Aps 5/6 Policy Officers

Are you passionate about shaping policy and ensuring regulatory compliance? Do you thrive in a dynamic environment where your analytical skills and leadership abilities can make a real impact? Join our Federal Government client as a **APS 5/6 Policy Officer** and contribute to Australia's biosecurity framework. This role offers a unique opportunity to influence policy, engage with diverse stakeholders, and lead innovative initiatives that protect our nation's environment and economy.

**Key Responsibilities**:

- Lead the investigation and auditing of biosecurity treatment providers.
- Provide detailed policy and technical advice and/or reports on regulatory and compliance issues.
- Assess treatment providers' compliance with departmental policies, procedures, requirements, and treatment processes and methods.
- Utilize analytical skills to assess and interpret documentation against a set of requirements.
- Contribute to the design, development, implementation, and monitoring of complex policy and program innovation and reform initiatives.
- Represent the work area in stakeholder engagement meetings.
- Work in partnership with government and non-government stakeholders to develop and manage the harmonisation of biosecurity treatments.
- Provide briefs and project reports to senior management.
- Write public-facing policy information and instructional material.
- Lead and develop small teams while practicing inclusive leadership.
- Set priorities for the work area, maintain team cohesion, and ensure quality of outputs.
- Contribute to the development of team objectives for short-term tasks and strategic planning for longer-term initiatives.
- Monitor changes in the broader work environment that may impact work objectives.
- Engage in opportunities to identify innovative solutions to support our work through new approaches, process and policy change, and new tools or technology.

**What We Are Looking For**:
**Knowledge and Experience**:

- Experience in policy development and implementation.
- Experience providing advice on issues and working with internal and external stakeholders to facilitate the resolution of complex policy, program, or regulatory matters.
- A sound understanding and knowledge of the regulatory remit of the department.
- Understand the importance of reasonable and justifiable decision-making in a regulatory environment.
- Experience supervising staff, getting the best out of people, and building a team.
- Experience engaging effectively with overseas stakeholders where English language skills may be challenging.
- An understanding of a range of departmental IT systems used for targeting and managing biosecurity risk pathways.
- Experience in biosecurity, trade, compliance, and regulation is beneficial but not necessary.

**Skills and Capabilities**:

- Ability to research and analyze policy, program, legislative, and data issues including the ability to investigate and source key information to support sound decision-making.
- Ability to acquire an understanding of the technical and practical aspects of conducting biosecurity treatments and use this knowledge to provide advice to a range of domestic and international stakeholders.
- Ability to influence, liaise, consult, and negotiate with expert and specialist groups, and a range of stakeholders including those located within Australia and overseas including governments, individuals, and organisations.
- Verbal and written skills to effectively communicate complex ideas to a range of audiences in a range of styles (e.g. reports, ministerial submissions and correspondence, presentations) and listen and respond to stakeholder input.
- Interpersonal skills and the ability to develop and maintain productive working relationships with a range of internal and external stakeholders.
- Ability to supervise and manage staff and lead a high-performing team to produce high-quality work within agreed timeframes.
- A commitment to continuous improvement and capability to implement and respond quickly and positively to change.