Aquatics Technical Assistant

The University of Queensland; City of Brisbane; On-site; AUD 79,000 - 84,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

26 weeks parental leave

17% super

Leave loading 17.5%

Flexible/hybrid working

Health & wellbeing programs

On‑campus childcare

Affordable parking

Salary packaging

Job summary

The University of Queensland is seeking an Animal Technical Assistant at its St Lucia campus to support world-class research through high-quality care and technical services for laboratory animals.

You will be responsible for routine animal care, water quality, and welfare, with opportunities to contribute to compliance and efficient operation of facilities. Strong communication and organizational skills are essential in a collaborative environment.

Qualifications

• A relevant qualification (e.g. Aquaculture, Animal Technology) with relevant experience.
• Experience with animal handling, recirculating aquaculture systems, equipment maintenance, animal health monitoring, and euthanasia practices is highly regarded.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills to build productive relationships with researchers, students, suppliers and colleagues.

Responsibilities

• Providing routine animal care, husbandry and welfare support for laboratory aquatic species, including water quality maintenance.
• Performing manual housekeeping tasks to support facility hygiene and equipment operation.
• Performing routine technical procedures, including approved euthanasia methods, in accordance with regulatory requirements and animal welfare standards.
• Maintaining accurate facility records and providing timely communication.
• Participate in regular rostered weekend and on‑call shifts (average 2 per month).

Skills

Animal handling

Recirculating aquaculture systems

Equipment maintenance

Animal health monitoring

Euthanasia practices

Education

Aquaculture

Tools

Microsoft Word

Excel

Job description

UQ Biological Resources Full-time (100%), permanent position. Base salary will be in the range $79,096 - $83,863 + 17% super (HEW Level 4). Based at our St Lucia location.

About This Opportunity

Join a collaborative, inclusive and purpose-driven team supporting world‑class research through the delivery of high-quality animal care and technical services. As an Animal Technical Assistant, you will play a vital role in our team, maintaining consistent health, welfare and husbandry of laboratory research animals. Working within a professional and supportive environment, you will be contributing directly to the success of cutting‑edge research by maintaining compliance, welfare and the safe, efficient operation of specialised research facilities.

Key Responsibilities

• Providing routine animal care, husbandry and welfare support for laboratory aquatic species, including water quality maintenance.
• Performing manual housekeeping tasks to support facility hygiene and equipment operation.
• Performing routine technical procedures, including approved euthanasia methods, in accordance with regulatory requirements and animal welfare standards.
• Maintaining accurate facility records and providing timely communication.
• Participate in regular rostered weekend and on‑call shifts (average 2 per month).

About You

A relevant qualification (e.g. Aquaculture, Animal Technology) with relevant experience.

Experience with animal handling, recirculating aquaculture systems, equipment maintenance, animal health monitoring, and euthanasia practices. and/or laboratory animal environments, would be highly regarded.

Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to build productive relationships with researchers, students, suppliers and colleagues.

Strong organisational skills and the ability to prioritise competing demands, work efficiently and independently in line with Standard Operation Procedures and achieve deadlines.

Experience in a scientific research environment and proficiency with Microsoft Word and Excel would be advantageous.

About UQ

As part of the UQ community, you’ll have the opportunity to work alongside the brightest minds, who have joined us from all over the world, working together to create a better world. Join a community where excellence is at the core of our culture, contributions are valued and a range of benefits and rewards are available.

Benefits

• 26 weeks paid parental and primary care leave.
• 17% super.
• 17.5% leave loading.
• Flexible and hybrid working options where operationally appropriate.
• Health and wellbeing programs.
• Heavily discounted Study for Staff program.
• On‑campus childcare.
• Affordable parking.
• Salary packaging.

Other Information

Pre‑employment checks may include: verification of the right to work in Australia, mandatory immunisations. This may also include checks relating to gender‑based violence matters or other integrity and conduct requirements. Working with laboratory animals is an inherent requirement of the position. The appointment is therefore subject to, and conditional upon, satisfactory medical clearance(s), including disclosure of relevant medical history, to undertake such work without unreasonable risk to your health and safety. In addition, the Employee is required to fully comply with necessary ongoing health monitoring procedures and control measures associated with the position. You must maintain unrestricted work rights in Australia for the duration of this appointment to apply. Employer sponsored work rights are not available for this appointment.

We’re dedicated to equity, diversity, and inclusion. We recognise that career pathways and opportunities differ, and encourage applications from candidates who may not meet every criteria but can demonstrate their potential relative to opportunity. We’re also happy to support any accessibility needs throughout the recruitment process. Just let us know how we can help by emailing [e-mail] or calling [phone].

Applications close Tuesday 29 September 2026 at 11.00pm AEST (R-68717).

UQ Values and Culture

The University of Queensland (UQ) acknowledges the Traditional Owners and their custodianship of the lands on which UQ is situated. We pay our respects to their Ancestors and their descendants, who continue cultural and spiritual connections to Country.

At the University of Queensland, we are proud to be one of Australia’s leading research and teaching institutions, consistently ranking among the top 50 universities worldwide.

As a member of the prestigious Group of Eight (Go8) universities, UQ is widely recognised for its intensive focus on research and teaching excellence – evidenced by our numerous accolades including more teaching awards than any other Australian University and reflected in UQ being the number one recipient of ARC Fellowships and Awards nationally across all scheme years (totalling 452 awards worth $339 million).

Our state‑of‑the‑art facilities, libraries, and cutting‑edge research centres offer unparalleled opportunities for academic and professional growth.

With five faculties, a number of globally recognised research institutes, and over 100 research centres, we attract an interdisciplinary community of more than 7000 staff, supporting more than 55,000 current students from over 137 countries.

UQ is dedicated to supporting the career aspirations of our students and staff. Our comprehensive career services provide personalised guidance, skills development and networking opportunities to help you achieve your professional goals.

Whether you are a student seeking internships and job placements or a staff member looking for career advancement, UQ is here to support you every step of the way.

UQ values equity, diversity and inclusion and seeks to reflect the broader community by attracting and retaining high‑quality staff from a range of backgrounds.

Our commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion aims to ensure that everyone at UQ feels valued and empowered to achieve their full potential.

We are particularly interested to hear from people who bring diversity to UQ – whether that be gender identity, LGBTQIA+, cultural and/or linguistic, Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander peoples, or people with a disability.

Whether you are a recent graduate, an Academic, or an experienced professional, UQ offers a wide range of opportunities to help you grow and succeed.

Explore our current job openings, discover our programs, and become part of a community that is dedicated to creating lasting, meaningful impact for the communities in which we live and work.

For more information about working at UQ and our employee benefits (such as generous leave provisions, 17% superannuation, flexible working arrangements and health and wellness discounts) please visit Why Work at UQ.