University of Sydney Lecturer in Immunology and Bacteriology Job 2026: Salary, Criteria and Deadline

The University of Sydney is hiring a Lecturer in Medical Sciences, Immunology and Bacteriology in its School of Medical Sciences, based on the Camperdown campus. The job is full time and fixed term until October 2031. The advertised base salary starts from AUD 132,533 plus 17% superannuation. Applications close at 11:59 pm on Monday 9 November 2026.

There is one condition that decides whether this job is open to you at all. You must have unrestricted work rights in Australia for the whole contract, and the advert states plainly that visa sponsorship is not available. If you hold Australian citizenship, permanent residency or another visa with unrestricted work rights running to 2031, read on. This guide covers the University of Sydney immunology and bacteriology lecturer job in detail: duties, selection criteria, salary, how to apply and how to write a cover letter that addresses the criteria properly.

University of Sydney Lecturer in Immunology and Bacteriology: key facts

Who counts as having unrestricted work rights

This is where most overseas readers will be ruled in or out, so it is worth being precise. Australian citizens and permanent residents have unrestricted work rights. New Zealand citizens living in Australia on the Special Category visa also do. Many temporary visas, by contrast, come with conditions: they may limit hours, tie you to one employer, or expire before October 2031. A student visa, a sponsored work visa or a graduate visa that ends in 2028 does not meet the test as written, because the advert asks for work rights “for the duration of this employment”.

If you are unsure, check your visa’s conditions on the Department of Home Affairs VEVO service before you apply. Then state your status in one clear sentence in your cover letter so the panel doesn’t have to guess.

About the University of Sydney

Founded in 1850, the University of Sydney is Australia’s oldest university. It placed 25th in the QS World University Rankings 2026, and the university reported in June 2026 that it ranked 31st globally in the US News Best Global Universities rankings. It also says ten of its disciplines sit in the global top 25 of the QS subject rankings for 2026.

The School of Medical Sciences sits within the Faculty of Medicine and Health and teaches the biomedical foundation subjects (anatomy, physiology, pharmacology, pathology, and infection and immunity) to science, medicine, health and dentistry students. Camperdown, the main campus, is next to Royal Prince Alfred Hospital in the inner west of Sydney.

Sydney is one of the most expensive cities in Australia, with rents the largest cost for most staff. Before you commit, check current rents near Camperdown and the inner west on the main property listing sites, and work out your take-home pay after Australian income tax.

What the lecturer will do

The advert lists these responsibilities, summarised here:

1. Teach independently: design, deliver and evaluate units of study in Medical Sciences, Immunology and Bacteriology.
2. Work-integrated learning: contribute to multidisciplinary work-integrated learning.
3. Research: develop independent research skills under the guidance of senior academics and carry out research or scholarly activity, particularly on teaching and learning.
4. Supervise: supervise research students.
5. Improve education: apply contemporary teaching practice to improve the curriculum.
6. Administer and mentor: handle academic administration and coordinate and mentor less experienced academic staff.
7. Contribute to the school: support workplace culture and the strategic priorities of the university, faculty and school.
8. Engage externally: take part in conferences, seminars, outreach and professional networks.

Look closely at the research line. It speaks of scholarly activity “particularly on teaching and learning”. That suggests the role leans toward education, with research built around teaching practice and a substantial teaching load. The position description linked from the advert sets out the exact balance, and you should read it before writing your application.

The advert does not name a reporting line. In practice a lecturer reports to the head of the relevant discipline or the Head of School; confirm this in the position description.

Selection criteria

The advert’s “About you” section lists the following. It does not mark any as desirable, so treat all of them as criteria you must address:

• A doctorate or PhD in a relevant field.
• A demonstrated understanding of Medical Sciences, Immunology and/or Bacteriology.
• Experience in original research and scholarly activity.
• Experience in teaching and learning, including team teaching in different settings.
• A record of designing, implementing and evaluating teaching and learning initiatives.
• Experience developing networks with academic, industry and professional partners.
• Experience supervising or mentoring students or colleagues.
• Strong planning and organisational skills.
• Excellent communication skills.
• A commitment to innovative teaching and educational improvement.

Pre-employment conditions

• Satisfactory completion of pre-employment and background checks.
• A declaration of any investigation for, or finding of, sexual harm or gender-based violence in previous employment or legal processes.
• Ongoing employment depends on keeping the relevant clearances and checks in place.

Salary and superannuation

The advert gives a base salary “starting from” AUD 132,533, plus 17% employer superannuation. Superannuation is Australia’s compulsory retirement savings scheme; the employer pays it into your fund on top of salary. At 17%, the employer contribution on AUD 132,533 is about AUD 22,530, so the package before tax is roughly AUD 155,064 a year.

