Document 6571563

Note to applicants:
This position may be appointed at either an Academic C (Senior Lecturer) or Academic D (Associate Professor)
level. Both levels have specific selection criteria to respond to.
Please clearly indicate the level of appointment you are applying for.
The current (as of October 2014*) base salary rates for the respective Academic levels are:
Academic Level C: $99,231 - $114,418 per annum, plus 17% superannuation
Academic Level D: $119,481 - $131,629 per annum, plus 17% superannuation
* A scheduled salary increase of 2.5% effective as of 31 December 2014 will apply to this position.
Should you have any queries regarding this process please contact the Recruitment Unit contact as indicated on
the vacancy listing (www.vu.edu.au/jobs).
POSITION TITLE:
Senior Lecturer/Associate Professor in Fire Retardant Materials
POSITION NUMBER:
907199
COLLEGE/ DEPARTMENT:
College of Engineering and Science/Centre for Environmental Safety and
Risk Engineering (CESARE)
LOCATION/CAMPUS:
Werribee
CLASSIFICATION:
Academic Level C/D
SUPERVISOR:
Acting Director - CESARE
Prof Vasily Novozhilov
INCUMBENT:
APPROVED BY:
/ /
/ /
PVC Colleges and Distinctive
Specializations
Prof Diane Mayer
/ /
OVERALL PURPOSE
The overall purpose of this role is to make a significant contribution and provide new directions to research
activities of the Centre for Environmental Safety and Risk Engineering at Victoria University. The Centre aims to
develop further a national and international reputation for its research excellence. The incumbent will assist in
the delivery of the academic research plan for the Centre in consultation with the Director of CESARE. The
incumbent will be required to engage in collaborations with scholars in related disciplines across the university
and graduate research students to assist in optimizing the research potential of the Centre. The incumbent will
develop new research areas at CESARE which would complement and enhance exiting expertise, and will
provide CESARE with the leading edge in fire and environmental safety research. She or he will be expected to
generate competitive research funding, engage in a range of research projects with industry and government,
and may be required to oversee the supervision of postdoctoral fellows, research assistants and graduate
research students.
Senior researchers and educators are expected to provide a personal model for the types of behaviour
expected of all University staff, notably those behaviours that reflect Victoria University’s values adopted in the
University’s Strategic Plan and outlined in the essential selection criteria for this position.
ORGANISATIONAL ENVIRONMENT
Victoria University (VU) has more than 58,000 students, including over 15,000 international students (on-shore
and off-shore), and a workforce of approximately 3,500 staff. The University’s Strategic Plan, Excellent, Engaged
and Accessible: Victoria University’s Strategic Plan to be a Great University of the 21st Century, 2012-2016
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presents a bold and distinctive vision that will ensure that Victoria University maintains its market position within
an increasingly competitive tertiary environment. Importantly Victoria University’s distinctiveness is characterised
by the vision and mission in the plan, as follows.
Vision
Victoria University will be excellent, engaged and accessible and internationally recognised for its leadership
in:
•
•
Empowering a diverse community of students to grow their capabilities and transform their lives;
Engaging with industry and community to make the world a better place, through the creation, sharing and use of
new knowledge.
Mission
Through its distinctive approach to curriculum, the student experience, research and knowledge exchange,
emphasising engagement with industry and the community, Victoria University will be renowned for:
•
•
Empowering students from diverse countries and cultures, socio-economic and educational backgrounds, to be
successful lifelong learners, grow their skills and capabilities for the changing world of work, and be confident,
creative, ethical and respectful, local and global citizens;
Finding creative and evidence-based solutions to important contemporary challenges in Australia, Asia and
globally, relating especially to education and lifelong learning, to health and active living, to the cultural diversity
and well-being of communities, to economic development and environmental sustainability, and to the success of
particular industries and places, especially our heartland of the West of Melbourne, Australia's fastest growing
region.
Strategic Objectives
The Strategic Plan outlines five strategic objectives under six organising pillars:
•
•
•
Three high level goals relating to learning and teaching, research and knowledge exchange;
An objective associated with distinctive specialisations, areas in which we will be nationally and internationally
renowned; and
A desire to be a dynamic and prosperous organisation and employer and partner of choice.
