Position Description (HR28)

Line Managers: Please refer to the Guidelines to writing a position description document for
information on the Roal !otanic Gardens" procedures and documentation standards#
Position $itle
Research %ssistant
!ranch&Di'ision P()!
Line Manager
Molecular (stematist
Position *um+er *,2-.G
Grade -#/
(alar
0123-,, (pro4rata)
5ontract $pe
(6ngoing3 7i8ed term3 7i8ed tas9)
7i8ed tas93 . months
:mploment $pe
(7ull4time3 Part4time3 5asual)
Part4time -,#; hours per fortnight (;,< 7$:)
5onte8t
$he Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne (R!GM) was esta+lished in /8;= and e8tends o'er -8
hectares3 housing a collection of o'er /,3,,, species of plants from around the world# $he di'erse
plant collections include camellias3 rainforest flora3 cacti and succulents3 roses3 her+s3 perennials3
ccads3 plants from (outhern 5hina and Rare and $hreatened (pecies from south4eastern
%ustralia# >ater management in the face of climate change presents a challenge to managing this
heritage4listed site# $he opening of Guilfole"s ?olcano in March 2,/, (first constructed as a
reser'oir in /82=) as a landscape feature and water storage reser'oir saw the completion of the
first component of the >or9ing >etlands Pro@ect# Altimatel3 R!G Mel+ourne aims to achie'e a
sustaina+le irrigation water source that does not rel on the use of mains water#
:sta+lished in /.2,3 the Royal Botanic Gardens Cranbourne (R!G5) is dedicated to the
conser'ation3 displa and en@oment of %ustralian flora# >ithin an hourBs dri'e of Mel+ourne and
co'ering -=- hectares3 the 5ran+ourne Gardens are a natural ha'en in a rapidl de'eloping ur+an
area# $wo thirds of the site is remnant 'egetation of state and regional significance3 and is home to
a num+er of endangered3 'ulnera+le and Cat ris9" species of fauna and flora# $he new %ustralian
Garden ((tage /) co'ers nine hectares of the site and pro'ides a contemporar landscape displa
of %ustralia"s remar9a+le plants and landscapes# $he second and final stage of the %ustralian
Garden is currentl under de'elopment and will open in 2,//#
!oth the Mel+ourne and 5ran+ourne sites are managed + the Roal !otanic Gardens !oard3
under the Royal Botanic Gardens Act 1991#
Mel+ourne Gardens di'ision comprises Pu+lic Programs3 (:ducation3 ?isitor (er'ices and
5ustomer (er'ices)3 Dnfrastructure ($echnical (er'ices and 7acilities) and Horticulture (Gardens3
*urser and %r+oriculture)#
$he Plant (ciences and !iodi'ersit Di'ision is responsi+le for the control and management of the
(tate !otanical 5ollection (the preser'ed plant collections of the *ational Her+arium of ?ictoria
and the Li+rar collections)3 underta9ing research programs and special pro@ects3 the pro'ision of a
plant identification and ta8onomic enEuir ser'ice3 and for the pro'ision of authoritati'e scientific
ad'ice# $he Her+arium is part of an international networ9 of Her+aria3 participating in colla+orati'e
pro@ects nationall and internationall# $he Di'ision has two functional !ranches F 5ollections and
Plant (ciences#
Position Description 7orm F HR28
Apdated: /1 7e+ruar 2,/2
Page /
Position4 $he role of this position is to pro'ide la+orator and field support for plant research
pro@ects# Dt supports the R!GBs and Di'isionBs goals + ena+ling high Eualit research outcomes in
+iodi'ersit conser'ation# $he position has +een created in response to increased wor9load as a
result of e8ternal funding#
Primar 6+@ecti'e(s)
$o carr out directed research in plant and&or fungal +iolog + assisting in a range of la+orator
and field acti'ities including standard molecular and other methods3 to support the effecti'e
operations of the Plant (ciences !ranch
Ma@or %ccounta+ilities
Accountability (incorporating Outcomes)
1. Anderta9e scientific research as directed to ensure molecular and other la+orator procedures are
conducted efficientl and at a high standard
2. %ssist with fieldwor9 planning3 organiGation and acti'ities to ena+le timel and efficient collection3
processing and analsis of samples and data3 and propagation of material
3. 6ther duties as directed + our line manager#
.
!.
".
#.
$.
6rganisational Reporting F Direct Reports
%osition &itle(s) o' (irect
Report(s)
%rimary Ob)ecti*e +o. sta''
reporting
to (irect
Report
*one
He 5ommunications
Internal
%osition &itles(s) %urpose ,re-uency
(cientists I le'els ; or 1 Planning3 and Reporting and discussion of
results
Dail
Manager3 Plant (ciences !udgeting and ordering# %s needed
Position Description 7orm F HR28
Apdated: /1 7e+ruar 2,/2
Page 2
5ollections staff 5oordinate loans and curation of specimens %s needed
External
Organisations %urpose ,re-uency
:Euipment and 5onsuma+les
(uppliers
6+tain information and Euotes on
consuma+les&eEuipment and organise
su+seEuent ordering
%s needed
Ani'ersities and go'ernment
departments
5olla+orate on research3 assist in
organisation of field trips and other @oint
aciti'ites
%s needed
Decision Ma9ing
Decisions made Independently:
(ecision .o/ 0mpact1outcome
6rganisation of da
to da wor9
Dndependentl3 within the
parameters of the
research pro@ect
:fficient and timel completion of wor9
Resolution of
technical da to da
e8perimental
pro+lems
$here are no formal
guidelines for research
acti'ities# Dnitiati'e3
+ased on s9ill3
9nowledge and
e8perience3 is used to
determine possi+le
causes and solutions to
pro+lems
5ontinual and stead progess is made
despite occasional small set+ac9s in
e8perimental methods and results
Maintenance of
la+orator
consuma+les and
up9eep of la+orator
Dndependentl3 to meet
e8pected R!G la+orator
standards
(afe and efficient wor9place
Decisions made WITH consultation wit!re"erral to #ine $ana%er or oters:
(ecision 0mpact1outcome
Planning e8perimental wor9 flow3
and assessment and re4
prioritisation of wor9 program
>or9 is completed efficientl and allows the Di'isional and
5orporate goals to +e met
5hoice of appropriate
la+orator&wor9space3 eEuipment3
methods and associated research
acti'ities
Research is completed at a high standard using appropriate
methodolog3 eEuipment and facilities
Position Description 7orm F HR28
Apdated: /1 7e+ruar 2,/2
Page -
5hallenges
&ey callen%es "aced 'y te position and (ud%ment re)uired to meet callen%e *maximum +,
&ype o'
C2allenge
(uration (escription o' c2allenge 3udgment re-uired
by position
$echnical&
Dntellectual
Long term %+ilit to appl and trou+leshoot current
methodologies to achie'e results3
including adapting e8isting protocols for
no'el ta8a&pro+lems#
Dnno'ati'e approach
to using and adapting
current methods
$ime&wor9load Long term Must wor9 to a strict pro@ect4+ased
timeline
%+ilit to prioritise
competing tas9s
maintain progress
People4related Long term Potentiall wor9ing alone for e8tended
periods
%+lilit to remain
focussed in isolation
Moti'ation Long term Repetiti'e nature of man research
methods3 and disappointment with
failure of e8periments
%+ilit to remain
focussed and
moti'ated despite
set+ac9s and
repetitious wor9
Position (cope and Dmpact
Area 0tem 4cope
:mploees *o# of emploees reporting directl *&%
*o# of emploees reporting indirectl *&%
*um+er of ?olunteers reporting *&%
*o# of 7$:s reporting (emploees and
'olunteers)
*&%
*o# of contractors & contracts managed *&%
7inancial 6perating !udget 0 *&%
(nearest 0",,,) (alaries and on4costs 0 *&%
5apital !udget 0 *&%
&otal 5 *&%
%sset Management ?alue of assets under management 0 *&%
:8penditure within
delegation
6perating & 5apital :8pense Ap to 0 *&%
6ther items which
indicate scope&
impact (specif)
Position Description 7orm F HR28
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Page ;
Hnowledge3 (9ills and :8perience
-ote: "or recruitment purposes. te Essential column contains te Key Selection Criteria "or te role *i/e/
te minimum re)uirements "or te role to 'e underta0en success"ully,/ Te Desirable column contains
additional s0ills. experience or 0nowled%e. wic are not compulsory 'ut wic will elp ensure success in
te role and will 'e used to di""erentiate 'etween candidates wo meet all te essential criteria/
6ssential (esirable
6ducation1
7uali'ications1
4pecialist &raining
%n appropriate tertiar Eualification
in +otanical or +iological science3
or significant progression toward
such a Eualification#
Demonstrated understanding of
genetic and ta8onomic principles
68perience1
9no/ledge
Demonstrated e8perience in
pro'iding high Eualit la+orator
and field support in a plant&fungal
research en'ironment
Hnowledge of standard la+orator
techniEues and 6H)(
reEuirements
:8perience in molecular la+orator
procedures
:8perience in research la+oratoor
practices particularl rele'ant to
genetic and ta8onomic programs
:8perience in wor9ing with
%ustralian plants and&or fungi
4:ills
Demonstrated a+ilit to sol'e
pro+lems +oth independentl and
with input
%+ilit to maintain up to date
records of e8perimental wor9 for
la+orator and field4+ased acti'ities
Demonstrated a+ilit in use of
spreadsheets and word processing
software
Demonstrated a+ilit to participate
in fieldwor9
Good written and oral
communication s9ills
:8perience in data analsis using
standard software pac9ages

Attributes
Possesses a proacti'e and
organised approach to a di'erse
wor9 area
%+ilit to wor9 effecti'el +oth
independentl with minimal
super'ision3 and as a mem+er of a
team

Additional 0n'ormation
$he position is located at the Roal !otanic Gardens3 Mel+ourne ((outh Jarra) howe'er
tra'el to the Roal !otanic Gardens3 5ran+ourne or the %ustralian Research 5entre for
Ar+an :colog (located at Mel+ourne Ani'ersit) will +e reEuired from time to time#
% current3 'alid ?ictorian dri'er"s licence is reEuired#
$he incum+ent will reEuire the phsical capacit to underta9e mo'ement of eEuipment and
mo+ilit to co'er the site3 as necessar#
Position Description 7orm F HR28
Apdated: /1 7e+ruar 2,/2
Page 1
>or9 ma ta9e place out of doors in all weather conditions#
Position Description 7orm F HR28
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