EMPLOYMENT

Who we are The Plant Health Policy Branch provides a national focal point for plant biosecurity issues within Australia and has responsibility for the national leadership in managing Australia's plant health. The work of the branch underpins biosecurity and helps to open new, and maintain existing, domestic and international markets for Australian plant industries. This is achieved by; providing focus for national and international plant biosecurity activities; preparing for and coordinating national responses to plant pests and exotic weeds; promoting reform of the plant biosecurity system; improving plant health capacity and capabilities in near-neighbour countries and trading partners; domestically improving national surveillance and diagnostic capability and capacity; and assisting the department to meet national and international obligations and influencing plant health policies. The Diagnostics and Research Section covers both departmental and national diagnostic-related policy and project work, as well as scientific support and research coordination. The Section's focus is on building, maintaining and advancing plant health diagnostics capability and capacity to support management of nationally significant pests and diseases; as well as coordination of international scientific and technical collaboration in plant biosecurity, and facilitating the identification and sharing of expertise, tools and technologies. The key duties of the position include The Job The National Protocols Coordinator has primary responsibility for coordinating the development, review and verification of national diagnostic and surveillance protocols under the direction of Plant Health Committee's Subcommittee on Plant Health Diagnostics (SPHD) and Subcommittee on National Plant Health Surveillance (SNPHS). A National Diagnostic Protocol is the nationally agreed diagnostic standard that contains detailed information about a specific plant pest or group of plant pests relevant to its diagnosis. A National Surveillance Protocol is a technical reference guide for conducting surveillance on a specific plant pest or group of plant pests. This is a critical national position that will work across governments and industry stakeholders to deliver technical standards that support national biosecurity. The position is funded by the Australian and state and territory governments and works closely with the National Networks Coordinator to drive activities that support the National Plant Biosecurity Diagnostic Network (NPBDN) and the Plant Surveillance Network Australasia-Pacific (PSNAP). The key duties of this position include, but not limited to: coordinating the delivery, review and endorsement of national diagnostic and surveillance protocols working with national committees and other stakeholders to identify priorities for protocol development and technical experts that could be contracted to develop/review these protocols and reporting to stakeholders on these activities ensuring continued alignment of Australia's processes for developing protocols to minimum of international standards and/or international best practice developing communication materials to support the development, use and promotion of national protocols, including drafting of news articles and presentations to national forums as appropriate providing advice on national capability development activities and/or training needs to ensure appropriate use and adoption of the protocols managing procurement arrangements associated with diagnostic and surveillance protocol development, review and verification activities in accordance with departmental and whole of government policies. Please note: The successful applicant must be able to travel interstate as part of the job role. This recruitment process will initially be used to fill one vacancy on an ongoing basis , and the role may be able to be performed from any of the DAFF office locations. 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. Flexible working arrangements We are open to discussing flexible working arrangements. To seek further information please speak with the contact officer prior to submitting your application.