Research Assistant in Youth Mental Health - Virtual Reality

at  University of Melbourne

RESEARCH ASSISTANT IN YOUTH MENTAL HEALTH - VIRTUAL REALITY

Position Number: 0064901
Location: Parkville
Role type: Part-time (0.8 FTE); Fixed-term for 12 months
Faculty: Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences
Department: Centre for Youth Mental Health

Salary: Academic Level A – $83,468 - $113,262 p.a. pro rata plus 17% super

• Support VR mental health research by recruiting participants, conducting clinical assessments, and managing study data and protocols.
• Work with innovative VR therapies co-designed with young people to transform mental health treatment and recovery outcomes.
• Salary packaging, subsidised health and wellbeing services, fitness and cultural clubs, Myki discounts, and a 25% discount on graduate courses to our staff and their immediate families!

WHO WE ARE LOOKING FOR

The successful candidate will have strong interpersonal and rapport-building skills, enabling them to build meaningful relationships with young people experiencing mental ill-health and key stakeholders. They demonstrate excellent communication, organisational, and time management skills, with the ability to work both autonomously and collaboratively, manage multiple tasks effectively, and maintain meticulous attention to detail in data collection and research activities.

You will also have:

• A postgraduate degree (Honours, Masters or doctoral degree) in the behavioural or social sciences and/or related discipline, with subsequent experience
• Demonstrated ability to conduct recruitment and assessments within populations of young people with mental ill-health.
• Able to confidently work with a degree of autonomy and limited supervision and/or as part of a team.
• Excellent organisational and time management skills, particularly a demonstrated ability to simultaneously work on multiple tasks independently.

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: Visa sponsorship is not available for this position. This role requires current valid work rights for Australia.

ABOUT THE ROLE

The Research Assistant will work within the Virtual Reality (VR) Team at Orygen and The University of Melbourne, contributing to innovative research projects aimed at improving the lives of young people with mental health challenges. This role involves recruiting participants (aged 12–30) receiving treatment for mental health disorders, conducting clinical research assessments and interviews, and maintaining study databases. With comprehensive training and support, the Research Assistant will help evaluate and enhance study processes, supporting the development of VR therapies that aid young people in their recovery journeys.

Your responsibilities will include:

• Recruit participants for VR research trials.
• Follow informed consent procedures, ensuring confidentiality is maintained.
• Support building research databases and enter accurate and timely participant data.
• Interview participants using multiple standardised clinical assessment instruments according to the relevant research protocol.

IF YOU FEEL THIS ROLE IS RIGHT FOR YOU, PLEASE APPLY WITH THE FOLLOWING DOCUMENTS:

• Resume
• Cover Letter outlining your interest and experience
• The responses against the Selection Criteria^ (found in the )
  ^For information to help you with compiling short statements to answer the selection criteria and competencies, please go to http://about.unimelb.edu.au/careers/selection-criteria
  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 Brett Verity 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 .
  Advertised: 29 Jan 2025 12:05 AM AUS Eastern Daylight Time
  Applications close: 09 Feb 2025 11:55 PM AUS Eastern Daylight Time