Research Assistant - Perioperative Medicine

The Kids Research Institute Australia; Western Australia; On-site; AUD 65,000 - 85,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Extra annual leave

Salary packaging

Health & wellbeing programs

Flexible & hybrid working

LinkedIn Learning

Modern offices

Staff discounts

Job summary

The Kids Research Institute Australia is seeking a Research Assistant to support paediatric anaesthesia research projects, focusing on anaesthesia outcome research and allied collaborations. You will join a multidisciplinary team in a fast-paced clinical setting, engaging with children and families involved in studies.

The role requires strong communication, initiative and independence, with duties spanning data collection, recruitment and data management.

Qualifications

• Bachelor degree in Health or Physiology or equivalent.
• Experience in clinical environments with children.
• Experience with data collection and protocol adherence.
• Strong writing and communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Recruit families for paediatric studies.
• Collect and manage research data.
• Create databases and data dictionaries (REDCAP).
• Assist with grant and ethics applications.
• Maintain trial records per GCP guidelines and local laws.

Skills

Data collection

Recruitment

Literature review

Strong writing

Team collaboration

Education

Bachelor of Science (Health or Physiology)

Tools

REDCAP

Job description

The Opportunity

One in 20 Australian children has surgery every year. To ensure that these kids have the best possible recovery outcomes and lead happy, healthy lives, our Perioperative Medicine team at The Kids Research Institute Australia works hard to make discoveries that will improve children’s perioperative care and lead to global practice change.

The Opportunity

One in 20 Australian children has surgery every year. To ensure that these kids have the best possible recovery outcomes and lead happy, healthy lives, our Perioperative Medicine team at The Kids Research Institute Australia works hard to make discoveries that will improve children’s perioperative care and lead to global practice change.

As a Research Assistant you will support a range of paediatric anaesthesia research projects with a particular focus on anaesthesia outcome research, including collaborative work with sleep respiratory physiology, ENT, general surgery and pharmacy. You will be part of a multidisciplinary team (doctors, nurses, researchers, technicians etc) working in a fast-paced clinical environment, directly interacting with children and families participating in our studies. Strong communication and interpersonal skills are therefore crucial in this position.

Some Of Your Duties Will Include

• Recruitment of families with children of all ages (newborn babies up to older teenagers) and acuity (healthy volunteers to patients requiring elective or emergency surgery under general anaesthesia).
• Collecting and managing research data.
• Creation of databases and data dictionaries (REDCAP and other data management software).
• Assisting with grant and ethics applications.
• Maintaining records for trials and studies according to Good Clinical Practice (GCP) guidelines as well as adhering to local and national guidelines and laws.
• Participating in collaborative projects from initiation through to data collection and study completion.

Located within Perth Children’s Hospital in Nedlands, this role will be offered on a full-time or part-time basis (0.8 FTE – 1 FTE) for an initial 14-month period.

About You

We are looking for a dynamic team player who can think on their feet, jump into new tasks easily, work across multiple studies and is actively seeking to work in a rewarding environment. The successful candidate will show good initiative, independent work skills and has a positive can-do attitude. This role is based in operating theatres within a fast-paced clinical environment. The team’s work hours are generally 7.30am to 4pm with some days needing flexibility around these hours.

To be successful in this role, you will have demonstrated experience in the following:

• Bachelor of Science (Health or Physiology) degree or equivalent.
• Previous exposure or experience in a clinical environment with children of all ages.
• Basic research skills including recruitment, data collection and protocol adherence.
• Experience with academic database search strategies and literature review process.
• Strong writing skills, including capacity to summarise and communicate technical/clinical concepts in a clear and concise manner.
• Awareness of diverse cultural WA populations.

At The Kids Research Institute Australia, we are committed to building a workplace culture that reflects the communities we serve. We actively recruit support and welcome applications from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, people with disability, culturally and linguistically diverse communities, LGBTQIA+ people, people of all ages, and those with diverse lived experiences. We also provide reasonable adjustments throughout the recruitment process and in the workplace, ensuring everyone has the opportunity to thrive.

If you meet many, but not all, of the role requirements, we encourage you to apply. We also welcome you to mention any career breaks in your cover letter to help us understand your journey.

Our commitment to diversity and inclusion is reflected in how we:

• Support staff-led inclusion and allyship groups.
• Offer flexible work practices that recognise different needs and life stages.
• Provide training, development and mentoring opportunities to increase inclusive leadership and create an environment where all staff can thrive.
• Partner with communities to strengthen cultural awareness and belonging.
• Ensure adjustments and accessible practices are available for diverse community groups.
• We continually strive to measure our progress and improve where we can.

Alongside Our Inclusive Culture, You’ll Enjoy

• Extra annual leave at Christmas and Easter.
• Salary packaging and entertainment benefits.
• Health and wellbeing programs with weekly events.
• Flexible and hybrid working options.
• Recognition and professional development opportunities, including LinkedIn Learning.
• Modern offices with sit-to-stand desks and end-of-trip facilities.
• Staff discounts on travel, IT, stationery, and access to corporate health insurance.

Closing Date: 29/10/2026 - We reserve the right to hire prior to the closing date.

The Kids Research Institute Australia is committed to being champions of gender equity, diversity, and inclusivity. We actively encourage applications from people of all ages, nationalities, abilities, and cultures, including: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, people with diverse genders, sexes and sexualities and people living with disability. As such we are a proud Bronze award recipient of the first Australian Athena Swan Science in Australia Gender Equity (SAGE) pilot program.

We acknowledge that when working in environments which contribute to the health and wellbeing of Aboriginal people, it is imperative that Aboriginal people are at the forefront of this work. We have launched the Aboriginal Employment and Career Development Strategy to increase the number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander staff, students and researchers employed in the Institute who provide guidance and support in our work in Aboriginal health.