Job no: G-0049578

Work type: Continuing

Location: Parkville

Division/Faculty: Melbourne School of Engineering

Department/School: School of Computing and Information Systems

Salary: $195,618 (Level E)

Role & Superannuation rate: Academic – Full time – 17% super

The University of Melbourne

Established in 1853, the University of Melbourne is a public-spirited institution that makes distinctive contributions to society in research, learning, and teaching and engagement. It’s consistently ranked among the leading universities in the world, with international rankings of world universities placing it as number 1 in Australia and number 32 in the world (Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2019-2020).

Melbourne School of Engineering

The Melbourne School of Engineering (MSE) is the leading Australian provider of engineering and IT education and research. We are a multidisciplinary School organised into three key areas; Computing and Information Systems (CIS), Chemical and Biomedical Engineering (CBE) and Electrical, Mechanical and Infrastructure Engineering (EMI). MSE continues to attract top staff and students with a global reputation and has a commitment to knowledge for the betterment of society.

Our ten-year strategy, MSE 2025, is our School’s commitment to bring to life the University-wide strategy Growing Esteem and reinforce the University of Melbourne’s position as one of the best in the world. Investment in new infrastructure, strengthening industry engagement and growing the size and diversity of our staff and student base to drive innovation and develop the transformative technologies of the future are all fundamental principles underpinning MSE 2025.

http://www.eng.unimelb.edu.au/about/join-mse/why-join-mse

The School of Computing & Information Systems

The School of Computing & Information Systems (CIS) undertakes research and teaching across a range of information technology disciplines including Software Engineering, Information Systems, and Computer Science. The original Department of Computer Science was founded in 1955, making it one of the oldest in the world .CIS offers a comprehensive range of IT courses at all levels, including offerings in science, engineering, and business, and is at the forefront of computing research in Australia and internationally with close links to major computing research initiatives, including Melbourne Bioinformatics, IBM Research, and CSIRO’s DATA61. 

The School’s aim is to attract and retain outstanding staff available in order to maintain a leading research and teaching. We have an existing highly successful research team in the area of the appointment, a large number of PhD candidates, and a substantial cohort of graduate students in our coursework Masters programs.

In late 2020 CIS will move to a new home, Melbourne Connect, which will be one of the foremost innovation precincts in the world. Through co-location of talented researchers, scientists, academics and students with private enterprise  and government partners in a series of connected buildings the University seeks to unlock the value of its research. Moreover, we will be addressing major societal challenges by identifying solutions that are data driven, digitally enabled and socially responsible.

To find out more about CIS, visit: http://www.cis.unimelb.edu.au/

Position Summary

This position has been created to provide academic leadership around our Optimisation activities and to foster new research opportunities in the School of Computing and information Systems (CIS). Further aspects of the role are to strengthen relationships with Melbourne Connect and its key research partners, other University groups, and external research organisations and industry partners.

The University of Melbourne has strong and growing activity in digital and data science across all academic divisions and has nationally leading computing infrastructure and data analytics capability. Specific academic initiatives include, but are not limited to, Al and digital ethics, Al assurance and autonomy, cybersecurity, data science, digital health, clinical and health informatics, and digital humanities.

Melbourne Connect (MC) is a major initiative that aligns with the University's strategic intent of greater enterprise engagement for enhanced research translation and impact. Current activity is focused  on  a number  of  parallel  and  inter-dependent  workstreams:  infrastructure  planning  and  development  work ongoing engagement with government and industry partners to build research and innovation  partnerships and secure tenancies; and delivery of an ‘activation’ program  of curated  events, activities and exhibitions to enhance interactions between the University academic staff, Melbourne Connect precinct tenants, and the wider community.

CIS has world-leading research groups in Optimisation, Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning and Algorithms. In conjunction with the Faculty of Science we are leading the University in programs such as the BSc major in Data Science and the Master of Data Science. Building on these strengths we seek to enlarge our team with a Professor with a focus on Optimisation for the purposes of further enhancing the national and global visibility of our research in Optimisation, and developing large-scale initiatives in Optimisation with industry, government, and defence. The appointee be expected to provide leadership in teaching, research, strategic planning, project development and planning, project management, and supervise staff and students.

The Melbourne School of Engineering is strongly committed to supporting diversity and flexibility in the workplace. Applications for part-time or other flexible working arrangements are welcomed and will be fully considered subject to meeting the inherent requirements of the position.

The University seeks to increase the diversity of its workforce and the representation of women in areas they have been traditionally under-represented. Consistent with this, MSE is seeking to increase the representation of women in the academic workforce across engineering disciplines. Under a Special Measure, Section 12 (1) of the Equal Opportunity Act 2010 (Vic) the School is seeking to lift the representation of women over the next 5 years, and strongly encourages applications from suitably qualified female candidates.

