Research Assistant (RA)

University of Melbourne; City of Melbourne; On-site; AUD 68,000 - 92,000; Part time

Benefits offered by this job

17% superannuation

Salary packaging

Health and wellbeing programs

Professional development opportunities

Flexible work arrangements

Diversity and inclusion initiatives

Parental leave

Cultural leave

Melbourne Theatre Company discounts

Job summary

University of Melbourne is seeking a part-time Research Assistant to support an ARC DECRA project analysing illiberal political speech and democratic backsliding. The role involves scoring speeches, benchmarking outcomes against coded data, and contributing to interdisciplinary computational social science research.

You will work with a collaborative research team, manage tasks and deadlines, and participate in meetings to discuss coding challenges and model performance.

Qualifications

• Developing expertise in political science or a closely related discipline with research experience.
• Experience with quantitative or qualitative methods and empirical political research.
• Clear written and verbal communication; ability to collaborate in diverse, collegial teams.
• Interest in computational social science and basic coding in R or Python.

Responsibilities

• Score political speeches using a detailed codebook to validate and benchmark large language model outputs.
• Coordinate tasks and timelines with the research team to meet deadlines.
• Track working time across assignments and contribute to project reporting.
• Participate in team meetings, discuss coding challenges and model performance.
• Complete required university training and undertake other project tasks as directed.

Skills

Research experience

Quantitative methods

Qualitative methods

Writing skills

Time management

Attention to detail

Computational social science

R basics

Python basics

Collaboration

Education

Political science or related discipline

Tools

R

Python

Job description

Role type:Part-time (0.20 FTE); Fixed-term (12 months)
Faculty: Arts
Department/School:School of Social and Political Sciences
Salary: RA1 - $79,677 p.a. plus 17% super

• Contribute to ARC-funded research on democracy and illiberal discourse / work with innovative Large Language Models / collaborate closely with leading political science researchers
• Investing in you – 17% superannuation, benefits package including salary packaging, health and wellbeing programs, discounted services, and professional development opportunities.

The University of Melbourne
We take pride in our people, who all contribute to our mission to benefit society through the transformative impact of education and research. Discover more via our website.

Your next career opportunity
You will support an ARC DECRA project analysing illiberal political speech and democratic backsliding across democracies.
You will benchmark Large Language Model classifications against your own coding, building valuable computational research experience.

What you will deliver:

• Score political speeches using a detailed codebook to validate and benchmark Large Language Model outputs.
• Coordinate tasks and timelines with the research team to ensure assignments are completed to deadline.
• Track working time across assignments and contribute to clear, accurate project reporting.
• Participate in research team meetings and discussions, sharing observations on coding challenges and model performance.
• Complete required University training and undertake other project tasks as directed by the research leads.

You may be a great fit if you:

• Bring developing expertise in political science or a closely related discipline, supported by research experience.
• Demonstrate experience in quantitative or qualitative methods and an interest in rigorous empirical political research.
• Communicate clearly in writing and speech, and collaborate constructively within diverse, collegial research teams.
• Excel at organising tasks, managing competing deadlines and maintaining careful attention to detail in coding work.
• Show interest in computational social science, political communication or democratic backsliding, ideally with basic R or Python.
• Value inclusive, professional workplaces and align with the Faculty of Arts commitments to diversity and respect.

For further information please refer to the attached PD.

What we offer you!
We offer the opportunity to be part of a vibrant community and enjoy a comprehensive range of benefits to support your success and sense of fulfilment, including:

• Build future financial security with 17% superannuation
• Supportive flexible work arrangements underpinned by our commitment to inclusion and well-being
• Career development opportunities, including access to a range of tailored programs, such as Academic Women in Leadership, and learning platforms including LinkedIn Learning
• Progressive, considerate leave provisions to empower your work-life balanceand well-being, including leading parental leave, gender affirmation leave, cultural leave, and menstruation and menopause leave.
• Salary packaging and access to a range of discounted services including Bupa health insurance, and access to unique cultural and recreational benefits such as discounts for the Melbourne Theatre Company
• Health and well-being services including a leading Employee Assistance Program

For more information check out our benefits page!

Your new team – School of Social and Political Sciences
The School of Social and Political Sciences is a leading hub for social science teaching and research.
You will join a vibrant, interdisciplinary community spanning political science, sociology, anthropology, criminology and gender studies.
Working closely with ARC DECRA researchers, you will contribute to high-impact scholarship on democracy and public discourse.
The School values collegiality, critical inquiry and supporting early-career researchers to develop their academic skills and networks.

Be Yourself
The University of Melbourne is an Equal Opportunity Employer and a child-safe organisation. The diversity of our community enriches us all, and we are committed to creating an inclusive and fair workplace where everyone is valued, respected, and empowered to succeed. We welcome applicants from all backgrounds, identities, and experiences. Discover more about Diversity and Inclusion at UniMelb.

We're committed to a barrier-free recruitment process and ongoing workplace support, providing adjustments throughout. We warmly encourage applications from people with disabilities. Learn more about how we support an accessible recruitment process.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Applicants
We aspire to be the University of choice for Indigenous Australians. Visit our Indigenous staff page to learn more about our investment and support for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander staff.
Indigenous applicants are encouraged to connect with our Indigenous Employment & Development team at ***********@unimelb.edu.au.

• You must have current valid work rights for Australia. Visa sponsorship is not available for this role.
• A Working with Children Check is required for all positions. If successful, we will guide you through the process and reimburse you.
• You are not required to address the Selection Criteria for this application.

Applications close: Monday 12 October 2026 at 11:55 PM; Melbourne time zone.

Position Description: JR-018984 - Research Assistant (RA)_PD.pdf