Company Description

Western Sydney University is a modern, forward-thinking, research-led institution at the heart of Australia’s fastest-growing and most economically significant region. With 11 campuses across Sydney and international locations in Vietnam and Indonesia—plus planned expansion in India—it serves nearly 50,000 students, 3,500 staff, and a global network of over 200,000 alumni. Ranked in the top 2% of universities worldwide, over 85% of its assessed research is rated ‘World Standard’ or above. The University is ranked #1 globally and nationally in the Times Higher Education University Impact Rankings (2022-2025) for its commitment to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals.

About Us
The International Centre for Neuromorphic Systems (ICNS) is a Centre within the MARCS Institute for Brain, Behaviour and Development. The Centre is explicitly interdisciplinary, by combining electrical engineering, computer science, signal processing, and neuroscience. ICNS’s focus is on developing Neuromorphic Engineering solutions to existing problems. The Centre has strong international partnerships within the Neuromorphic engineering community. Further information is available from our website – http://westernsydney.edu.au/icns

The MARCS Institute for Brain, Behaviour and Development is an interdisciplinary research centre focused on enhancing human interaction and wellbeing across the lifespan. Its research spans cognitive science, psychology, language and music science, neuroscience, and engineering. MARCS includes three research areas: ICNS, Brain Sciences, and Biomedical and Human Technologies. Further information is available from our website – http://westernsydney.edu.au/marcs

The Institute is committed to a culture that embraces equity and a diverse and inclusive community where everyone participates in a safe and respectful environment. We welcome applicants from all backgrounds and encourage applications from people of diverse gender, sexual orientation, cultural and linguistic backgrounds, people of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander descent, people with disability and those with caring and family responsibilities.

Job Description

• Full-Time, Fixed-Term Position for 2 Years
• Based at Western’s Werrington South (Penrith) Campus
• $112,718 to $136,180 p.a. Inclusive of Superannuation + Leave Loading

The Opportunity
Are you passionate about cutting-edge hardware design and energy-efficient autonomous systems? Western’s International Centre for Neuromorphic Systems (ICNS) is seeking a talented Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Hardware Accelerators to join the dynamic team.

The Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Hardware Accelerators will contribute to research on FPGA-based neuromorphic reinforcement learning accelerators for energy-efficient autonomous systems. Under the mentorship of the Senior Research Fellow, you’ll:

• Design and implement prototype hardware modules for ultra-low-power autonomous sensing and decision-making
• Support and conduct experimental design, data collection, analysis and performance benchmarking
• Contribute to high-quality publications, technical reports, and stakeholder briefings
• Engage in multidisciplinary collaborations with researchers and industry partners
• Assist with student supervision and contribute to teaching and coursework development
• Assist with project logistics, documentation, and ethics compliance

This is a full-time, fixed-term opportunity for 2 years based at Werrington South (Penrith) Campus although travel to other campuses of the University may be required.

For further information, please refer to the Position Description linked here: Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Hardware Accelerators - Position Description

Who We’re Looking For
You have a PhD (or submitted thesis) in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Embedded Systems, or a related field. You bring experience in FPGA-based, neuromorphic, or low-power AI hardware design, with applications in signal processing and reinforcement learning. You’re skilled in hardware programming (VHDL, Verilog, SystemVerilog) and embedded systems (C/C++, Python), and have worked with machine learning frameworks like TensorFlow or PyTorch to deploy optimised models on hardware. Your research record includes peer-reviewed publications in relevant areas, and you work well in interdisciplinary teams, supporting student development and collaborating with academic and industry partners.

This position offers a unique opportunity to build your expertise while delivering measurable outputs on a forward-thinking research project.

Remuneration Package: Academic Level A $112,718 to $136,180 p.a. (comprising Salary of $95,248 to $115,074 p.a., plus Superannuation and Leave Loading).

Closing Date: 8.30pm, Thursday 25 September 2025

Position Enquiries: Please direct enquires about the role to Dr Saeed Afshar, Senior Research Fellow in Neuromorphic Systems via email at [email protected].

Recruitment Enquiries: Specific enquiries or issues with your application may be directed to the Talent Acquisition Team at [email protected].

Immigration Sponsorship
Employer Visa sponsorship will be provided if required.

Please note, only those applications submitted via the WSU online recruitment system will be accepted.