Role type: Part-time (0.20 FTE); Fixed-term (12 months)
Faculty: Arts
Department/School: School of Social and Political Sciences
Salary: RA1 - $79,677 p.a. plus 17% super
Contribute to ARC-funded research on democracy and illiberal discourse / work with innovative Large Language Models / collaborate closely with leading political science researchers
Investing in you - 17% superannuation, benefits package including salary packaging, health and wellbeing programs, discounted services, and career development opportunities.
17% superannuation
benefits package including salary packaging
health and wellbeing programs
discounted services
professional development opportunities
The University of Melbourne We take pride in our people, who all contribute to our mission to benefit society through the transformative impact of education and research. Discover more via our website.
Your next career opportunity
You will support an ARC DECRA project analysing illiberal political speech and democratic backsliding across democracies.
You will benchmark Large Language Model classifications against your own coding, building valuable computational research experience.
What you will deliver:
Score political speeches using a detailed codebook to validate and benchmark Large Language Model outputs.
Coordinate tasks and timelines with the research team to ensure assignments are completed to deadline.
Track working time across assignments and contribute to clear, accurate project reporting.
Participate in research team meetings and discussions, sharing observations on coding challenges and model performance.
Complete required University training and undertake other project tasks as directed by the research leads.
You may be a great fit if you:




Bring developing expertise in political science or a closely related discipline, supported by research experience.
Demonstrate experience in quantitative or qualitative methods and an interest in rigorous empirical political research.
Communicate clearly in writing and speech, and collaborate constructively within diverse, collegial research teams.
Excel at organising tasks, managing competing deadlines and maintaining careful attention to detail in coding work.
Show interest in computational social science, political communication or democratic backsliding, ideally with basic R or Python.
Value inclusive, professional workplaces and align with the Faculty of Arts commitments to diversity and respect.
What we offer you!
We offer the opportunity to be part of a vibrant community and enjoy a comprehensive range of benefits to support your success and sense of fulfilment, including:
Build future financial security with 17% superannuation
Supportive flexible work arrangements underpinned by our commitment to inclusion and well-being
Career development opportunities, including access to a range of tailored programs, such as Academic Women in Leadership, and learning platforms including LinkedIn Learning
Progressive, considerate leave provisions to empower your work-life balance and well-being, including leading parental leave, gender affirmation leave, cultural leave, and menstruation and menopause leave.




Salary packaging and access to a range of discounted services including Bupa health insurance, and access to unique cultural and recreational perks such as discounts for the Melbourne Theatre Company
Health and well-being services including a leading Employee Assistance Program
Your new team - School of Social and Political Sciences
The School of Social and Political Sciences is a leading hub for social science teaching and research. You will join a vibrant, interdisciplinary community spanning political science, sociology, anthropology, criminology and gender studies. Working closely with ARC DECRA researchers, you will contribute to high-impact scholarship on democracy and public discourse. The School values collegiality, critical inquiry and supporting early-career researchers to develop their academic skills and networks.
Be Yourself
The University of Melbourne is an Equal Opportunity Employer and a child-safe organisation. The diversity of our community enriches us all, and we are committed to creating an inclusive and fair workplace where everyone is valued, respected, and empowered to succeed. We welcome applicants from all backgrounds, identities, and experiences. Discover more about Diversity and Inclusion at UniMelb.
We're committed to a barrier-free recruitment process and ongoing workplace support, providing adjustments throughout. We warmly encourage applications from people with disabilities. Learn more about how we support an accessible recruitment process.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Applicants
We aspire to be the University of choice for Indigenous Australians. Visit our Indigenous staff page to learn more about our investment and support for Aboriginal and Torres Strait I
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📌 Research Assistant (Ra) (Melbourne)
🏢 UniMelb
📍 Melbourne