Plant Tissue Culture Technician

APS 5 - $81,690 - $89,615 per annum plus superannuation
- Biosecurity Plant and Science Services Division
- Mickleham, VIC
- Join a motivated and collaborative team with a wide range of skill sets and backgrounds.
- Develop procedures that will help Australia meet the biosecurity challenges of the future.
- Make a career at the post entry quarantine facility at Mickleham, the only point of entry for high-risk plant material to Australia.

**Who we are**
The **Biosecurity Plant and Science Services Division** (BPSSD) safeguards Australia’s plant health status to achieve, maintain and expand overseas markets, while protecting the economy and environment. The division includes four branches, which together focus on providing scientific analysis and technical advice, facilitating the safe importation of plants and plant products, improving systems, market access, capacity building and stakeholder engagement. The division provides diagnostics, with advice on biosecurity risk and measures, and biosecurity training. The division conducts surveillance and response at first points of entry and approved arrangements sites nationally, and delivers plant, animal and aquatic health surveillance in northern Australia. The division works closely with communities and Indigenous rangers and regulates biosecurity risk in the Torres Strait.

**Science and Surveillance Group** (SSG) is comprised of scientists, operations and support staff responsible for regulatory advice and training, technical input to biosecurity policy, regulation activity in the Torres Strait and diverse surveillance and diagnostic services around Australia, including animal and plant health surveillance measures under the Northern Australia Quarantine Strategy.

The **Plant Pathology Section** supports regulatory decision-making and biosecurity policy settings with plant health diagnostics at the Australian border, scientific expertise, and operational intelligence, working with the department and stakeholders to safeguard Australia from exotic plant diseases and weeds and to enable continued agricultural access to improved crop varieties imported through post-entry quarantine.

**The Job**
Under the direction of the Senior Plant Pathologist, you will contribute to the delivery of plant health outcomes by:

- Undertaking plant virus and viroid elimination of imported citrus germplasm by an established shoot tip grafting method.
- Generating and maintaining a stock of citrus embryo rootstocks.
- De-flasking successful citrus plantlets and potting-on.
- Nurturing shoot tip grafted plantlets in the glasshouse. maintenance of shoot tip grafted plantlets. Preparing and grafting citrus budwood onto woody indicator plants
- De-flasking and re-working tissues cultures of other commodities, as required.
- Contributing to engagement with internal stakeholders to resolve plant health issues for plant undergoing post-entry plant quarantine.
- Promoting and adhering to Australian public sector (aps) values, employment principles and code of conduct.

**Knowledge and experience**
- Laboratory experience producing and maintaining aseptic plant tissue cultures.
- Glasshouse experience in plant propagation, including grafting of woody plants.
- Experience working in a biosecurity setting.
- A working understanding of plant virology and disease symptoms of citrus plants.

**Skills and capabilities**
- Micrografting of plant shoot tips onto recipient root stock plants.
- Problem solving skills and capability to implement innovative solutions to improve existing shoot-tip grafting practices under limited supervision.
- Data recording and analysis, report writing, and providing technical input to work instructions.
- Building and sustaining productive, positive, respectful relationships within a multi-disciplinary team, including facilitating regular, constructive feedback and communication with your manager.

**Mandatory Qualifications**
- Tertiary qualifications in agriculture or biological science, (minimum bachelor’s degree)

The successful applicant must:

- hold and maintain a valid Australian motor vehicle drivers licence