Job no: 531219
Work type: Full Time
Location: Sydney, NSW

Categories: Post Doctoral Research Associate

• Employment Type: Full Time, Fixed Term for 2 years (35-hour week), with a possible extension for a third year. A 0.8FTE appointment would be considered.
• Remuneration: Level A Step 6 $110,059 + 17% Superannuation. Level B commencing from $123,620 + 17% superannuation.
• Location: Kensington, NSW
• Postdoctoral Fellow to commence from July 2025 (or as soon as possible thereafter).

ABOUT US

UNSW Law & Justice is a top-ranking faculty and a global leader in law and criminology education and research, setting the pace in Australia for 50 years.
We ranked 1st in Australia and 12th globally for law and legal studies in the 2025 QS World University Rankings and retained our position as 1st in Australia in the Employer Reputation category by subject. UNSW Law & Justice ranked 35th globally for law in the 2025 Times Higher Education World University Rankings. In the most recent round of research excellence rankings, UNSW received an ERA rating of 5 for law, the highest possible score.
We’re inspired by principles of law and justice and grounded in well-established legal skills. UNSW Law & Justice is committed to social justice and human rights, and to making a difference in this world.

ACCOUNTABILITIES

Specific accountabilities for this role at a level A include (but are not limited to):

• In conjunction with the project team, conduct high-quality individual and collaborative research on the protection of human rights at sea, with a particular focus on non-State actors’ duties.
• Contribute to the dissemination of research by presenting and publishing academic papers in refereed international journals, edited books, reports and submissions.
• Disseminate research findings at national and international conferences and in the media.
• Assist with the co-design and management of intellectual streams within the Discovery research program, including research activities with international collaborators.

In addition to the above, as a Level B you will:

• Conduct high-quality individual and collaborative research on the protection of human rights at sea, with a particular focus on non-State actors’ duties.
• Disseminate research by presenting and publishing academic papers in refereed international journals, edited books, reports and submissions.
• Disseminate research findings at national and international conferences and in the media.
• Co-design and manage intellectual streams within the Discovery research program, including research activities with international collaborators.

SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE:

Skills and experience required for this position as a Level A include (but are not limited to):

• A PhD in international human rights law, law of the sea, maritime / admiralty law, or international humanitarian law.
• Demonstrated ability or potential to undertake high-quality academic research with limited supervision.
• Demonstrated record or potential to produce high-quality research outputs, publications and conference presentations relative to opportunity, with potential for agenda-setting contributions.
• Ability or potential to effectively communicate with internal and external stakeholders at high-quality scholarly meetings, panels, symposia and conferences.
• Demonstrated ability to work in a team, collaborate across disciplines and build effective relationships

In addition to the above, as a Level B you will have:

• Post or pre-PhD experience in research or a related field of practice.
• Demonstrated track record of high-quality research outputs, publications and conference presentations relative to opportunity, with potential for agenda-setting contributions.
• Demonstrated ability to speak at high-quality scholarly meetings, panels, symposia and conferences.

To learn more about this position, and to view the comprehensive skills and criteria list, a copy of the Position Description can be found by clicking on the position description button beneath our ad on JOBS@UNSW.

WHY THE ROLE MATTERS

The Australian Research Council Discovery Project on “Fixing Gaps in Ocean Governance: International Law Duties of Persons at Sea” is a four-year research program directed by Professor Natalie Klein with Professor Sarah Williams (UNSW) and Professor Irini Papanicolopulu (SOAS). The position will be connected to the Australian Human Rights Institute and may feed into the work of the Kaldor Centre on International Refugee Law.
The Discovery Postdoctoral Fellow will have a unique opportunity to be part of a world-leading and agenda-setting research program.
In collaboration with other members of the Discovery team, you will undertake independent research and writing within the Discovery research program. As a Discovery Postdoctoral Fellows you may have the opportunity to co-supervise doctoral students and to organize events connected with the project.
The Discovery Postdoctoral Fellow will report to Professor Natalie Klein and will have no direct reports. The Fellow will be a member of the School of Global and Public Law and associated with the Australian Human Rights Institute.
This position is being offered as either a Level A or a Level B, the appointment level will be commensurate with the candidate’s qualifications and experience.
Some domestic and international travel will be required as part of this position.

Specific accountabilities for this role at a level A include (but are not limited to):

• In conjunction with the project team, conduct high-quality individual and collaborative research on the protection of human rights at sea, with a particular focus on non-State actors’ duties.
• Contribute to the dissemination of research by presenting and publishing academic papers in refereed international journals, edited books, reports and submissions.
• Disseminate research findings at national and international conferences and in the media.
• Assist with the co-design and management of intellectual streams within the Discovery research program, including research activities with international collaborators