Policy Officer

APS 5 - $81,690 - $89,615 per annum plus superannuation
- Trade & International Division
- Adelaide-SA, Brisbane-QLD, Canberra-ACT, Darwin-NT, Melbourne
- VIC, Perth-WA, Sydney-NSW
- Make a difference developing, influencing, and driving policy and programs to support Australian agricultural trade and help shape global rules and norms.
- Develop and use stakeholder engagement skills, working with colleagues across government, industry and other stakeholders to progress Australia's strategic objectives.
- Location flexible, with flexible work options available.

**Who we are**
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 agriculture issues. It undertakes market intelligence to inform decision-making on international trade and environment priorities. It leads the department’s international engagement on agricultural sustainability and climate policy. It also provides administrative and corporate support for the overseas counsellor network and the division’s finance and security functions.

The **International Organisations and Negotiations Branch** has diverse functions including leading Australia’s engagement in the premier agriculture-related multilateral organisations and fora, including the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), 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, supporting 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 **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 market access, resolve trade impediments, and manage partner-country engagement across the portfolio. The branch supports bilateral agricultural trade and engagement with North Asian, Southeast Asian, Middle East and African markets and has counsellors in Beijing, Tokyo, Seoul, Jakarta, New Delhi, Dubai, Riyadh, Bangkok and Hanoi.

The **Agricultural Traceability Branch** drives nationally co-ordinated reform, to build data-enabled traceability systems to enhance competitiveness and responsiveness to global market trends, while enabling Australia to better respond to risks and trading partners’ demands. Much of this work is realised through the design, establishment, and management of traceability grants programs across the division. Traceability is the ability to follow the movement of a product through stages of production, processing, and distribution.

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

- Contributing to well-researched policy to advance the department’s strategic objectives in international agriculture policy and engagement.
- Gathering and analysing data and intelligence using a range of sources.
- Providing support to our overseas counsellor network.
- Providing secretariat support to high level committees and working groups.
- Contributing to the implementation of policy-related outcomes, including through the design, establishment and management of grants programs and projects.
- Coordinating policy input and preparing advice on agricultural trade issues, including for engagement in international meetings and negotiations.
- Engaging and collaborating with key stakeholders, including departmental staff, industry, bilateral partners, international organisations, and other government agencies to facilitate cooperation and achieve outcomes.
- Coordinating and participating in industry meetings and international engagements.
- Preparing written briefing for ministers, the executive and other Commonwealth agencies on a range of trade and international agriculture issues.

**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.

**What are we looking for**
**knowledge and** **experience**
The successful applicants will demonstrate knowledge and/or experience in some or all of the following:

- Contributing to policy and program development and implementation.
- Coordination, planning, liaison, and preparation for meetings an