Selection Criteria

ESSENTIAL

• A PhD (or equivalent) in Computer Science, or another relevant field;
• Distinguished career in an academic or research institution in an area broadly related to Optimisation;
• An international reputation in leading research innovation and fostering research collaboration in Optimisation with researchers from other organisations as part of multi-disciplinary teams;
• Demonstrated excellence in building and maintaining strong and enduring relationships with a wide range of stakeholders in complex settings;
• Strong track record of encouraging and progressing research and innovation programs and processes;
• An outstanding track record of industry-engaged research in Optimisation;
• A demonstrated record of research impact and translation to practice;
• Demonstrated excellence in academic leadership and management including an ability to build strong, sustainable teams, embedding change and driving performance in a large complex organisational environment;
• A track record of building and sustaining partnerships with Australian and international research agencies, industry, government and/or community;
• The capacity for innovative design, coordination and delivery of undergraduate and postgraduate subjects and create opportunities for students to be exposed to strong industry experiences;
• Proven excellence in attracting research funding from competitive grant agencies and other sources including industry;
• Demonstrated experience of high-quality supervision of graduate students;
• Exhibited commitment to the highest standards of scientific and ethical integrity;
• A distinguished high-profile international standing of research in Optimisation;
• Demonstrated success in fostering excellence in leadership in developing scholarly research and professional activities, both nationally and internationally.

Key Responsibilities

University expectations of a Professor

For applications at Level E, your attention is drawn to the paper, ‘Leadership Roles of Melbourne Professors’, which clarifies the expectations of a Professor at the University of Melbourne. It is included at the end of this document.

RESEARCH

• Provide academic leadership across all aspects of the discipline; lead and drive research in Optimisation;
• Obtain significant research funding from a variety of sources, including national competitive grants and other external bodies including industry and government;
• Support the establishment of effective collaborations between multidisciplinary groups across the School, the University, national and international research partners required to support this agenda;
• Publish papers on findings from research conducted; and make presentations at national and international scientific conferences and industry forums;
• Attract, supervise and mentor junior researchers and graduate researchers in the field of Optimisation;
• Mentor staff and research students to publish in top tiered refereed journals, books or monographs, reports and refereed conference proceedings.

TEACHING AND LEARNING

• Lead a review of current teaching programmes in the field of Optimisation to provide rational and cohesive courses at the highest international level for undergraduate and postgraduate students;
• Guide the development of Masters coursework programs in the discipline;
• Coordinate and teach subjects and courses as required by the Head of School and in line with Melbourne School of Engineering workload models and Subject Evaluation Survey expectations.

LEADERSHIP AND SERVICE

• Lead the education, training and research projects to ensure that they are completed within budget, on time, and of high quality;
• Actively contribute to the overall leadership and strategic goals of CIS and actively contribute to resource management and planning at MSE;
• Contribute to strategic planning and policy decision making processes by actively participating on relevant committees in MSE;
• Foster excellence in research and teaching and develop best practice standards for the School;
• Develop collaborative opportunities with Australian and international industry and research facilities;
• Foster existing strategic relationships between the University and industry and develop new ones;
• Foster a harmonious workplace environment that is conducive to productivity; promotes creativity; and rewards and recognises individuals and group achievement;
• Make a significant contribution to the governance and collegial life inside and outside of the School.

ENGAGEMENT

• Drive the national and international profile for the University in Optimisation;
• Develop and implement education and research models which can be applied across a broad range of government and industry settings;
• Engage in activities to support and influence relevant government policies and industry practices, by coordinating activities across the university as appropriate;
• Champion debate, education and community engagement in Optimisation;
• Develop a communication strategy that targets a range of audiences and links with government, national and international bodies as appropriate;
• Liaise with others in the Melbourne School of Engineering and University to develop a collaborative approach to enhance educational and research programs of the School.

OTHER

• Undertake Occupational Health and Safety (OH&S) and Environmental Health and Safety (EH&S) responsibilities as outlined in Section 5;
• Perform other tasks or project as required by the Head of the School.

Equal Opportunity, Diversity and Inclusion

The University is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to providing a workplace free from all forms of unlawful discrimination, harassment, bullying, vilification and victimisation. The University makes decisions on employment, promotion and reward on the basis of merit.

The University is committed to all aspects of equal opportunity, diversity and inclusion in the workplace and to providing all staff, students, contractors, honorary appointees, volunteers and visitors with a safe, respectful and rewarding environment free from all forms of unlawful discrimination, harassment, vilification and victimisation. This commitment is set out in the  University’s People Strategy 2015-2020 and policies that address diversity and inclusion, equal employment opportunity, discrimination, sexual harassment, bullying and appropriate workplace behaviour. All staff are required to comply with all University policies.

The University values diversity because we recognise that the differences in our people’s age, race, ethnicity, culture, gender, nationality, sexual orientation, physical ability and background bring richness to our work environment. Consequently, the People Strategy sets out the strategic aim to drive diversity and inclusion across the University to create an environment where the compounding benefits of a diverse workforce are recognised as vital in our continuous desire to strive for excellence and reach the targets of Growing Esteem.

For full details and to apply:
http://jobs.unimelb.edu.au/caw/en/job/901502/professor-in-optimisation