Manager, Federal Government Collaboration

Acknowledgement of Country

CSIRO acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the land, sea and waters, of the area that we live and work on across Australia. We acknowledge their continuing connection to their culture and pay our respects to their Elders past and present.

Child safety

CSIRO is committed to the safety and wellbeing of all children and young people involved in our activities and programs. View our Child Safe Policy.

The opportunity

• Proactively lead CSIRO's engagement with government
• Build strong relationships across CSIRO's research portfolio, facilitating connections to government priorities
• Ensure the impact of CSIRO's science is at the forefront of decision-making

We are seeking a Manager, Federal Government Collaboration to join CSIRO's Government Engagement Unit.

As the Manager, Federal Government Collaboration you will play a critical role in leading CSIRO's engagement with government, including for the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry and other key federal government departments including the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing. You will ensure it is consistent, co-ordinated and strategic, enhancing CSIRO's reputation as a trusted adviser and partner for scientific input to policy, as well as for project and program delivery.

You will be required to analyse emerging issues of relevance to CSIRO and provide advice on opportunities for CSIRO to engage with decision makers within and across government, including for matters requiring ministerial or parliamentary engagement. As appropriate, you will also support CSIRO's contribution to government processes and provide advice in relation to policy development. This is a busy work environment and there is a need to manage and prioritise multiple tasks with varying levels of complexity and urgency.

Your duties will include:

• Proactively leading CSIRO's engagement and collaboration with the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry and other key federal government departments including the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing, ensuring the scientific and evidence-based impacts of CSIRO's science and research are well understood by government and at the forefront of decision-making.
• Ensuring CSIRO meets its legislative, parliamentary, and administrative responsibilities including coordinating portfolio tasks such as ministerial briefs, responses to parliamentary questions on notice, senate estimates, inquiries, consultations and associated tasks, as well as preparing input to ministerial and related correspondance.
• Supporting CSIRO's input to cabinet and related processes, and where appropriate, working with relevant portfolio departments to develop new policy proposals for consideration through the federal government budget process cycle.
• Building strong relationships across the organisation, including with CSIRO Research Units and key Enterprise functions such as the Partnerships & Business Development and Communications functions, to ensure engagement strategies are effective and aligned with CSIRO's strategic objectives.
• Working closely with CSIRO's Communications Unit, and across the organisation to actively support the promotion of CSIRO science, as well as to support timely identification and management of emerging issues, particularly as they relate to government or portfolio department priorities.

Location: Canberra or other capital cities preferred. Other CSIRO locations may be considered.

Salary: AU$131k - AU$153k pa plus up to 15.4% superannuation

Tenure: Specified term of 3 years, Full-time.

Reference: 100354

To be considered you will need:

• A relevant tertiary qualification (science based) and/or relevant experience in leadership and management within the public sector setting (or similar discipline).
• Demonstrated experience building excellent, collaborative relationships with internal and external stakeholders, with evidence of achieving positive outcomes through your management of key stakeholders and partners.
• A well-developed understanding of Australia's federal government environment and its operations; a deep understanding of public policy development; and a fundamental knowledge of the broad range of administrative processes that supports them.
• Demonstrated people leadership with ability to attract, retain, empower, and develop professional talent, and to foster inclusivity and high-performance across small multidisciplinary teams.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills which reflect a strong sense of intended audience, an ability to identify and prioritise relevant issues contained within materials which may be prepared by external parties, and to present complex ideas concisely.
• The ability to manage multiple deadlines whilst maintaining excellent attention to quality and detail, in an often complex, ambiguous and fast-moving environment.
• The ability to hold and maintain an Australian Government Security Vetting Agency security clearance (Negative Vetting 1).

For full details about the role please review the Position Description

Eligibility

Applications for this position are open to Australian Citizens only. Appointment to this role is subject to provision of a national police check and may be subject to other security/medical/character requirements.

The successful candidate will be required to hold and maintain an Australian Government Security Vetting Agency security clearance (Negative Vetting 1).

Flexible working arrangements

We work flexibly at CSIRO, offering a range of options for how, when and where you work.

Diversity and inclusion

We are working hard to recruit people representing the diversity across our society, and ensure that all our people feel supported to do their best work and feel empowered to let their ideas flourish.

About CSIRO

At CSIRO Australia's national science agency, we solve the greatest challenges through innovative science and technology. We put the safety and wellbeing of our people above all else and earn trust everywhere because we only deal in facts. We collaborate widely and generously and deliver solutions with real impact.

CSIRO is committed to values-based leadership to inspire performance and unlock the potential of our people.

Join us and start creating tomorrow today

How to apply

Please apply on-line and provide a cover letter and CV that best demonstrate your motivation and ability to meet the requirements of this role.

Applications close

Sunday 14th September, 11:00pm AEST

---