Senior Project Coordinator

Role Type: 12-month part time contract (22.8 hours)
Salary: $113,587 - $122,957 p.a plus super (pro rata)

• Lead a national MRFF-funded project to detect cerebral palsy earlier in infants


• Be the central connector across institutes, universities and health services


• Own the governance, budget and ethics that turn big research ideas into impact

The opportunity:

Join the Developmental Imaging group at MCRI as Senior Project Officer on a national data infrastructure project building the technology to detect cerebral palsy early from infant movement videos. Funded by the Medical Research Future Fund, the project brings together research institutes, universities and health services across Australia. You’ll run the project day to day, support governance committees, manage budgets and multi-site ethics, and keep collaborators connected and on track. This is a 12-month part-time contract (22.8 hours per week).

About your new team

You’ll be part of the Developmental Imaging group at MCRI, working closely with a Group Leader / Principal research Fellow. Based on the Melbourne Children’s Campus alongside The Royal Children’s Hospital and the University of Melbourne, you’ll work with researchers, clinicians and partners who share one goal: transforming child health. It’s a collaborative environment where problems are tackled in teams and across disciplines, and where professional development is encouraged. You’ll be at the centre of a national collaboration, with plenty of chances to learn and make a visible contribution.

What you’ll do

• Project management: Run the project day to day, maintaining the project plan, milestone schedule, deliverables register and risk register against the MRFF grant agreement.


• Governance: Set up and support the steering and advisory committees.


• Budget: Monitor and manage the project budget, track expenditure across sites and prepare financial reports.


• Ethics and research governance: Prepare and maintain multi-site ethics applications, amendments and reports under the National Mutual Acceptance scheme, plus local site approvals.


• Collaboration: Act as the central point of contact for project partners, coordinating meetings and communication, and support the development and execution of collaboration agreements with MCRI Research Contracts, Legal and partner institutions.

What you’ll bring

• Qualifications: A tertiary qualification in a relevant field, such as health sciences, information or data management, public health or project management.


• Project management experience: Experience managing multi-site research projects in the health or university sector, including planning, monitoring and evaluation (or an equivalent mix of training, education and experience).


• Budget oversight: Experience monitoring project budgets and expenditure, including subcontracts, agreements or in-kind contributions involving external organisations.


• Ethics and governance: Experience preparing and maintaining multi-site human research ethics and site governance submissions, and providing secretariat support to committees, including agendas, minutes and tracking actions with senior stakeholders.


• Communication: Strong interpersonal skills, with experience communicating and negotiating with a wide range of stakeholders and organisations, plus advanced Microsoft Office skills.

Please view the position description here.

Any questions? Reach out to Dr Elyse Passmore [email protected].

What you’ll enjoy

• Access a range of salary packaging options—covering entertainment, novated leases, and more


• Part-time balance with a 12-month contract at 22.8 hours per week


• A world-class campus on the Melbourne Children’s Campus, alongside The Royal Children’s Hospital and the University of Melbourne


• Professional development through campus conferences, seminars and a culture where learning is central


• An inclusive, respectful workplace that values all backgrounds and experiences


• Meaningful work on a national project that could help detect cerebral palsy earlier, with a real impact on children’s lives

Who we are

Murdoch Children’s Research Institute envisions a transformative future for child health. Our institute is a hub of impactful scientific breakthroughs, particularly in early interventions, enhanced diagnosis, prevention, and potential cures. We thrive on collaborative, multidisciplinary problem-solving to address challenging queries in child health. Committed to inclusivity and respect, we foster a positive working environment that values diverse backgrounds and experiences. As a proud member of the Australian Network on Disability and a dedicated supporter of Science Australia Gender Equity (SAGE), we uphold principles of equal opportunity and diverse representation.

We are committed to the safety of children and young people and takes a zero-tolerance approach to all forms of child abuse, exploitation and harm. Child safety is prioritised in our decision-making at all levels of the Institute.   

Apply now!

If you believe this role is a good fit for you, please apply by submitting:

• Your resume


• A cover letter addressing the selection criteria

Ensure these documents are combined into a single PDF file.

We welcome individuals of diverse genders, ages, ethnicities, cultural backgrounds, abilities, religions, and sexual orientations in our workplace. We actively encourage talented individuals from all walks of life to apply for our job openings. Our commitment lies in fostering a workplace that is barrier-free and inclusive, aiming to attract the most skilled candidates.

For any questions related to the recruitment process, feel free to reach out to our Recruitment Team at [email protected]. Ensure that you include the position number and job title in the subject line. Please refrain from sharing your application to this email address.

Please note, we reserve the right to close the vacancy prior to the closing date once a sufficient number of applications have been received.

No recruitment agencies please.

Applications close: Friday 13 November AUS Eastern Daylight time