Research Associate - Digital Manufacturing, AI and Intelligent System

Role Overview
An exciting opportunity exists for a Research Associate to join the ARC Research Hub for Future Digital Manufacturing and contribute to industry-funded research delivering real-world impact. Working closely with researchers, engineers and industry partners, you will develop innovative software solutions that leverage Context Awareness, Internet of Things (IoT), Applied Artificial Intelligence (AI) and advanced data integration technologies to improve manufacturing productivity and decision-making. This role will focus on ARC Digital Manufacturing Hub with Sutton Tools, which aims to develop a "Single Source of Truth" knowledgebase to enable data-driven productivity improvements.

This is a full-time, fixed-term position (until 30 June 2027) at the Hawthorn campus. Please note that due to the fixed-term nature of this role, candidates must already hold valid working rights for the duration of the contract to be considered.

Responsibilities
As a Research Associate, you will contribute to the research, design, development and evaluation of advanced software-based solutions in areas including:
- Context-aware systems
- Internet of Things (IoT)
- Applied Artificial Intelligence (AI)
- Large-scale distributed systems
- Knowledge management and data integration platforms
- Digital manufacturing technologies

Key responsibilities include:
- Conducting research, development and evaluation of advanced software-based solutions.
- Delivering project milestones and outcomes for the Sutton Tools collaboration.
- Designing and implementing large-scale distributed and context-aware systems.
- Integrating data from multiple heterogeneous sources and platforms.
- Working closely with industry partners to understand business challenges and translate them into technical solutions.
- Contributing to future research and industry funding proposals.
- Collaborating within multidisciplinary teams of researchers, engineers and industry experts.

Success in this role will be measured primarily through project outcomes, industry impact and delivery of research milestones, with publication opportunities encouraged.

Requirements and Qualifications
You are a motivated researcher and software developer who enjoys solving complex real-world challenges and working directly with industry partners.

Essential Criteria:
- Strong programming skills in one or more of the following: Python, Java, C/C++, .NET, JavaScript/React, R, Ruby, Perl or Bash.
- Experience in software systems design and development of robust, scalable solutions.
- Experience developing distributed, context-aware or data integration systems.
- Knowledge of IoT and Applied AI technologies, including machine learning and large language models.
- Strong communication, stakeholder engagement and teamwork skills.
- Excellent organisational skills and the ability to work independently.

Desirable:
- Experience working with manufacturing or industrial systems.
- Experience in manufacturing data analytics.

Qualifications:
- A Master's degree, or a Bachelor's degree with Honours and at least three years' relevant research experience.

What They Offer
- Academic Level A salary + 17% super and staff benefits.
- Flexible working arrangements, including hybrid options.
- Generous parental leave to support a balanced lifestyle.
- Exclusive staff discounts, including discounted Medibank health insurance, 50% off Swinburne courses and other partner offers.
- Salary packaging options, including car leasing and extra super contributions.
- Opportunities for collaboration with industry partners and researchers across Australia.