Distinctive specialisations are a key aspect of Victoria University’s Strategic Plan and provide the focus for its
learning and teaching, research and knowledge exchange activities as it strives to be nationally and world
renowned in distinctive areas. These form broad disciplinary groupings as the vehicles for collaboration,
interaction and greater thematic integration across the University. The Distinctive Specialisations have been
central to shaping the College structure.
Victoria University has seven Colleges charged with the delivery of education, research and knowledge
exchange.
These are:
• College of Arts
• College of Business
• College of Education
• College of Engineering and Science
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•
•
•
College of Health and Biomedicine
College of Law and Justice
College of Sport and Exercise Science
Colleges offer diplomas, undergraduate degrees as well as postgraduate and research higher degrees. In
addition to the seven Colleges above, the Trades College will focus on vocational training and form the
foundation of an innovative Trades Academy in 2014. The focus of VU College is on learner academic support
and leadership and coordination of the University’s language, literacy and numeracy strategy.
Colleges are comprised of academic and teaching staff, Institutes and Centres. Staff from both vocational
education and higher education work in the College structure. The Colleges are supported by shared
educational, research and professional services to ensure high quality, efficient and innovative delivery of
curriculum and the highest quality research and knowledge exchange in areas of distinctive specialisation.
Each College is the custodian of at least one distinctive specialisation. The role of the custodian College is to
support the development and planning that will enable the distinctive specialisation to grow its potential. The
University has a goal of being world renowned in Sport, Exercise and Active Living by 2016, and in at least
another three areas by 2020. The distinctive specialisation areas will provide the focus of VU learning and
teaching, research and knowledge exchange activities as the University strives to be nationally and world
renowned in these distinctive areas.
College of Engineering and Science
The College of Engineering and Science aspires to excellence in teaching, learning and research, and is
committed to providing students with sound scientific training from leading educators, an innovative learning
environment, and customised teaching methodologies. It takes pride in combining theory and practice with strong
links to industry and community experience to ensure its graduates are ready for the real world.
The College is aligned with the distinctive specialisation: “Sustainability and the Built Environment” which
provides the focus for not only teaching but also research and knowledge exchange activities. The College
houses a research institute, two research centres and seven distinctive academic disciplines. These academic
discipline groupings are: Civil Engineering, Architectural and Building Engineering, Mechanical Engineering,
Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Mathematics and Physics, Science, and Information Technology. The
Institute of Sustainability (ISI), Centre for Environmental Safety and Risk Engineering (CESARE) and Applied
Informatics Research Centre (CAI) and the College research units/groups of Alternative Energy, Applied Ecology,
Applied Mathematics, Engineered Packaging and Distribution, Energy; Structural Mechanics and Materials,
Telecommunications-Electronics-Photonics-Sensors, and Water Resources are the research arms.
Centre for Environmental Safety and Risk Engineering (CESARE)
Victoria University’s Centre for Environmental Safety and Risk Engineering (CESARE) was established in July
1991. It is now part of the College of Engineering and Science and has earned an international reputation for its
fire engineering research. Based at Victoria University Werribee Campus, and with a large scale experimental
building-fire facility at Fiskville, about 70 km west of Melbourne, the Centre carries out fire engineering research
both for the academic field and the commercial sector.
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The operations of CESARE and this position are currently located at the Werribee Campus of the University
though this position may be relocated to any other existing or future University work location.
An Organisational Chart is attached.
Mission of CESARE
The mission of CESARE includes research into holistic building design, with a focus on the triple bottom line and
especially addressing sustainability, safety and risk, smart construction and operation, and the development of
public policy in pursuit of these goals. The Centre undertakes multi-disciplinary research and graduate teaching
programs. It provides national and international leadership for the conduct of multi-disciplinary studies which will
lead to the implementation of rational, cost-effective designs and operational procedures for hazardous facilities
in the built environment and thereby provide acceptable levels of risk for the community property and the
environment exposed to such hazards which have the potential for catastrophic consequences. The Centre aims
to collaborate extensively with staff from the College of Engineering and Science and other Colleges.