For context only: another University of Sydney lecturer advert open at the same time, for a Secondary Science Education post, gives a range of AUD 132,533 to 157,381 plus 17% superannuation. That suggests where the lecturer band sits at the university. It is not the advertised salary for this post, which states only the starting figure. Where you are placed depends on your experience and is agreed at offer stage.

How to apply

1. Read the position description: it is linked from the advert on THE Unijobs (listing 416849) and sets out the detailed duties and criteria.
2. Confirm your work rights: make sure your visa or residency gives unrestricted work rights through October 2031.
3. Prepare a cover letter: address each selection criterion with evidence.
4. Update your CV: put teaching first, with units taught, cohort sizes and evaluation results, then research, supervision and service.
5. Add supporting documents: a short teaching portfolio or summary of student evaluations is useful if you have one.
6. Apply through the Apply button: the advert says applications are submitted “via the Apply button at the top of the page”. Current University of Sydney staff and contingent workers apply through Workday instead.
7. Submit before the deadline: 11:59 pm on Monday 9 November 2026. The advert does not state a time zone; assume Sydney time.

How to write the cover letter for an Australian lecturer job

Australian universities score applicants against the selection criteria. A strong cover letter makes that scoring easy. Use this structure:

1. Opening paragraph: the job title, your current role, your PhD field and one sentence on why this school.
2. Criteria responses: a short heading for each criterion, then two or three sentences of evidence using the situation, action and result pattern. Put numbers on what you did, such as student numbers, evaluation scores or new practicals introduced.
3. Teaching innovation: one detailed example of a unit or practical you redesigned, how you evaluated it and what changed.
4. Research plan: a short paragraph on your immunology or bacteriology research and how you will grow scholarship in teaching and learning.
5. Close: confirm your work rights and availability.

Keep it to two or three pages unless the position description asks for something else.

A sample opening line, for illustration only: “I am applying for the Lecturer in Medical Sciences, Immunology and Bacteriology. For the past four years I have coordinated a second-year microbiology unit of 400 students, and I redesigned its practical classes around clinical case work.”

What happens after you apply

The advert gives no timetable. Australian university hiring usually runs like this: a selection committee shortlists against the criteria, shortlisted candidates are interviewed (often by video first), and some schools ask for a teaching presentation. Referees are contacted for the preferred candidate, followed by background checks and an offer. Expect to hear within a few weeks of the closing date, but the university has not published dates.

Common mistakes

• Applying without work rights: the advert rules out sponsorship, so applications that need it will not go forward.
• Skipping the criteria: a general cover letter that doesn’t address each criterion is hard for the panel to score.
• Research-only pitch: this role leans toward teaching and education scholarship. Lead with teaching.
• No evaluation evidence: saying you are a good teacher without student feedback or outcome data is weak.
• Ignoring the fixed term: the contract runs to October 2031. Make sure that suits your plans.

Who should apply and who shouldn’t

Apply if you hold a PhD in immunology, microbiology, bacteriology or a related biomedical field, have real teaching experience at university level, and have unrestricted Australian work rights. Postdocs who have coordinated units, and teaching-focused academics who want to move into a top-30 university, are a good fit.

Don’t apply if you need a sponsored visa, if you have little or no teaching experience, or if you want a research-only post with minimal teaching. Readers outside Australia who want to work here eventually could start with a funded PhD; our guides to the Research Training Program scholarship and the University of Sydney International Stipend Scholarship explain how.

Similar lecturer jobs

The Hong Kong and Surrey posts are worth a look if you lack Australian work rights. Check each advert for its own visa terms.

Frequently asked questions

What is the salary for the University of Sydney immunology lecturer job?

The base salary starts from AUD 132,533 a year, plus 17% employer superannuation, which comes to about AUD 155,064 before tax.

Does the University of Sydney sponsor visas for this lecturer post?

No. The advert says visa sponsorship is not available and you need unrestricted Australian work rights for the whole contract.

Is the University of Sydney lecturer job permanent?

No. It is full time and fixed term until October 2031.

When does the University of Sydney Lecturer in Immunology and Bacteriology application close?

At 11:59 pm on Monday 9 November 2026. Apply through the Apply button on the advert.

Sources and updates

I checked this post on 29 October 2026 against the University of Sydney advert on THE Unijobs (listing 416849), which gives the salary, contract term, duties, selection criteria and work rights condition. The comparison salary band comes from the University of Sydney’s Secondary Science Education lecturer advert open at the same time. Ranking figures come from the QS World University Rankings 2026 as reported by Insider Guides, and from University of Sydney news releases from 2026. The position description linked from the advert is the official document for the detailed duties. I will update this page if the advert changes.

Jude Chinecherem

I am Jude Chinecherem, a final-year MBBS student at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka. I know what it feels like to want an education your family cannot afford. When my parents could not pay for my schooling, I had to learn how to find scholarships and work the system out on my own, with nobody to guide me. I came out the other side, and now I share everything I learned so the next student does not have to figure it out alone. This is the advice I wish someone had given me back then.