Conservation Science

APS 6 - $91,944 - $104,393 per annum plus superannuation
- Parks Australia Division
- Canberra, ACT,Hobart, TAS,Other
- Be at the forefront of shaping the identity and work of the Conservation Science section in Parks Australia
- Work in a cross-disciplinary team to facilitate applied research that informs the management of Australia’s Commonwealth parks and gardens

**Who we are**
Australia’s natural and cultural heritage is unique. Our land and seascapes are distinctive, home to plants and animals found nowhere else in the world, and to some of the oldest living cultures on earth. These environments and cultures are an essential part of our national identity, and visitors travel from across the country and the world to experience them. The Director of National Parks (the Director) is responsible for six national parks, the Australian National Botanic Gardens, 58 Australian Marine Parks and the Heard Island and McDonald Islands Marine Reserve established under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999. Parks Australia is the federal park agency that supports the Director, and they are a division of the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (the Department). We work to showcase these natural and cultural wonders to the world, demonstrating to all why these places are so special, and inspiring communities to become more invested in their care and future.

The Science and Australian National Botanic Gardens Branch leads science and conservation planning and policy for Parks Australia, and conducts research in conservation and biodiversity management through a range of programs. We engage in and coordinate diverse research partnerships and ensure First Nations knowledge and innovative solutions are core to our work, enabling us to enhance engagement and embed science into decision-making at all levels. Our work includes:

- Strategic science planning and prioritisation and shaping research partnerships for Parks Australia
- Leading cross-cutting research to support Parks Australia - in areas such as climate change adaptation, nature positive and knowledge weaving
- Providing scientific support for Protected Areas policy and Park Management Plans
- Managing the Australian National Botanic Gardens, home to our Branch and the nation’s largest living collection of native plants
- Facilitating research and science capacity building and education
- Curating national collections of biological data and conserving and protecting plants through systematics research, seed banking and ex situ conservation
- Regulatory compliance, operational frameworks and capability support for the use of drones across the Department

Parks Australia recently established a new Conservation Science section, offering an exciting opportunity to be at the forefront of shaping the identity and work of the section. As we build a new work profile, we will continue to facilitate and support innovative, cross-disciplinary research to inform management of the Commonwealth parks and gardens, to achieve outcomes for conservation and community, and to contribute to the national nature positive conversation. The section includes marine and terrestrial conservation scientists working together on complex, real-world problems that realise the potential for the parks and gardens to build conservation knowledge and outcomes for Australia. This is an exciting opportunity to work in a cross-disciplinary team developing, facilitating, coordinating and delivering the science and knowledge foundations to inform the management of Australia’s Commonwealth parks and gardens.

The current work streams in the Conservation Science section include:

- Science Strategy and Partnerships - setting the direction of science in Parks Australia, designing and evaluating mechanisms for implementing and embedding strategy in business processes, and facilitating and maturing partnerships to deliver robust science and increase its impact and influence.
- Monitoring and Management Effectiveness - designing systems and programs to effectively and efficiently understand and predict the trajectories of important values, and the effectiveness of management within and beyond our parks in social, cultural, ecological and economic domains.
- Climate Change - understanding the social, cultural, ecological and economic impacts of climate change on our parks and their surrounding landscapes, vulnerability of important places and values to climate change, and developing approaches for integrated, sustainable adaptation thinking and actions.
- Knowledge Weaving - bringing together and elevating different knowledge systems to build a holistic understanding of our Parks and how to manage them, co-design innovative and sustainable solutions to complex conservation problems, and build institutional cultural competency.
- Ecosystems and Species - understanding the ecology and conservation requirements of ecosystems and species across our P