Assistant Director

EL 1 - $120,290 - $129,379 per annum plus superannuation
- Biosecurity Operations Division
- Adelaide, SA,Brisbane, QLD,Canberra, ACT,Darwin, NT,Melbourne, VIC,Perth, WA,Sydney, NSW
- _Become a valued member of the department's biosecurity detector dog program._
- _Leverage your passion for biosecurity to develop and deliver high quality detector dog policy and communications materials._
- _Join a high performing, friendly and motivated team._

**Who we are**
Biosecurity Operations Division delivers nationally integrated biosecurity and imported food regulatory activities to ensure goods, conveyances and travellers meet Australia's import requirements. Division operations include policy and regulatory control setting across imported food and biosecurity risk pathways, as well as the delivery of assessment, inspection, community engagement and contact centre services. The division also partners with industry to improve the delivery of regulatory functions. The division spans a range of regulatory activities that plays a critical role in reducing risk and shaping our nation to become one of the few countries in the world to remain free from the world’s most severe pests and diseases.

Cargo & Conveyance Policy & Detection Capability is responsible for determining, developing, and enabling the strategies, regulatory frameworks, tactics and interventions that manage biosecurity and other risks within the transport and trade pathways into Australia. This pathway brings together how the department detects and responds to biosecurity risk and non-compliance, including through deploying surveillance and verification tools and capabilities such as detector dog teams and x-rays. The branch sets operational policy for the biosecurity clearance of all air and sea cargo, conveyances and ports, seasonal pests, and policy assessment related matters.

This position is based in the Detector Dog Capability team within the Detection Capability Section. The section works closely with internal and external stakeholders to improve the effectiveness of border risk screening by providing biosecurity risk detection capability across the mail, traveller, and cargo pathways. The section is responsible for the development and management of the detector dog program, 2D and 3D x-ray capability and for the delivery of highly innovative detection capability projects.

**The Job**
Reporting to the Director, Detector Dog Capability, the role will lead the Policy and Communications Team to:

- Review, develop and implement detector dog program policy and guidance materials.
- Develop communications strategies and products to support the detector dog program and projects.
- Draft Ministerial and departmental correspondence, briefings, decision minutes and reports.
- Coordinate Detection Capability Section consolidated reporting, executive updates, and other ad hoc section-level coords.
- Provide secretariat and administrative support for the Detector Dog Working Group and Detector Dog Steering Committee.

**Please note** that these roles may be able to be performed from any of the locations listed above. 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.

**Skills and Capabilities**
- Highly developed written and verbal communication skills, particularly in the context of policy development and executive briefings.
- Demonstrated ability to lead a small team to deliver high quality outputs within required timeframes.
- Demonstrated flexibility and adaptability, and the ability to effectively maintain team momentum and engagement through changing priorities.
- Outstanding stakeholder engagement skills and the ability to lead high quality stakeholder engagement/consultation processes.
- Demonstrated understanding of, and commitment to, the APS Values and Code of Conduct.

**Knowledge and experience**
- Team leadership experience is essential.
- Policy development experience, including stakeholder consultation and change management experience, is essential.
- An understanding of Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry biosecurity systems, and familiarity with the biosecurity operational and regulatory environment is desirable.