Assistant Directors

EL 1 - $120,290 - $129,379 per annum plus superannuation
- Exports & Veterinary Services Division
- Adelaide, SA,Brisbane, QLD,Canberra, ACT,Melbourne, VIC,Sydney, NSW
- _Help our agricultural exporters navigate our trading partners' increasingly complex trade rules _
- _Help develop and maintain our market access for a wide range of agricultural commodities _
- _Showcase your skills at distilling complex ideas into easily understandable language _
- _Work in a fun, professional and motivated division with flexible work options._

**Who we are**
The Exports and Veterinary Services Division regulates export of animal products and import of food products through the delivery of inspection and certification services including those related to live animal operations. The division develops strategies to gain, improve or maintain market access for a wide range of animal products. The division delivers the Australian Codex Alimentarius Contact Point and delivers the coordination and development of policy and technical input to international food standards. The division manages 63 tariff rate quotas. The division delivers the National Residue Survey for Australian primary industries. The division actively contributes to the department's digitalisation and regulatory reform agendas including implementing reform programs for dairy, cosmetics and other goods.

The **Residues and Food **Branch is responsible for regulation, policy development, and implementation of dairy, fish and egg exporters, organic exports, the exports of non-prescribed food and animal by-products, and imported food controls (food safety). This includes the development of legislation, operational policy and guidelines, instructional material, technical training (and its delivery), reporting and engagement of industry and government stakeholders. The branch is also responsible for the National Residue Survey which conducts animal and plant residue testing for participating industries - a critical component underpinning Australia’s favourable market access arrangements.

The **Export Standards** Branch negotiates technical standards and conditions with trading partners to maintain, improve or develop market access for the export of meat, fish, dairy, eggs, animal by-products and non-prescribed goods. The branch develops content for the Manual of Importing Country Requirements (MICoR), provides chemical residue and microbiological expertise, laboratory oversight and manages the Codex contact point responsible for the coordination and development of policy and technical input into international food standards.

The **Meat Exports** Branch works in close partnership with internal and external stakeholders to develop and maintain national export inspection and certification services for meat (red meat, poultry, pork, sheep and game meat). This includes the development of legislation, operational policy and guidelines, instructional material, technical training development and delivery and engagement with industry and government stakeholders. The central office team manages the export certification system (EXDOC) and provides operational support to the department's technical service delivery streams who are responsible for inspection, verification and certification of meat and meat products across Australia. The branch also includes the division's certification integrity unit that evaluates the effectiveness of the division's export systems.

**The Jobs**
The duties include leading a small team to:

- undertake research and analysis to inform policy and program development to support exports and existing regulatory functions and to address emerging issues
- prepare briefing materials, correspondence, reports, and other products for the Minister, departmental executives, and for tabling at various forums
- prepare and review technical government and industry reports, policy, instructional material and stakeholder meeting papers to progress programs
- engage and maintain relationships with a range of stakeholders, including animal producers, processors and peak industry bodies, as well as other state/territory and commonwealth agencies, international trading partners and internal stakeholders
- represent the department in various forums
- develop and draft communication products for both internal and external stakeholders
- provide technical and professional advice relating to export access and operations and supporting decisions to fulfil the department’s regulatory role.

**Please note** that this recruitment process will be used to fill multiple current vacancies in the Branches listed above. The merit pool established through this selection process, which is valid for a period of 18 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.

**Flexible working arrangements**

**What we are looking for**
**Knowledge and exper