Biocontainment Officer

APS 5 - $81,690 - $89,615 per annum plus superannuation
- Biosecurity Plant and Science Services Division
- Mickleham, VIC
- Work in a state-of-the-art facility performing work critical to ensuring Australia's biosecurity status is maintained.
- Utilise technical skills in solving complex problems.
- Work as part of a dynamic, motivated team in achieving success that contributes to Australia's Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry industries.

**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.

The **Post-Entry Quarantine Group (PEQ)** 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 management of plant species within quarantine involves the highest level of physical containment undertaken at the PEQ facility (Biosecurity Containment Level 3 and level 2). The Biocontainment team will work along-side the operations team, to manage all Biocontainment aspects which support the operations of the building and the commodity imports that pass through these facilities. This is a seven day a week, 24 hours a day operation.

**The Job**
The Biocontainment Officer -Plant, supports the Biocontainment Manager to ensure effective management, monitoring and reporting for the plant facility. Regular tasks include, but are not limited to:

- Extracting, validating, evaluating and manipulating building operation data from the Building Management System (BMS)
- Supporting the maintenance of containment components by monitoring repairs and scheduled maintenance works, ensuring all records are received and that works have been completed as expected and required to meet regulatory requirements
- Conducting regular building checks
- Performing regular autoclave validations
- Submitting works in the departmental property management portal and checking and following up on reported issues
- Supporting ongoing audit preparations and responding to audit outcomes
- Performing daily data and records management activities
- Organising the supply of containment equipment
- Assisting, as required, with gaseous decontamination
- Liaising, negotiating and effectively communicating with government agencies, industry bodies, other external clients and internal stakeholders
- Assisting with a range of other tasks as required.

**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.

**Knowledge and experience**
- Experience working in a controlled environment.
- Experience in, and good understanding of, horticulture and/or agriculture.
- Experience with records management systems.
- Ability to acquire knowledge in the use of a BMS and other electronic systems associated with building monitoring, access and maintenance.