About This Opportunity
The School of Chemical Engineering is seeking a Postdoctoral Research Fellow / Research Officer to join Associate Professor Jingwei Hou's group on the NHMRC Investigator Grant "Wearable and High-Sensitivity X-ray Detectors for Managing Respiratory Diseases in Infants and Children".
The project develops hybrid glass scintillators that can be processed into flexible, wearable detectors for low-dose X-ray imaging of children. You will lead the materials work: designing, synthesising and characterising hybrid glass scintillators, and relating glass structure to scintillation performance.
Key responsibilities will include:
- Research: Develop and characterise advanced hybrid glass scintillator materials, leading synchrotron experiments, collaborating on detector prototype development, and contributing to high-impact publications, conference presentations, and research funding applications.
- Supervision and Researcher Development: Supervise HDR and undergraduate students, supporting researcher development and fostering high performance through mentoring, feedback and professional development. You will also contribute to the effective management of research support staff and help resolve workplace issues in line with University policies and procedures.
- Citizenship and Service: Contribute to a positive and collaborative research environment by supporting unit operations, maintaining compliance with health and safety requirements and engaging with internal and external stakeholders to advance the University's goals.
- Teaching: Contribute to undergraduate and postgraduate teaching, delivering high-quality learning experiences and continuously improving teaching practice in response to student feedback and outcomes.
This is a research focused position. Further information can be found by viewing UQ’s Criteria for Academic Performance.
About You
- A PhD (awarded or near completion) in materials science, chemistry, chemical engineering or a related field.
- In-depth understanding of hybrid glass materials, such as MOF glasses, coordination polymer glasses or hybrid metal halide glasses, including melt-quenching and structure-property analysis.
- Hands-on experience with synchrotron techniques, from beamtime proposals through data collection to analysis.
- A publication record in relevant journals appropriate to career stage.
- Ability to work independently and in a multidisciplinary team.
- Experience with MOF glass synthesis and characterisation, thin-film or flexible device fabrication, and structural modelling of amorphous materials, such as reverse Monte Carlo or molecular dynamics would be considered favourably.
We particularly welcome applications from women, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, people with disability, members of the LGBTQIA+ community, and others who may be underrepresented in this discipline.
About UQ
As part of the UQ community, you will have the opportunity to work alongside the brightest minds, who have joined us from all over the world, and within an environment where interdisciplinary collaborations are encouraged. As part of our commitment to excellence in research and professional practice in academic contexts, we are proud to provide our staff with access to world-class facilities and equipment, grant writing support, greater research funding opportunities, and other forms of staff support and development.
The greater benefits of joining the UQ community are broad: from being part of a Group of Eight university, to recognition of prior service with other Australian universities, up to 26 weeks of paid parental leave, 17.5% annual leave loading, access to exclusive internal-only vacancies, and genuine career progression opportunities via the academic promotions process.
Interested?
For more information about this opportunity, please contact Associate Professor Jingwei Hou via jingwei.hou@uq.edu.au. For application inquiries, please reach out to the Talent Acquisition team at talent@uq.edu.au, stating the job reference number (R-69233) in the subject line.
To submit an application for this role, go to the UQ Careers portal and use the Apply button.
When you apply, please ensure you upload a resume, cover letter, and responses to the ‘About You’ section. Please note that applications received via email will not be accepted.
Other Information
Pre-employment checks may include: verification of the right to work in Australia and qualifications checks. This may also include checks relating to gender-based violence matters or other integrity and conduct requirements.
Relocating from interstate or overseas? We may support you with obtaining employer-sponsored work rights and a relocation support package, however upfront costs will still be expected to be covered. You can find out more about life in Australia’s Sunshine State here.
We are 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 are also happy to support any accessibility needs throughout the recruitment process. Just let us know how we can help by emailing talent@uq.edu.au or calling +61 7 3365 2623.
Applications close Thursday, 5 November 2026 at 11.00pm AEST (R-69233).
