Assistant Director

EL 1 - $120,290 - $129,379 per annum plus superannuation
- Biosecurity Plant and Science Services Division
- Mickleham, VIC
- Formulate the ideas and advice that will help Australia meet the biosecurity challenges of the future.
- Join a motivated team that values all experiences, skills and backgrounds. Our biggest strength is our people.
- Enjoy an engaging role in a unique quarantine facility setting for high-risk plants and animals.

**Who we are**
The Post-Entry Quarantine Group (PEQ) is responsible for the post arrival quarantine of plants and animals at the Mickleham Post-entry Quarantine Facility located on the outskirts of Melbourne. The Mickleham PEQ Facility is purpose built for accommodating high risk plants, horses, cats, dogs, ruminants, birds and bees while undergoing post-entry quarantine. Working in partnership with plant scientists and veterinarians, we ensure that all plants and animals passing through the facility meet all necessary requirements to demonstrate compliance with the regulatory requirements for their safe import and that the health and welfare of the plants and animals is maintained throughout the period of their stay in PEQ.

**The Job**
The role of an Assistant Director is to provide leadership to support the achievement of regulatory outcomes in line with the department’s business plan and the divisional strategic direction and priorities. Assistant Directors need to influence change, contribute to business planning and decision-making processes. Assistant Directors are required to demonstrate innovative leadership while providing support to and leading managers and teams in a regulatory environment. This includes responding to issues that arise outside of normal working hours. Depending upon the role, duties may include all or some of the following:

- Leading teams in delivering regulatory services and building organisational capability and responsiveness.
- Effectively collaborating with internal and external stakeholders to enhance regulatory service delivery and achieve outcomes.
- Undertaking strategic planning and managing competing priorities to deliver complex project outcomes aligned with business objectives.
- Preparing reports, briefing papers, Ministerial correspondence and discussion papers.
- Leading the analysis of performance metrics and benchmarks, and reporting findings to the Director.
- Managing risk assessments and compliance activities with a focus on WHS and emergency management.
- Contributing to policy and process changes, while also identifying and implementing innovative initiatives to enhance operational effectiveness and biosecurity management, including biocontainment.
- Identifying opportunities for property upgrades, and developing proposals to improve biosecurity and operational risk management, collaborating with stakeholders, including the Property Team in planning and implementation.

**What we are looking for**
**Knowledge and experience**
The successful applicants will have:

- Proven experience in leading, providing strategic direction and supporting teams in a dynamic operational environment, and fostering a culture of high performance through effective coaching and mentoring.
- Knowledge or an understanding of the department’s role in delivering national biosecurity operations including knowledge of Australia’s biosecurity system, concepts and relevant legislation.
- Experience in driving business improvement and innovative initiatives and managing complex projects from conception to implementation.
- High level writing skills, with demonstrated experience delivering a range of written products including briefings for senior executives, ministerial responses, and policy and technical documents.
- Experience working in a regulatory environment.
- Experience in financial management including budget development, monitoring, reporting and forecasting.

**Please note **that the merit pool established through this selection process, which is valid for a period of eighteen months from the date the vacancy was advertised in the Public Service Gazette, may also be used to fill future ongoing vacancies in the branch where the duties are of a similar nature.