Regional Vector Coordinator

APS 5 - $81,690 - $89,615 per annum plus superannuation
- Biosecurity Plant and Science Services Division
- Adelaide, SA
- Work on the frontline protecting Australia from exotic mosquitoes Ideal blend of office and field work The Vector Monitoring Program is one of the department’s longest operating and most important surveillance programs._

**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 Surveillance Section is one of the four national Sections delivering diagnostic or surveillance activities within the Operational Science & Surveillance (OSS) component of the Science & Surveillance Group (SSG). The Section is comprised of the National Border Surveillance (NBS), Vector and Hitchhiker surveillance teams, and is led by a management team consisting of a Director, Assistant Directors and APS 6 Senior Surveillance Officers. The Vector Monitoring Program (VMP) is one of the Department’s longest operating and most important surveillance programs, with a team of Regional Vector Coordinators (RVC) and Vector Surveillance Officers (VSO) based in Australia’s major cities. They work in collaboration with a large network of staff within the department and some other agencies to deliver vector monitoring in more than 80 locations across Australia. VMP operations are led and managed by the VMP Operations team, which works closely with colleagues from the Human Health policy section within Biosecurity Operations Division who are responsible for VMP policy.

**The Job**
The Regional Vector Coordinator will be responsible for the following duties:

- Coordinating, supervising Vector Surveillance Officers (VSO) and providing direction to Vector Officers (VO) including their training, verification and technical support.
- Maintaining regular contact with VSO/VO’s and key stakeholders and act as central contact for department, Border Force, Defence, and State/Territory Health staff for issues related to notification or other vector responsibilities.
- Ensuring the preparation, maintenance and annual review and updating (including assisting and coordination of toolbox production by VSOs) of a consolidated Vector ‘toolbox’ for each port, consisting of:

- Aerial maps of the ports and high risk Approved Arrangements (AAs), with trap locations.
- Description of each trap including type, location, and frequency of inspection.
- Current copies of all vector related Work Instructions including National Response Guidelines, and exotic mosquito notification procedures.
- Copies of raw data worksheets.
- List of local and national vector contacts within our department, State Health, and Port Operator Managers to be contacted in case of an emergency.
- Conducting vector monitoring activities as per risk category requirements, including placement, installation, maintenance and servicing of all traps.
- Conducting or overseeing regular surveillance activities at first points of entry and high-risk AA sites, in particular ground surveys and dipping, to include:

- Assessing overall receptiveness of each surveillance location or area, including factors such as sanitation, breeding sites, frequency of conveyance movements, cargo types etc.
- Identifying, describing and mapping known or potential breeding sites.
- Sampling to determine mosquito species and relative abundance.
- Analysis of data collected from surveillance to identify issues with species abundance.
- Initiation of risk-mitigation actions, through liaison with department staff and stakeholders.
- Providing written reports documenting surveillance activities.
- Conducting routine diagnostics for vector samples as per risk category requirements, including outports if required, by:

- Rearing immature larvae.
- Morphological identification o