Lesslie Fellow

Classification: Academic Level A or B
Salary package: $87,135 - $134,507 per annum plus 17% superannuation
Term: Full time, Fixed Term (up to 3 years) 
(flexible arrangements or part-time hours will be considered)

• Join ANU Fenner School of Environment & Society as the inaugural Lesslie Postdoctoral Fellow. This prestigious three-year position honours Dr Robert Lesslie’s legacy in landscape science and conservation.
• You’ll lead applied research in land and cultural resource management in partnership with Indigenous communities, supported by an annual research allocation of up to $60,000.
• Applicants may be eligible through a PhD in a relevant field or through equivalent professional experience with demonstrated applied impact.
• Shape policy, deliver practical solutions, and contribute to teaching and collaboration at one of the world’s leading environmental research centres.

About the opportunity

The Lesslie Postdoctoral Fellowship has been established in honour of Dr Robert Lesslie, recognising his enduring legacy and pioneering contributions to landscape science, environmental conservation and natural resource management. The Fellowship reflects Dr Lesslie’s lifelong commitment to evidence-based policy, environmental stewardship and practical solutions.

The inaugural Lesslie Postdoctoral Fellow will focus on land and cultural resource management in partnership with Indigenous communities and organisations, delivering tangible benefits for Country and developing practical, science-based tools for environmental stewardship. Applicants may demonstrate eligibility through a PhD in a relevant field or through equivalent professional experience with sustained applied impact.

While a research-intensive position, the Fellow will also contribute to education and engagement across the School and College, and participate in the intellectual life of the University. The role includes an annual research allocation of up to $60,000, providing support for fieldwork, collaboration, student supervision and the development of high-impact research outputs and partnerships.

Please note: Applicants should be advised that interviews for this position will be conducted in early February 2026.

About the College

The ANU by 2025 Strategic Plan calls for the University to serve society through transformational research and education. As one of the great universities of the world, ANU is driven by a culture of excellence in everything we do. Our lived experience is increasingly one of large-scale systems of people, whose actions and interactions are influenced by our digital, physical and biological environment. The ANU College of Systems & Society (CSS) hosts three of the key disciplines necessary to help us design, build, regulate and secure the future. 

CSS brings together expertise in social, technical, computational, ecological and scientific systems to build a new approach to systems design and build new national capabilities in data-driven policy and business development. The work we do in the College directly supports one of the four pillars of ANU by 2025: to strengthen our national mission and meet our unique responsibilities as Australia’s national university. We will deliver on our mission by building a strong community, providing transformative educational experiences, conducting high-impact research, seeking meaningful engagement, and becoming a resilient organisation post COVID-19. 

We welcome and openly acknowledge differences in expertise, research / education / professional focus, experience and perspective.

CSS is a vibrant and diverse community of more than three thousand students, staff, and visitors. Our College comprises three schools: the School of Computing, School of Cybernetics, and School of Engineering, supported by the Professional Services Group.

The Fenner School of Environment & Society is a world-leading centre for cross-disciplinary environmental and sustainability research, education and policy-relevant advice. Through cutting-edge research and insightful analysis, our academic experts create social, economic and environmental impact and deliver real-world solutions to address complex environmental challenges. Our mission is to encourage sound environmental policy and governance outcomes that support sustainability.

To enquire about this role, please contact Professor Saul Cunningham, Director, Fenner School of Environment & Society T: +61 2 6125 4588 | E: director.fennerschool@anu.edu.au.  

Our commitment to diversity, belonging, inclusion and equity

ANU is committed to building a diverse and inclusive community, and particularly welcomes applications from women, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and candidates from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds. Furthermore, it is practice in the ANU College of Systems & Society to actively seek a gender mix of shortlisted candidates for interview. For more information about staff equity at ANU, visit https://services.anu.edu.au/human-resources/respect-inclusion   

We welcome and develop diversity of backgrounds, experiences and ideas and encourage applications from individuals who may have had non-traditional career paths, who may have taken a career break, had career disruptions or who have achieved excellence in careers outside of the higher education sector. We support applicants who require flexible arrangements in their work environments or patterns. If your experience looks a little different to what we’ve described, but you’re passionate and motivated by this position, we welcome your enquiry and application. 

What we offer

The ANU provides attractive benefits and excellent support to maintain a healthy work/life balance and offers generous remuneration benefits, including four weeks paid vacation per year, assistance with relocation expenses and 17% employer contribution to superannuation. We also offer generous parental leave, the possibility of flexible and part time working arrangements, a parental and aged care support program, dual career hire programs, staff and family tuition fee discounts, ANU school holiday programs, and childcare facilities on campus. For more information, visit: https://services.anu.edu.au/human-resources  

How to apply

Applicants must apply online via the ANU recruitment portal and should upload the following separate documents: 

• A detailed curriculum vitae (CV) including, where available a full publication list and the names and contact details of at least three referees (preferably including a current or previous supervisor). If your CV does not include referees, you can complete these online when prompted in the application form. 
• A statement addressing the selection criteria.  
• A 1-2 page statement outlining your research objectives for the next 3 years;
• A 1-2 page statement outlining your research objectives for the next 3 years if appointed
• A statement addressing past and/or potential contributions to diversity through research, teaching, and/or service. 
• Other documents, if required. 

Applicants should be advised that interviews for this position will be conducted in early February 2026.

Please note: The successful candidate must have rights to live and work in this country and will be required to undergo a background check during the recruitment process.  An offer of employment is conditional on satisfactory results.