Postdoctoral Research Fellow - Usable Privacy and Privacy-Preserving Learning

• Faculty of Engineering, Architecture and Information Technology / School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
• Full-time fixed-term position through to March 2027
• Base salary will be in the range $106,293.57 - $113,659.72 + 17% super (Academic Level A)
• Based at our St Lucia Campus

About This Opportunity 

We are seeking a highly motivated Postdoctoral Research Fellow to contribute to the development of privacy-enhancing solutions for XR-based Health, Safety and Environment (HSE) training as part of a joint CSIRO Data61-UQ Cyber Research Centre project. Working within a collaborative, visionary and interdisciplinary research environment, you will help create innovative approaches to usable privacy, privacy-preserving AI/ML, and ethically responsible AI/ML while contributing to meaningful real-world impact.

Drawing on UQ’s commitment to creating change together, this role offers the opportunity to work alongside leading researchers and industry partners to address emerging privacy challenges in extended reality environments.

Key responsibilities will include: 

• Research: Conduct user research into privacy concerns, expectations and behaviours in XR environments, develop and evaluate privacy-preserving technologies, publish high-quality research outputs, contribute to competitive funding applications, and collaborate with researchers and industry partners to translate findings into practical solutions.
• Supervision and Researcher Development: Contribute to the supervision of Honours and Higher Degree by Research students, support researcher capability development, provide mentoring and feedback, and foster a positive and productive research culture.
• Citizenship and Service: Demonstrate leadership of self through collaboration, contribute to internal and external service activities, support colleagues and research operations, and build partnerships with industry, government and community stakeholders.

This is a research focused position. Further information can be found by viewing UQ’s Criteria for Academic Performance.

About You 

You will demonstrate:

• Completion of a PhD in computer science, cyber security, human-computer interaction, or a closely related discipline with a focus on privacy, provenance, usability or security.
• Experience in software development and strong technical expertise in computer science and research-driven system design.
• Demonstrated experience contributing to externally funded research projects.
• A developing publication record in high-quality refereed journals and conferences.
• An emerging research profile in areas such as cyber security, privacy, provenance, human-computer interaction, usability, XR technologies or responsible AI.
• Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively within multidisciplinary teams and with external partners.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to communicate complex research outcomes to diverse audiences.
• The capacity to contribute to student supervision, mentoring and researcher development activities.

About UQ

As part of the UQ community, you will have the opportunity to work alongside the brightest minds, who have joined us from all over the world, and within an environment where interdisciplinary collaborations are encouraged. As part of our commitment to excellence in research and professional practice in academic contexts, we are proud to provide our staff with access to world-class facilities and equipment, grant writing support, greater research funding opportunities, and other forms of staff support and development.

The greater benefits of joining the UQ community are broad: from being part of a Group of Eight university, to recognition of prior service with other Australian universities, up to 26 weeks of paid parental leave, 17.5% annual leave loading, flexible working arrangements, access to exclusive internal-only vacancies, and genuine career progression opportunities via the academic promotions process.

Interested?

For more information about this opportunity, please contact Professor Ryan Ko at *******@uq.edu.au. For application inquiries, please reach out to the Talent Acquisition team at ******@uq.edu.au, stating the job reference number (below) in the subject line. 

When you apply, please ensure you upload a resume, cover letter, and responses to the ‘About You’ section. Please note that applications received via email will not be accepted.

Other Information 

Pre-employment checks may include: verification of the right to work in Australia and qualification checks. This may also include checks relating to gender-based violence matters or other integrity and conduct requirements.

You must maintain unrestricted work rights in Australia for the duration of this appointment to apply. Employer sponsored work rights are not available for this appointment.

We're dedicated to equity, diversity, and inclusion. We recognise that career pathways and opportunities differ, and encourage applications from candidates who may not meet every criteria but can demonstrate their potential relative to opportunity. We’re also happy to support any accessibility needs throughout the recruitment process. Just let us know how we can help by emailing ******@uq.edu.au or calling +61 7 3365 2623.

Applications close Wednesday 9 September 2026 at 11.00pm AEST (R-68605).