Plant and Bee Team Leader

APS 5 - $76,260 - $83,658 per annum plus superannuation
- Biosecurity Operations Division
- Mickleham, VIC
- _Enhance Australia’s agriculture & environment through regulation and partnership._
- _Work in state-of-the-art facilities used to manage biosecurity risks._
- _Be part of a dynamic team who collaborate and work to achieve strong outcomes._

**Who we are**
The Post-Entry Quarantine Group (PEQ) within BOD is responsible for the post arrival quarantine of plants and animals at the Mickleham Post-entry Quarantine Facility located on the outskirts of Melbourne. The Mickleham PEQ Facility is purpose built for accommodating high risk plants, horses, cats, dogs, ruminants, birds, and bees while undergoing post-entry quarantine. Working in partnership with plant scientists and veterinarians, we ensure that all plants and animals passing through the facility meet all necessary requirements to demonstrate compliance with the regulatory requirements for their safe import and that the health and welfare of the plants and animals is maintained throughout the period of their stay in PEQ.

The Plant Unit at PEQ facilitates the import of high-risk plants across a variety of commodities. These are held in a Physical Containment 2 (PC2) environment across a number of glasshouses. The Bee Unit works with industry to facilitate the importation of queen bees. This is a seven day a week, 24 hours a day operation.

**The Job**
The role of a Team Leader is to supervise staff to support the achievement of operational outcomes in line with the department’s business objectives. The successful applicant will need to influence and contribute to change, while contributing to business planning and decision-making processes. They will also be required to demonstrate innovative leadership while providing support to and managing staff in a team environment. The role of a Team leader at the PEQ can be a physically demanding role that involves working in glass houses and lab areas in controlled environments.

The duties of this role may include some or all the following:

- Leading and supervising a range of biosecurity activities within a post entry quarantine facility in accordance with established quarantine inspection policies and procedure to maintain biosecurity integrity.
- Providing a high level of horticultural and nursery management skills to propagate and maintain valuable plant material undergoing post entry quarantine screening at the PEQ
- Assisting in all management activities that support the team’s operational performance (ie preparing shift rosters).
- Forward planning horticulture activities, including nursery production planning for upcoming peak seasons, and purchasing domestic rootstock and nursery equipment for upcoming seasons.
- Ensuring strict plant hygiene standards and pest and disease control is maintained at all times to limit the spread of exotic plant pests from, and within, the nursery.
- Assisting in the management of bee import activities.
- Liaising with clients and other government agencies and providing advice as necessary.
- Building and sustaining supportive, effective and collaborative relationships.
- Providing timely and accurate advice on complex biosecurity matters to employees, stakeholders/clients and senior managers.
- Providing technical, administrative and managerial support to senior staff.
- Resolving complex operational and technical matters.
- Providing on-the-job training and assisting and supporting other employees with biosecurity issues.
- Actively participating in and contributing to the department’s corporate objectives and supporting change management, including staff and client participation, consultation and cultural change.
- Managing, modelling and monitoring compliance with appropriate standards of behaviour including the APS Code of Conduct and Values.
- Promoting and complying with departmental Work Health and Safety and Rehabilitation policies and guidelines and being alert for and reporting risks to Work Health and Safety.
- Fostering a culture of safety, diversity, inclusiveness, positive attendance and high performance.

**What we are looking for**

**Knowledge and experience**
The successful applicant will have:

- an extensive background in horticulture
- nursery management and plant propagation experience in a diverse range of crops with experience preferred in budding, grafting, seed propagation and tissue culture
- an understanding of greenhouse systems, nursery hygiene practices and principles including pest and disease control
- a strong knowledge of plant species and the ability to learn and recognise common diseases, nutritional issues and pests that pose a threat
- an extensive knowledge of a range of plant varieties
- experience managing staff and engaging with stakeholders to provide clear, concise and accurate oral and written responses
- previous experience in a regulatory environment and/or in industries related to agriculture (desirable)
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