Policy Officer

APS 5 - $78,548 - $86,168 per annum plus superannuation
- Trade & International Division
- Canberra, ACT
- _Support the department's approach to international engagement. _
- _Support Australia's international engagement on trade, sustainability and the environment. _
- _Participate in policy development._

**Who we are**
The Trade, Market Access and International Division (TMAID) maximises the impact and influence of the department’s international work by:

- engaging in relevant multilateral and regional fora to shape global rules and norms consistent with Australia’s interests,
- maintaining and improving our agriculture trade and market access through support for free trade agreement negotiations, tackling non-tariff barriers to trade, leading high level bilateral meetings and mobilising the counsellor network,
- ensuring the department has joined up and informed policy and posture across all international functions,
- investing in the departments culture and capability to deliver on our international interests.

The Agricultural Trade and Market Access Branch advances the interests of Australia’s rural industries by leading the department’s bilateral interactions with regional trading partners and co ordinating associated portfolio input. This supports efforts to maintain and improve of market access, resolve trade impediments and manage partner-country engagement across the portfolio. The International Strategy and Engagement Branch supports the department to prioritise its international work and provides a focal point for engagement within the department and with other agencies on whole of government international issues. We undertake market intelligence to inform decision-making on international trade and environment priorities. We lead the department’s international engagement on ocean policy and whales. We provide administrative and corporate support for the overseas counsellor network and the divisions finance and security functions.

The International Organisations and Negotiations Branch has diverse functions including leading Australia’s engagement in a number of agriculture and environment multilateral organisations (UNEP, IUCN and FAO) as well as the department’s engagement in the UN and a number of economic and trade fora (WTO, OECD, G20 and APEC). The branch works closely with DFAT in the negotiation and implementation of Free Trade Agreements and has carriage of Australia’s bilateral agriculture relationship with countries in Europe and the Americas and supports the department’s counsellors in Brussels, London, Rome, Washington, Mexico City and Santiago. The branch works with government, industry and other stakeholders to advance Australia’s agricultural and environment policy interests globally.

**The Job**
The Trade, Market Access and International Division has multiple vacancies at the APS5 level across the three branches listed above. Duties of the positions may include, but are not limited to:

- contributing to well-researched policy that aligns with and advances the department’s strategic objectives in international engagement,
- data and intelligence gathering and analysis using a range of sources and formats to meet business needs,
- coordinating policy input and preparing advice on agricultural trade and environment issues, including for engagement in international meetings and negotiations,
- briefing and communicating with Ministers, the Executive and other Commonwealth agencies on a range of trade and internationally focussed issues including agriculture and the environment,
- engaging and collaborating with key stakeholders including departmental staff, industry, bilateral partners and other government agencies to inform policy development and achieve outcomes,
- coordinating and participating in industry meetings and international engagements,
- delivering programs and providing administrative and secretariat support to advance the department’s agricultural trade and international agenda.

Please note that this recruitment process will be used to fill both ongoing and non-ongoing positions across the three branches. If an offer of non-ongoing employment is made, the successful applicant would be employed for an initial period of up to 12 months with the possibility of extension up to a maximum period of 3 years in total. Should a position become ongoing then the merit pool established through this selection process, which is valid for a period of 18 months from the date the vacancy was advertised in the Public Service Gazette, may be used to fill the vacancy on an ongoing basis. The merit pool may also be used to fill future ongoing and non-ongoing vacancies where the duties are of a similar nature.

**Skills and capabilities**
- The ability to develop and provide policy advice and research on agricultural trade policy, market access and cross-cutting trade policy issues.
- The ability to provide strategic thinking, analyse and interpret material an