Principal Veterinary Officer

EL 2 - $132,153 - $153,543
- Exports & Veterinary Services
- Canberra - ACT

**Who we are**
The Exports and Veterinary Services Division provides export inspection and certification services and develops strategies to gain, improve or maintain market access for a wide range of food, inedible products of animal origin, live animal and reproductive materials. It provides residue monitoring services to Australian primary industries and administers 40 tariff rate quotas for products to the European Union, United States of America, Indonesia and Japan. The division also includes the Codex contact point which coordinates technical input from both industry and government to develop Australia’s position on international food standards.

The Meat Exports Branch manages the Export Meat Program, which accounts for approximately $13 billion in annual agricultural exports. We work in close partnership with internal and external stakeholders to develop and maintain our national regulatory framework and export inspection and certification services for meat. This includes the development of legislation, operational policy and guidelines, instructional material, technical training development and delivery and engagement with industry and government stakeholders. The Export Standards Branch negotiates technical standards and conditions with trading partners to maintain, improve or develop market access for the export of meat, fish, dairy, eggs, animal by-products and non-prescribed goods. The branch also develops content for the Manual of Importing Country Requirements (Micro, maintains and expands electronic certification (eCert), provides chemical residue and microbiological expertise, laboratory oversight and manages the Codex contact point responsible for the coordination and development of policy and technical input into international food standards. The Residues and Food Branch is responsible for regulation of dairy, fish and egg exporters, non-prescribed food, organics, and animal by-products. This includes the development and implementation of operational policy and guidelines, instructional material, technical training and reporting to and engagement with industry and government stakeholders. The branch also delivers for the National Residue Survey which conducts animal and plant residue testing for participating industries. The Veterinary and Export Meat Branch (VEMB) performs a range of regulatory functions through a national network of veterinary officers, food safety meat assessors and biosecurity officers who provide inspection and certification for the export of meat, meat products and the import and export of live animals and reproductive material to meet importing country requirements and Australian legislative requirements. In addition, the Strategy and Governance Team, within the VEMB, is responsible for the development and coordination of both the Exports and Veterinary Services Division and VEMB’s, organisation reporting, workforce planning, financial management, training and development and associated administrative functions.

**The Job**
As the successful applicant you will provide leadership for your section and actively contribute to the branch and divisional leadership team. On a day-to day basis, your responsibilities may involve:

- leading and developing your team, seeking excellence and enjoyment in your collective work
- providing high-level analysis of issues, and making a significant contribution to the strategic direction, design, planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of policies/projects/initiatives and reporting on benefit, objectives, and performance
- understanding and engaging with regulatory frameworks and importing country requirements, and bringing a policy and strategic perspective to legislative, technical, or scientific issues or trade negotiations
- leading your team to provide secretariat support and/or produce clear and succinct written and verbal briefing for the government minister or senior executive to support decision-making or attendance at meetings
- providing specialist and/or strategic policy and regulatory advice to internal and external stakeholders
- promoting and managing relationships and key strategic alliances and representing the department in meetings and forums with internal and external stakeholders, including trading partner counterparts, other government agencies and state regulators, industry bodies, exporters, manufacturers and service providers
- the planning, organisation and allocation of staff resources to achieve work goals (including managing budgets, contracts, procurement and human resources management).

**What we are looking for**

**Knowledge and experience**
During the recruitment process, we will be looking for applicants who have the knowledge and/or experience in the following areas:

- Australia’s biosecurity and animal health systems
- project management and stakeholder consultation
- developing or implementing expor