The major research activities of the Centre relate to the prediction of the performance of building fire safety
systems, including the development of cost-effective design solutions. Research program areas of the Centre
are: fire dynamics, active and passive fire protection, structural fire response, human behaviour in fires, design of
fire safety systems and management of major emergencies. CESARE is seeking to expand its activities into the
new areas of Environmental Safety. The Centre has close collaboration with other disciplines in the University,
such as engineering, science and psychology. Much of the Centre’s research is undertaken in conjunction with
industry. For example, the Centre is a major research provider to the Australian Building Codes Board (ABCB)
that is undertaking a program of revision of Australian building codes.
The Centre operates significant facilities. It operates a $4.5m large-scale experimental building-fire facility at
Fiskville, near Ballan, Victoria. It also has a medium size and a large furnace in modern building on the Werribee
Campus, as well as a cone calorimeter and a range of equipment for material flammability studies. Various
enclosure models are constructed on-site. Along with other partners it has been the lead organization and
recipient of a $1.2M LIEF grant that will provide world-class and unique furnace infrastructure for testing full-scale
structural members and concrete sections subjected to load. Currently, a large scale water mist fire suppression
studies facility is being developed.
MAJOR CHALLENGES/FREEDOM TO ACT
The position reports to and receives broad direction from the Director – CESARE and operates within the
University policies, procedures and guidelines.
The incumbent is responsible for the development of new academic research programs for the Centre. This will
occur in collaboration with CESARE Director, staff and research leaders within the College and will include
seeking external research funding, facilitating the development of research at CESARE, teaching courses within
the relevant areas of specialization, fostering engagement with stakeholders, industry and the wider community.
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Level C Academic
At Victoria University, Level C academics will make a significant contribution to the discipline at the national
level and foster excellence in research and teaching.
They have attained recognition as an authority in their discipline and will have achieved distinction at the
national level They will make original and innovative contributions which expand knowledge and practice in
their discipline. They are expected to perform administrative duties at the organizational unit level.
As a Level C Academic the incumbent will make a commensurate contribution to the work of the Centre.
MAJOR DUTIES
1.
Develop and participate in the academic research programs of CESARE.
2.
Develop research proposals and attract funding from national and international competitive grant
agencies for CESARE’s research programs, participate in all aspects of funding submissions, project
scheduling and budget development and monitoring.
3. Make significant contribution to the teaching effort across the range of courses delivered by CESARE
and the College of Engineering and Science.
4.
Supervise postgraduate research students within CESARE and other areas within the College.
5.
Foster collaborative relationships with the industry; establish and maintain effective communication with
a range of internal and external stakeholders and funding bodies.
6.
Develop innovative research programs and explore new avenues to relate CESARE’s research
activities and services to specific local, national and international markets.
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SELECTION CRITERIA (Level C)
Essential:
1.
PhD in Materials Engineering, Applied Science, Fire and Materials Chemistry, Chemical Engineering
or related Engineering field, with complimentary expertise in one or more key areas of CESARE’s
operations.
2.
Demonstrated national standing in research and scholarly activity in one or more of the areas above
in (1), evidenced by publication outputs in international refereed journals, books and national and
international conferences.
3.
Demonstrated research track record in one or more of the following areas: fire chemistry and
toxicity, fire retardant and functional materials, chemical kinetics, environmental chemistry, waste
management.
4.
Demonstrated track record of quality teaching at the Higher Education level.
5.
Proven track record in developing collaborative links and engaging with industry on translational
research projects.
6.
Demonstrated capacity to supervise postgraduate research students.
7.
Excellent oral and written communication skills.
8.
Awareness of OHS responsibilities and willingness to attend OHS training as required.
9.
Willingness to commit to Victoria University’s values which are:
•
•
•
•
•
•
Knowledge and skills, and critical and imaginative inquiry for their capacity to transform individuals and
the community;
Equality of opportunity for students and staff;
Diversity for its contribution to creativity and the enrichment of life;
Cooperation as the basis of engagement with local and international communities;
Integrity, respect and transparency in personal and collaborative action;
Sound environmental stewardship for future generations, and the pursuit of excellence in everything we
do.
