respond to the selection criteria in the Position Description.
Please ensure that you apply through the Apply Now button at the bottom of this advertisement. However, if you have any questions regarding the recruitment process, please feel free to contact Petra Newton via email at hr-careers@unimelb.edu.au, ensuring that you include the Position Number and the Job Title as the subject. Please do not share your application to this email address.
If you have any particular questions regarding the job please follow the details listed on the Position Description.
Position Description
