• Employment Status: Fixed term until June 2024 (Full time)
• Reports to: Education Manager, Eating Disorders Victoria

About the opportunity

Eating Disorders Victoria (EDV) is looking for a postdoctoral research associate for a collaborative research project funded through MRFF and led by InsideOut Institute University of Sydney. The aim is to establish a translation hub for eating disorders in Victoria as part of the Million Minds funded MAINSTREAM Research program and will utilise existing health system development hubs funded in NSW, VIC and QLD.

This position will be based at Eating Disorders Victoria and will work in close collaboration with EDV, the Victorian Centre of Excellence in Eating Disorders (CEED) and the NSW/QLD hubs to provide research support for the establishment of the translation hub.

About us - Eating Disorders victoria

Eating disorders are complex and debilitating mental illnesses that affect up to 1 in 20 people. Like any mental illness, they are not the fault of the individual and can affect anyone no matter their age, gender or background. While serious, eating disorders are treatable, with the right support, full recovery is possible for everyone.

Eating Disorders Victoria is the trusted guide for Victorians affected by eating disorders. We help people get the support they need to inspire hope and ensure the earliest possible recovery.

How we work

We are a committed, engaged and progressive community health service who value innovation. We are known for developing and delivering eating disorder services that can’t be found anywhere else in Australia, or even the world. We are a strong voice for people affected by eating disorders and actively advocate for our eating disorder affected community at state and national level.

We pride ourselves on being a vibrant place to work, where creativity, collaboration and lived experience are highly valued and supported.

All of our work is guided by our values of Connection, Courage, Optimism and Perseverance.

Where we are going

We are moving through an exciting time of reform in Victoria’s Mental Health System, and have every intention of ensuring eating disorders are fully supported in this new system. We want eating disorders to be considered core business when it comes to mental health, so that more Victorians are identified, diagnosed and put on the path to recovery, sooner.

We are focused on delivering high quality, data-driven community services that demonstrate the impact of our work, while underscoring the growing community demand for specialised eating disorder services. Underpinning this is an evolving culture of strong clinical governance, which supports the wellbeing of staff, volunteers and our service users.

We consider the lived experience workforce to be pivotal to the future of eating disorder treatment and are positioned to be leaders in this emerging field.

InsideOut Institute

InsideOut is a national research institute for eating disorders resulting from a collaboration between the University of Sydney and the Sydney Local Health District. InsideOut Institute is funded by the Mental Health Branch of the NSW Ministry of Health, specifically for the purpose of developing and implementing strategic planning for eating disorders in NSW, including both service and workforce development. In addition, InsideOut receives funding from the Commonwealth Department of Health and organisations offering research grants.

The Institute is housed within the Charles Perkins Centre, University of Sydney - one of Australia’s foremost collaborative centres for complex-systems health research. InsideOut is staffed by senior researchers, clinicians, public health experts, consumer and carer consultants. Our mission is to transform the treatment landscape for eating disorders in Australia and to find a cure through innovative research, collaboration and an enduring path of enquiry. We have four pillars of work to drive change to the treatment received by people with eating disorders, and to rapidly improve recovery rates; research & translation, education, clinical innovation and public policy.

Since our inception 160 years ago, the University of Sydney has led to improve the world around us. We believe in education for all and that effective leadership makes lives better. These same values are reflected in our approach to diversity and inclusion and underpin our long-term strategy for growth. We’re Australia's first university and have an outstanding global reputation for academic and research excellence. Across our campuses, we employ over 8,100 academic and non-academic staff who support over 73,000 students.

We are undergoing significant transformative change which brings opportunity for innovation, progressive thinking, breaking with convention, challenging the status quo, and improving the world around us.

About you

Eating Disorders Victoria and the InsideOut Institute for Eating Disorders value courage and creativity; openness and engagement; inclusion and diversity; and respect and integrity.

As such, we see the importance of recruiting talent aligned to these values and are looking for a Postdoctoral Research Associate who demonstrates:

• Strong statistical analysis skills
• Strong project management skills
• Excellent interpersonal, verbal and written communication skills with sound negotiating and conflict resolution skills and a demonstrated level of tact and discretion in dealing with day to day operational matters
• The ability to work both independently and as part of a team, taking initiative and exercising sound judgement in resolving matters that may arise as part of normal daily work
• Strategic thinking and the ability to identify opportunities
• Strong statistical analysis skills
• The ability to organise and prioritise work, sometimes under pressure, with competing priorities and sometimes limited supervision
• Extensive experience in developing and working on research projects, including expertise in conducting literature reviews, manuscript drafting, using research protocols, experimental design, and ethics submissions
• Eligibility and willingness to supervise HDR students (Honours, Masters and PhD)
• Knowledge of the Higher Education Research Data Collection and ethics reporting requirements

What we can offer you 

• A genuinely nice place to work – we know that our people are our best asset  
• Support and encouragement to grow your skill set in a hands-on environment 
• Ability to take ownership of your role  
• Opportunities to engage in a fun social calendar of events 
• Hybrid working arrangements (50% in-office time in Abbotsford) 
• Ability to take scheduled mental health days to focus on your personal wellness  
• Group supervision for all staff with lived experience of an eating disorder 
• Salary packaging arrangements (increasing your take-home pay) 

How to Apply

To apply, please navigate to the 'Apply Now' section and include a resume and a cover letter which includes a specific response to each of the Key Selection Criteria (found on the position description). Please combine these as a single document. Direct applications to EDV via email will not be monitored.

A full position description is attached below.

If you don’t meet all of the key selection criteria, but are still keen to work with us, we want to hear from you! Please just tell us what you will bring to the role within your application.

For more information about the role and working at EDV contact Belinda Caldwell, CEO, Eating Disorders Victoria on [email protected], using the subject line: Research Associate enquiry via EthicalJobs.