ABOUT THE ROLE
Statistician and Data Scientist
SECTOR: Plant Breeding
EMPLOYMENT TYPE: Permanent
LOCATION: Meringa
• Join an innovative team making real impact in plant breeding technologies
• Flexible work environment
• Cairns location preferred, however the role can be flexible across major cities in QLD
The Statistician and Data Scientist provide quantitative and analytical support to the Variety Development program through the application of advanced statistical methods and data science techniques. The role focuses on delivering high-quality analyses of breeding trials, genomic data, and research experiments to inform selection decisions. It also contributes to the development of new analytical approaches and reporting tools.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
Key Responsibilities Include:
• Lead and deliver statistical analyses of plant breeding selection trials to provide reliable insights on candidate clones and key trial metrics to support variety selection decisions.
• Analyse annual plant breeding disease screening trials and produce actionable outputs on trial performance and disease resistance metrics.
• Develop and manage analytical pipelines to support genomic selection, GWAS, and other quantitative genetics analyses.
• Provide support to the integration of high-throughput phenotypic data into routine analysis pipelines.
• Provide statistical and scripting support to genomics laboratory activities, including DNA identity testing workflows.
• Develop and deliver automated, reproducible reports and dashboards (Shiny, Dash) for analysis outputs and key reporting metrics.
• Coordinate with Variety Officers and Pathology staff to ensure timely data upload, analysis, and reporting aligned with operational deadlines.
• Collaborate on plant breeding research projects, providing advanced statistical expertise and analytical input.
YOUR REQUIREMENTS
You will bring with you the following qualifications, capabilities and experience:
Essential
• Tertiary qualification in statistics, quantitative genetics, data science, or a related discipline.
• Demonstrated experience in advanced statistical analysis, including mixed models, multi-environment trial analysis, spatial modelling, and other quantitative genetics methods.
• Strong capability in analysing high-dimensional or large-scale datasets using machine learning, and other advanced analytical methods.
• Demonstrated advanced proficiency in data analysis programming languages such as R, SAS, or Python.
• Experience using modern data reporting and visualisation tools, such as Shiny or Dash.
• Proficiency in SQL and database systems for data extraction and management.
Desirable
• Experience with genomic analysis methods such as GWAS or genomic selection.
• Postgraduate qualification (Masters or PhD) in a relevant field such as quantitative genetics, biometrics, or computational biology.
FURTHER INFORMATION
Please note this is a permanent, ongoing role and some intra- and inter-state travel may be required. For further information, refer to the Position Description link below.
If your capabilities and experience meet the requirements of the role and you would like to be part of our dedicated team, please click ‘Apply’ to submit your application no later than 17 June 2026. Your application should include your resume and address the requirements of the position.
Applicants must have the right to work in Australia in order to apply. The successful applicant will also be required to undertake medical screening, drug and alcohol screening, and a police check.
