Director, Strategic Science

Overview

Geoscience Australia values the lands, water and sky as we work to deepen a shared understanding of Country and Earth. We respect First Nations peoples and their enduring connection, contribution and obligations to Country. Reflecting on our shared history, we are committed to listen and learn.

About us

Geoscience Australia is Australia's pre-eminent public sector geoscience organisation. We are the nation's trusted advisor on the geology and geography of Australia. We apply science and technology to describe and understand the Earth for the benefit of Australia. We apply our diverse professional expertise, our deep and trusted knowledge, our national-scale Earth observation infrastructure and our strong partnerships, to the opportunities and challenges that face our nation.

Our culture

Our strength lies in our people, including our diversity in backgrounds, skills and experiences, and the way we work together to respond to the emerging needs of our work. We value diversity in gender, backgrounds, culture, and experiences of our employees and are committed to providing an inclusive workplace culture that ensures everyone has equal opportunity to contribute, participate and progress. Applications from people who reflect this diversity are encouraged.

Our workplace is committed to the health, safety and wellbeing of our employees and offers a variety of flexible working arrangements to enhance flexibility, including remote working arrangements.

What we can offer you

When you work at Geoscience Australia you will have access to a range of benefits and the opportunity to experience a workplace culture that truly values and promotes diversity, inclusion, equity and belonging. To learn more about our competitive salary, free onsite parking, generous flexible working arrangements and the role you can play in growing our culture click here.

Our team

The Office of the Chief Scientist ensures Geoscience Australia's national leadership and coordination of Australia's geoscientific activities, including by nurturing the organisation's science culture, in support of Geoscience Australia's Science Strategy 2028.

The key duties of the position include

The Office of the Chief Scientist (OCS) is seeking is seeking a dynamic and high performing employee for the role of Director, Strategic Science. The Director provides a range of high-level leadership and support to the Chief Scientist, including providing strategic advice, managing communications and implementing strategies to support the achievement of Geoscience Australia's strategic and operational objectives.

In this role, you will need to build and maintain strong relationships with staff, the Office of the Chief Scientist's Leadership Team, Geoscience Australia's Executive, the Education and Outreach team and key stakeholders based on credibility, approach and personal commitment to finding common ground and delivering value.

This role will oversee Geoscience Australia's national and international strategic engagement and leadership that supports the decadal entity strategic plan and the supporting Science Strategy, particularly aligning with the science principles. This role will oversee the response and tracking of actions from the Science Evaluations 2020-21 (including the recommendations specific to the Office of the Chief Scientist), integrating the Science Strategy into the enterprise strategy and line managing the Manager, Education and Outreach.

In this role you will

- Provide professional strategic support and advice to the Chief Scientist, working with other business areas and Geoscience Australia's Executive to implement strategic and operational initiatives across a breadth of scientific work programs and discipline areas of the organisation.

- Work with other business areas and the Senior Leadership Team to demonstrate effective strategic planning, management, reporting and leadership of organisational objectives including developing and supporting initiatives to advance the vision of the decadal enterprise strategy and Science Strategy 2028.

- Represent and negotiate on behalf of the Office of the Chief Scientist in professional capacities with key internal and external stakeholders on a range of internal and external committees and via different communication opportunities.

- Establish and implement an enterprise process for Geoscience Australia science integrity and quality assurance.

- Identify and address potential strategic opportunities, risks and emerging issues across the organisation that affect the Office of the Chief Scientist.

- Provide strategic oversight of the Geoscience Australia Education & Outreach program and especially how this links into national and enterprise strategic science challenges and the science-based programs of Geoscience Australia.

- Work with a high level of autonomy and significant judgement to progress strategic and operational initiatives, resolve issues and deliver quality outcomes.

- Communicate, develop and manage key strategic relationships with a broad range of stakeholders, promoting the agency's business objectives.

- Prepare to a high standard a range of correspondence, reports, and briefing material.

- Line manage the Manager, Education and Outreach and ensure cooperation and alignment with other parts of the organisation to achieve strategic outcomes.

- Oversee Office of the Chief Scientist budgets.

To be successful in the role you will

- Understand and apply the strategic scientific objectives of the organisation to inform decisions and advice.

- Anticipate the strategic needs of the Office of the Chief Scientist, identify problems and assess their significance; take appropriate action to resolve them by exploring various possibilities and generating innovative solutions, and provide courteous, prompt and professional advice.

- Explain complex information using language appropriate for the intended audience.

- Construct project plans that have clear and appropriate goals, timeframes and budgets; anticipate change and build contingencies into plans.

- Be highly organised and able to drive work to completion in a timely manner.

- Influence key internal stakeholders and develop and maintain effective relationships with both internal and external stakeholders at all levels and with different backgrounds to achieve outcomes for the organisation.

- Display personal resilience and deal positively with uncertainty and cope effectively in an environment characterised by change; determine a course of action despite a lack of clarity.

- Take initiative; progress work and engage in additional tasks as required; commit to meeting the objectives as outlined in strategies or project plans.

- Provide clear, constructive and timely feedback (both positive and negative) in a manner that encourages learning and achieves any required resolution.

- Adhere to the APS Values and Code of Conduct and consistently behave in an honest, ethical and professional way.

- Have a strong background of strategic science leadership in relation to Geoscience Australia and national issues and challenges; and more specifically, how this links to education and outreach of geoscience and its engagement with a broad and diverse audience.

Required skills, knowledge, experience and/or qualifications

- Ability to work autonomously and at times collaboratively in small teams.

- Be proactive and demonstrate sound judgement.

- Have knowledge of the application of science to real-world challenges, particularly in a broad geoscientific context.

- Have high-level communication skills, including strong representational and liaison skills, and strong written skills.

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