Full time, fixed term opportunity for 18 months

This position is available immediately with reasonable flexibility on the start date

Base Salary Level A, Step 5-8 $109,263 - $121,054 p.a + 17% superannuation

About the opportunity

The School of Project Management at the University of Sydney is a leading hub for interdisciplinary research at the intersection of engineering, systems thinking, and organisational studies. We are seeking a Postdoctoral Research Associate (Level A) to join a new research stream focused on digital twins as adaptive decision infrastructure for complex cyberphysical human systems, enabled by agentic and embodied AI.

Working under the supervision of Dr Neda Mohammadi, the successful candidate will contribute to the development of new concepts, methods, and scalable systems for networked digital twins that support autonomous decision infrastructure for adaptive action with human oversight. This project is part of an ambitious research program to advance how digital twins, agentic AI, and cyberphysical systems can improve collective decision quality across interconnected sociotechnical systems such as cities, critical infrastructure, mobility, energy, emergency response, and resilience.

The appointee will conduct original research, publish in top-tier academic journals, collaborate with academic and industry partners, and contribute to competitive grant applications and research impact activities. The position offers opportunities for career development, academic mentoring, grant development, and research student supervision, supporting the successful candidate's development in collaboration and research leadership.

Your key responsibilities will be to:

conduct high-quality original research on digital twins, agentic and embodied AI, and collective decision making in complex sociotechnical systems
investigate new concepts and develop methods for digital twins as dynamic decision infrastructure with human oversight
design and implement scalable cyberphysical human systems for scenario generation, planning, and high-stakes intervention design
prepare and submit publications to leading academic journals and conferences
collaborate with interdisciplinary academic and industry partners, contribute to competitive grant applications and research impact activities, and supervise or mentor research students where appropriate.

About you

The University values courage and creativity; openness and engagement; inclusion and diversity; and respect and integrity. As such, we see the importance of recruiting talent aligned to these values and are looking for a Postdoctoral Research Associate in Digital Twin Decision Infrastructure for Critical Sociotechnical Systems who has:

a PhD awarded or near completion in a relevant discipline such as systems science, engineering, project studies, computer science, information systems, operations research, or computational social science.
evidence of a developing research profile, including publications record relevant to career stage
research expertise in one or more of the following:
- digital twins, cyberphysical systems, human-centred AI
- causal modelling, uncertainty quantification, explainable AI, or trustworthy AI
- agentic AI, multiagent systems, sequential decision making, and LLM-based reasoning
- embodied or physical AI, robotics, autonomous systems, or intelligent infrastructure systems
strong programming and computational research skills
ability and interest in conducting interdisciplinary research and working effectively across disciplinary and stakeholder boundaries
excellent communication skills.

Pre-employment checks

Your employment is conditional upon the completion of all role required pre-employment or background checks in terms satisfactory to the University. Similarly, your ongoing employment is conditional upon the satisfactory maintenance of all relevant clearances and background check requirements. If you do not meet these conditions, the University may take any necessary step, including the termination of your employment.

EEO statement

At the University of Sydney, our shared values are trust, accountability and excellence and we strive to be a place where everyone can thrive. We are committed to creating a University community that thrives through diversity and reflects the wider community that we serve. We deliver on this through our commitment to diversity and inclusion, evidenced by our people and culture programs, as well as key strategies to increase participation and support the careers of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People, women, people living with a disability, people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, and those who identify as LGBTIQ+. We welcome applications from candidates from all backgrounds. We are proud to be recognised as an Australian Workplace Equality Index (AWEI) Gold employer. Find out more about our work on diversity and inclusion.

How to apply

Applications (including a cover letter, CV, most representative academic publications (up to 3), and any additional supporting documentation such as link to code/other research outputs) can be submitted via the Apply button at the top of the page. For employees of the University or contingent workers, please login into your Workday account and navigate to the Career icon on your Dashboard. Click on USYD Find Jobs and apply.

For a confidential discussion about the role, or if you require reasonable adjustment or any documents in alternate formats, please contact Cherie Goodwin or Rebecca Astar, Recruitment Operations by email to r***@***********.

Applications Close Monday 20 April 2026 11:59 PM

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Postdoctoral Research Associate in Digital Twin Decision Systems