Research Fellow In City Diplomacy

Location: Parkville
Role type: Part time 0.5 FTE; Fixed-term for 12 months
Faculty: Architecture, Building and Planning
Department/School: Melbourne Centre for Cities
Salary: Level A – $77,171 – $104,717 p.a. plus 17% super

• Work on the Shared Pathways to CoP28 project, focused on capacity building for city diplomacy in the global governance of climate and sustainability.
• Support project leads in planning and delivering the Shared Pathways project and engage with course participants.
• Perfect opportunity for pre-doctoral candidates with an emerging research profile in disciplines relevant to the Centre’s mission and “city diplomacy”.

The University of Melbourne would like to acknowledge and pay respect to the Traditional Owners of the lands upon which our campuses are situated, the Wurundjeri and Boon Wurrung Peoples, the Yorta Yorta Nation, the Dja Dja Wurrung People. We acknowledge that the land on which we meet and learn was the place of age-old ceremonies, of celebration, initiation and renewal, and that the local Aboriginal Peoples have had and continue to have a unique role in the life of these lands.

About – The Melbourne Centre for Cities

The Melbourne Centre for Cities, a cross-faculty centre of the University of Melbourne, has been designed to foster responsible and cosmopolitan city leadership, and the information it needs, in an interconnected and increasingly urbanised planet.

The Fellow will be a key member of the Centre's Shared pathways to COP28 project. Shared Pathways is an exchange and capacity building program focused on strengthening the influence of city diplomacy in tackling climate change.

Funded by the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) via the National Foundation for Australia-China Relations, the program is first and foremost centred on a bilateral connection between Australian and Chinese cities, and targeted to early career local government officials in these countries, enhancing their shared ambition to urban climate action toward the 28th COP Summit in 2023.

About the Role

The Fellowship offers the opportunity to work in the Melbourne Centre for Cities, with appointment in the Faculty of Architecture, Building and Planning (ABP, one of three core faculties for the Centre), on an exciting new project of training and engagement focused on cities’ international relations. Work on ‘city diplomacy’ in the Centre is designed to leverage cutting edge research evidence to support the development of international engagement capacity by cities in Australia and abroad, with particular emphasis on the role of cities in global sustainable development. The Fellow will join a Centre that offers a multidisciplinary platform designed to foster collaborative research and takes an explicitly international point of view on urban issues.

The Fellow will work on the Shared Pathways to CoP28 project, which focuses on capacity building for city diplomacy in the global governance of climate and sustainability. Shared Pathways is targeted to early-career Australian and Chinese local government officers but with possibility of engagement with other countries in the Asia-Pacific and beyond.

Responsibilities include:

• Collaborate with and support project leads in planning and delivering the Shared Pathways project
• Support the Shared Pathways training program development and delivery including course material development and dissemination; course participants coordination; engagement with funders and partners; event organisation and management
• Work with project leads in the set up and delivery of the project's online training and intensive in-person workshop
• Support project administration and dissemination including web-based and social media content delivery and management

About You

You will have an emerging track record of research on, engagement with, and clear interest in cities aligned to the mission of the Centre, ideally with a clear commitment to issues of ‘city diplomacy’ and the international dimensions of urban governance and/or a close grasp of local government policymaking. You will demonstrate a commitment to working collaboratively in research groups, with colleagues, students and partners, as a proactive member of the Centre’s academic community.

You will also have:

• a postgraduate degree (Masters or higher) in a relevant discipline (e.g. urban planning, public policy, international relations, sustainability) or comparable work experience (e.g. in local government or the multilateral sector)
• A collaborative and emerging research profile of work on cities aligned to the Centre’s mission and the project’s core focus.
• Interest in building collaborative academic relationships and partnerships in relevant public and private organisations central to the globalisation of cities

Please note this is a role focused on pre-doctoral candidates that have made substantial progress toward their doctoral studies or for other candidates with comparable professional experience.

About the University

The University of Melbourne is consistently ranked amongst the leading universities in the world. We are proud of our people, our commitment to research and teaching excellence, and our global engagement.

Benefits of Working with Us

In addition to having the opportunity to grow and be challenged, and to be part of a vibrant campus life, our people enjoy a range of rewarding benefits:

• Flexible working arrangements, generous personal, parental and cultural leave
• Competitive remuneration, 17% super, salary packaging and leave loading
• Free and subsidised health and wellbeing services, and access to fitness and cultural clubs
• Discounts on a wide range of products and services including Myki cards and Qantas Club
• Career development opportunities and 25% off graduate courses for staff and their immediate families

Be Yourself

We value the unique backgrounds, experiences and contributions that each person brings to our community and encourage and celebrate diversity. First Nations people, those identifying as LGBTQIA+, females, people of all ages, with disabilities and culturally and linguistically diverse people are encouraged to apply. Our aim is to create a workforce that reflects the community in which we live.

Join Us!

If you feel this role is right for you, please apply with your CV, an up to 2 page Expression of Interest detailing your fit for the position and the Melbourne Centre for Cities (in place of a cover letter) and the detail of 2 referees (as part of the application form).

We are dedicated to ensuring barrier free and inclusive practices to recruit the most talented candidates. If you require any reasonable adjustments with the recruitment process, please contact us at hr-talent@unimelb.edu.au.

The University of Melbourne is required to comply with applicable health guidance and directions issued from the Victorian Health Minister. All University of Melbourne employees are to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19, unless an exemption order applies. Applicants must meet this requirement when submitting an application.

Position Description: 0056484_Research Fellow in City Diplomacy_PD.pdf

Applications close: SUNDAY 07 AUGUST 2022 11:55 PM AUS Eastern Standard Time