Job Title
Junior Research Data Engineer
Job Description
About WEHI & the Research Computing Platform
The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research (WEHI) is one of Australia’s leading biomedical research organisations. The Research Computing Platform (RCP) team provides HPC and cloud support, pipeline development and data-management expertise to accelerate discoveries across all institute themes — from cancer and infection through to healthy ageing and advanced technologies.
About the Position
Reporting to the Head of the Research Computing Platform, the Junior Research Data Engineer will assist the Senior Research Data Engineer in building and maintaining the Research Data Governance & Management (RDGM) system. You will onboard new instruments, develop data-management tools, and support researchers to ingest, validate and manage their data in a compliant and FAIR manner. You will also assist in designing and implementing metadata models that structure experimental and instrument data for enhanced interoperability and discoverability. This role offers early-career engineers hands-on experience in research data pipelines, metadata modelling and user-focused tool development.
The ideal candidate will demonstrate excellent communication skills—both written and oral—excellent interpersonal abilities, and a demonstrated ability of independently mastering new technical skills.
Selection Criteria

Essential:

• Bachelor’s, (Master’s degree is a plus) in computer science, data engineering or related field.
• Proficiency in at least one programming language (Python or R) and at least one database technology like Postgres or MySQL.
• Familiarity with object-oriented concepts
• Familiarity with Linux command-line environments and version control (Git).
• Effective communication skills and ability to work collaboratively with multidisciplinary teams.
• Strong problem-solving skills and attention to detail

Personal qualities:

• Demonstrated ability to learn new technologies quickly and independently.
• Proactive, curious and committed to continuous improvement.
• Comfortable working under guidance, with a keen eye for identifying and rectifying issues.
• Highly collaborative, with a knack for leveraging external skills and knowledge for organizational benefit.

Desirable:

• Prior experience in a research environment or life-science context.
• Understanding of data-management concepts: metadata, ETL, data validation and FAIR principles.
• Familiarity with web development frameworks like React
• Familiarity with API frameworks like FastAPI
• Exposure to HPC/batch systems (e.g. Slurm, PBS) and containerisation (Docker, Singularity).
• Familiarity with workflow frameworks (Nextflow, Prefect.io, Airflow).
• Contributions to open-source projects or academic code repositories

Terms of Appointment
This position is available for 2 years in a full-time capacity. Salary is Research Support Employee (RSE) level 6 ($95,135 - $102,979). Up to 17% superannuation and very attractive salary packaging options are available.
General enquiries can be directed to Dr Julie Iskander –
iskander.j@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: Tuesday 2 September 2025

Please refer the Job description for details