Desirable:
1.
Demonstrated success in the development of innovative approaches to research.
2.
Demonstrated (or evidence of ability to develop) skills in application of quantitative risk engineering
models.
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Level D Academic
At Victoria University, Level D academics provide leadership and foster excellence in research, teaching and
policy development in the academic discipline within the institution and within the community, professional,
commercial or industrial sectors.
They have attained recognition as an authority in their discipline and will have achieved distinction at both the
national and international levels. Their leadership will be evident through a record of successful applications for
external competitive research funding in a chief investigator role and mentoring of junior academics and
researchers.
Level D academics make original and innovative contributions to scholarship, researching and teaching in their
discipline. As a Level D Academic the incumbent will make a commensurate contribution to the work of the
Centre.
MAJOR DUTIES
1.
Develop and participate in the academic research programs of CESARE.
2.
In consultation with the CESARE Director, make significant input into CESARE’s research plan that will be
developed in partnership with commercial research leaders within Victoria University and in consultation with
internal and external stakeholders.
3.
Attract significant funding from national and international competitive grant agencies for CESARE’s research
program, including initiating and developing research proposals and all aspects of funding submissions,
including theoretical conceptualization, research design, methodology, project scheduling and budget
development and monitoring.
4. Make significant contribution to teaching effort across the range of courses delivered by CESARE and the
College of Engineering and Science.
5.
Supervise postgraduate research students within CESARE.
6.
Foster collaborative relationships with the industry; establish and maintain effective communication with a
range of internal and external stakeholders and funding bodies.
7.
Develop innovative research programs and explore new avenues to relate CESARE’s research activities
and services to specific local, national and international markets.
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SELECTION CRITERIA (Level D)
Essential:
1.
PhD in Materials Engineering, Applied Science, Fire and Materials Chemistry, Chemical Engineering or
related Engineering field, with complimentary expertise in one or more key areas of CESARE’s
operations.
2.
Demonstrated international recognition in research and scholarly activity in one or more of the areas
above in (1), evidenced by publication outputs in international refereed journals, books, and national
and international conferences, and success in grant applications for competitive and non-competitive
external research and consultancy funding.
3.
Substantial track record in externally funded research in one or more of the following areas: fire
chemistry and toxicity, fire retardant and functional materials, chemical kinetics, environmental
chemistry, waste management.
4.
Demonstrated track record of quality teaching at the Higher Education level.
5.
Proven track record in developing collaborative links and engaging with industry on translational
research projects.
6.
Demonstrated capacity to supervise postgraduate research students and to promote a local and
national culture of collaborative research excellence.
7.
Demonstrated engagement with relevant national/international professional associations.
8.
Demonstrated capacity to work within university or external settings to generate and manage
infrastructure and program funding for CESARE research programs.
9.
Demonstrated professional networks in areas relevant to the Centre.
10.
Excellent oral and written communication skills.
11.
Awareness of OHS responsibilities and willingness to attend OHS training as required.
12.
Willingness to commit to Victoria University’s values which are:
•
•
•
•
•
•
Knowledge and skills, and critical and imaginative inquiry for their capacity to transform individuals and the
community;
Equality of opportunity for students and staff;
Diversity for its contribution to creativity and the enrichment of life;
Cooperation as the basis of engagement with local and international communities;
Integrity, respect and transparency in personal and collaborative action;
Sound environmental stewardship for future generations, and the pursuit of excellence in everything we
do.
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Desirable:
1.
Demonstrated success in the development of innovative approaches for research.
2.
Demonstrated (or evidence of ability to develop) skills in application of quantitative risk engineering
models.
ORGANISATIONAL CHART
(College of Engineering and Science)
Dean
Directors L&T
Director R&RT
Director ISI
Director CESARE
*
Director CAI
Disciplines
* The Position is within CESARE reporting to the Director
L&T – Learning and Teaching
R&RT – Research and Research Training
ISI – Institute of Sustainability and Innovation
CESARE – Centre for Environmental Safety and Risk Engineering
CAI – Centre for Applied Informatics
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