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TERN Full-time, fixed-term position until June 2028 Base salary will be in the range $91,658 - $98,330 + 17% Superannuation (HEW Level 6) Based at our Long Pocket Campus About This Opportunity  Are you passionate about transforming complex environmental data into accessible insights? Join TERN – Australia’s leading ecosystem observatory – as a Data Engineer and help design and maintain scalable, cloud-based data infrastructure that supports national research efforts. In this role, you’ll work with a dynamic team to build data pipelines, optimise databases, and manage diverse terrestrial ecosystem datasets collected across the country. This is your chance to make a real impact by supporting world-class science with cutting-edge data engineering. Key responsibilities will include:  Design, develop and optimise scalable, reusable data pipelines for onboarding, processing and transforming ecosystem data from diverse sources. Build and manage cloud-hosted data infrastructure to store, query and retrieve both spatial and non-spatial data efficiently. Develop and implement ETL processes to prepare data for publication, analysis, and visualisation, including metadata and data packaging. Collaborate in an agile team environment to deliver high-quality data services and containerised applications that support national research infrastructure. About TERN TERN is an Australian Government initiative to enhance Australia’s environmental research effort. TERN coordinates a nationally distributed set of instrumentation that contribute to data and information services that help to meet the needs of terrestrial and coastal ecosystem researchers and other users in Australia needing to understand and predict changes over time to ecosystems. The infrastructure also contributes to Australia’s role in international programs in areas such as global flux observing and global biodiversity monitoring. TERN was established in 2009 by a National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy (NCRIS) grant from the Australian Government Department of Education. Through a number of extensions and renewals of its grant, TERN’s funding is currently in place until June 2028. The TERN infrastructure investments are distributed widely and are coordinated and managed nationally by the TERN Office at the University of Queensland (UQ) in Brisbane. The capabilities of TERN are operated by institutions ‑ termed Operators ‑ under agreements with the TERN Office. A key strategic objective is to sustain TERN into the longer term. Information about TERN Australia is available at https://www.tern.org.au. Join a community where excellence is at the core of our culture, contributions are valued and a range of benefits and rewards are available, such as: Up to 26 weeks paid parental leave or 14 weeks paid primary caregiver leave 17% superannuation contributions 17.5% annual leave loading Access to flexible working arrangements including hybrid working options, flexible start/finish times, purchased leave, and a condensed fortnight Health and wellness discounts – fitness passport access, free yearly flu vaccinations, discounted health insurance, and access to our Employee Assistance Program for staff and their immediate family UQ Study for Staff Salary packaging options About You Tertiary qualifications in IT, computer science, data science, software engineering or a related field, along with relevant experience Proficiency in Python programming and experience with databases, SQL, and data modelling Demonstrated experience developing data pipelines and ETL processes using tools such as Apache Airflow Familiarity with cloud infrastructure, with a preference for OpenStack, and containerised application development Understanding of software development lifecycle and agile methodologies Strong communication and collaboration skills, with a willingness to learn new tools and techniques as required The successful candidate may be required to complete a number of pre-employment checks, including pre-interview online test, right to work in Australia and a criminal check. You must maintain unrestricted work rights in Australia for the duration of this appointment to apply. Employer sponsored work rights are not available for this appointment. Questions?  For more information about this opportunity, please contact Dr Siddeswara Guru | Data Srvs & Analytics Platform Lead at s.guru@uq.edu.au. For application inquiries, please reach out to the Talent Acquisition team at talent@uq.edu.au, stating the job reference number (below) in the subject line.  Want to Apply?  All applicants must upload the following documents in order for your application to be considered: Cover letter summarising how your background aligns to the ‘About You’ section Resume  Other Information  UQ is committed to a fair, equitable and inclusive selection process, which recognises that some applicants may face additional barriers and challenges which have impacted and/or continue to impact their career trajectory. Candidates who don’t meet all criteria are encouraged to apply and demonstrate their potential. The selection panel considers both potential and performance relative to opportunities when assessing suitability for the role. We know one of our strengths as an institution lies in our diverse colleagues. We're dedicated to equity, diversity, and inclusion, fostering an environment that mirrors our wider community. We're committed to attracting, retaining, and promoting diverse talent. Reach out to talent@uq.edu.au for accessibility support or adjustments. Applications close Thursday 15 January 2026 at 11.00pm AEST (R-58776). Please note that interviews have been tentatively scheduled for 23/1/2026. The University of Queensland (UQ) acknowledges the Traditional Owners and their custodianship of the lands on which UQ is situated. We pay our respects to their Ancestors and their descendants, who continue cultural and spiritual connections to Country. At the University of Queensland, we are proud to be one of Australia’s leading research and teaching institutions, consistently ranking among the top 50 universities worldwide. As a member of the prestigious Group of Eight (Go8) universities, UQ is widely recognised for its intensive focus on research and teaching excellence – evidenced by our numerous accolades including more teaching awards than any other Australian University and reflected in UQ being the number one recipient of ARC Fellowships and Awards nationally across all scheme years (totalling 452 awards worth $339 million). Our state-of-the-art facilities, libraries, and cutting-edge research centres offer unparalleled opportunities for academic and professional growth. With five faculties, a number of globally recognised research institutes, and over 100 research centres, we attract an interdisciplinary community of more than 7000 staff, supporting more than 55,000 current students from over 137 countries. UQ is dedicated to supporting the career aspirations of our students and staff. Our comprehensive career services provide personalized guidance, skills development, and networking opportunities to help you achieve your professional goals. Whether you are a student seeking internships and job placements or a staff member looking for career advancement, UQ is here to support you every step of the way. UQ values equity, diversity and inclusion and seeks to reflect the broader community by attracting and retaining high-quality staff from a range of backgrounds. Our commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion aims to ensure that everyone at UQ feels valued and empowered to achieve their full potential. We are particularly interested to hear from people who bring diversity to UQ – whether that be gender identity, LGBTQIA+, cultural and/or linguistic, Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander peoples, or people with a disability. Whether you are a recent graduate, an Academic, or an experienced professional, UQ offers a wide range of opportunities to help you grow and succeed. Explore our current job openings, discover our programs, and become part of a community that is dedicated to creating lasting, meaningful impact for the communities in which we live and work. For more information about working at UQ and our employee benefits (such as generous leave provisions, 17% superannuation, flexible working arrangements, and health and wellness discounts) please visit Why Work at UQ.