Research Assistant - Fixed Term until December 2025 - Part-time

Waipapa Taumata Rau | The University of Auckland

Ko te whare Pūtaiao | The Faculty of Science brings together 10 diverse schools and departments to provide outstanding quality teaching and research opportunities. Being the leading science Faculty in New Zealand and is one of the largest in Australasia, it undertakes world-class research across the physical, biological, and computational sciences. More than 8,000 students' study in our schools and departments, learning from internationally renowned lecturers.  We strive to provide a Faculty that reflects the demographics of our student base and Aotearoa. Our staff and students can connect with our: Rainbow and Women in Science networks, Parenting support, our Waipapa Marae and our flagship Tuākana Māori and Pacific support programme.

Te Whiwhinga mahi | The opportunity

We are seeking a creative and dedicated Research Assistant (RA) to join our team on an exciting project focused on revolutionizing Earth Science education through immersive virtual field trips. The ideal candidate will have a passion for both Earth Science and innovative digital tools, bringing new, interactive learning experiences to a broad audience.

Key Responsibilities:

• Develop workflows for interactive virtual field trip development.
• Collect and curate image, audio, and video resources for virtual field trips.
• Design and publish novel Earth Science virtual field trips for online platforms.
• Ensure educational content is engaging, accurate, and tailored to diverse audiences, ranging from students to the general public.
• Collaborate with researchers, educators, and digital media professionals to refine virtual field trip experiences.
• Contribute to research and reporting for the project.

Qualifications:

• A background in Earth Science, Environmental Science, or related fields (undergraduate degree or equivalent experience).
• Strong interest in digital tools, virtual environments, and educational technology.
• Experience with image, audio, and video content creation or editing.
• Familiarity with interactive media design and web publishing is desirable.
• Excellent communication, organizational, and teamwork skills.
• Ability to work independently and manage multiple tasks simultaneously.

Desirable Skills:

• Experience with virtual reality (VR) or digital media tools.
• Knowledge of educational theory and instructional design.
• Familiarity with virtual field trip platforms or development tools.

This is a fixed term, part time (12 hours per week) position, until December 2025.

Remuneration: $66,400 - $77,800 per annum dependent on experience and qualifications (pro-rated)

For more detailed information, please refer to the Position Description

Mō tō mātou rōpū | About the team

The Faculty is made up of 10 schools/departments and has a number of cross-disciplinary research themes to stimulate new thinking and collaboration, facilitating a lift in the quality of our research and the ability to attract new research funding.

He kōrero mōu | About you

Our ideal candidate will have a tertiary qualification and have experience working independently to research and develop creative educational resources in Earth Sciences, while developing interactive web-based content

Nga Pūkenga Motuhake | Important Skills

• MSc in Earth Sciences or similar field
• Development of Earth Science teaching materials
• Development of video and/or web-based scientific content
• Development of interactive web-based content
• Organising and conducting Earth Science outreach activities and presentations to non-scientists and/or non-University students (primary school to high school)

Ngā āhuatanga kei a mātou | What we offer
The University of Auckland is New Zealand’s leading university and maintains significant computational, laboratory and analytic facilities. Auckland itself is frequently rated as one of the world’s most liveable cities. 

The University is committed to providing an excellent working environment through:

• Flexible employment practices (including working from home, flexible hours)
• Up to 6.75% company superannuation scheme
• A competitive salary with five weeks’ annual leave

In addition, we also offer career development programmes, discounted car parking, a generous parental leave allowance, childcare, and a number of other discounts on internal and external services. 

For more information, please visit Staff Benefits.

Me pēhea te tuku tono | How to apply

Applications must be submitted online, by the closing date of 14th March, 2025 to be considered. Please include your cover letter and your CV highlighting how you can meet the skills and experiences detailed above. We may close this advert early if we have a large number of applications.

Please reach out to Associate Professor Michael Rowe via  [email protected] for a confidential conversation. Please note we are happy to answer your questions, but we do not accept applications by email. 

Equity

The University is committed to meeting its obligations under the Treaty of Waitangi and achieving equity outcomes for staff and students in a safe, inclusive, and equitable environment.  For further information on services for Māori, Pacific, women, LGBTQIATakatāpuiMVPFAFF+, people with disabilities, parenting support, flexible work and other personal circumstances go to www.equity.auckland.ac.nz

The University is committed to providing a safe, inclusive, and equitable environment where everyone can thrive. For further information see Te Ara Tautika | the Equity Policy and visit www.equity.auckland.ac.nz