Policy Officer Job in Australia Recruiting by Department of Agriculture, Fisheries & Forest

• APS 6 - $91,944 - $104,393 per annum plus superannuation
• Plant Protection & Environmental Biosecurity Division
• Adelaide, SA,Brisbane, QLD,Cairns, QLD,Canberra, ACT,Darwin, NT,Melbourne, VIC,Perth, WA,Sydney, NSW,Townsville, QLD

• Work as part of a vibrant team that improves national biosecurity outcomes.
• Work in a dynamic environment to deliver meaningful results.
• Work with strategic thinkers to broaden your knowledge and understanding of the systems that support Australia's biosecurity status.

Who we are
The Plant Protection and Environmental Biosecurity Division (PPEBD) provides policy leadership and support for plant health and environmental biosecurity. PPEBD is the home of the Australian Chief Plant Protection Officer (ACPPO) and Australian Chief Environmental Biosecurity Officer (ACEBO). The division: aims to improve Australia’s plant health and environmental biosecurity systems and outcomes; helps meet relevant national and international obligations; and works to minimise the impacts of current and emerging biosecurity risks to Australia’s agricultural production and trade, environment, Indigenous and cultural heritage and associated amenities. The division is comprised of two branches: the Plant Health Policy Branch and the Environmental Biosecurity Office, which also oversees the Australian Plague Locust Commission’s activities.

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 Job
Several Senior Policy Officer positions are available in the strategic policy and national secretariat work streams. In these roles you will have the opportunity to work as part of a vibrant team to improve national biosecurity outcomes, work in a dynamic work environment, often with competing priorities and deadlines to achieve results and work with strategic thinkers across the biosecurity system to broaden your knowledge and understanding of the systems in place to maintain Australia's plant and environmental biosecurity status. 

Strategic Policy Team
As a Senior Policy Officer, you will contribute to the development of robust, fit-for-purpose evidence-based policy, advice, and strategy that will support the national plant biosecurity system. In this role, you will apply an aptitude to be innovative in seeking novel solutions to resolve complex policy issues on the preferred future for the national biosecurity system. You will seek to create the level of sustainability, resilience and effectiveness demanded of a future national biosecurity system facing mounting challenges. Your role will involve one or more of the following: 

• Developing and providing expert policy advice. 
• Leading the development, improvement and implementation of international, national and/or departmental plant biosecurity policies and reform initiatives.
• Working with our near neighbour countries to develop and implement plant health surveillance, diagnostics, and pest management activities. 
• Working with plant health organisations in Asia and the Pacific to jointly deliver projects which strengthen plant protection outcomes for the region. 
• Aligning domestic and national practices with international standards. 
• Liaising with state/territory departments of agriculture, Plant Health Australia, national committees, international counterparts, and other stakeholders to progress and effectively develop and implement national plant biosecurity policies and programs. 
• Mentoring and supervising junior members of the team. 
• Coordinating financial processes and managing administered funding programs. 
• Managing procurement and grant processes to ensure they deliver benefit to biosecurity. 
• Assisting with the progression of other branch and divisional initiatives. 

National Secretariat Team
As a Senior Policy Officer in the national secretariat team, you will contribute to the delivery of high-level secretariat support for the Plant Health Committee and its subcommittees and working groups. This can be a demanding role, often with competing priorities. You will require excellent organisation, communication and stakeholder engagement skills. A proactive approach to the management of your work and the ability to remain flexible in the prioritisation and re-prioritisation of your work is required. Your role will involve the following: 

• Supporting and leading the provision of high-quality secretariat services to national and departmental plant biosecurity committees and working groups.
• Working with internal and external stakeholders to provide leadership and direction to the national plant health biosecurity system. 
• Preparation and presentation of papers to progress national committee business. 
• Hosting of meetings, preparation of meeting documentation including formal minutes, actions and outcomes and communiques. 
• Maintenance of landing pages for external communication. 
• Mentoring and supervising junior members of the team.
• Assisting with the progression of other branch and divisional initiatives.

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.

What we are looking for

Knowledge and experience

• Experience in managing secretariat services and/or performing secretariat duties. 
• Knowledge of national or international plant and/or environmental biosecurity issues. 
• Demonstrated experience in policy development and implementation, preferably in plant biosecurity or related areas. 
• Sound innovative and problem-solving skills to formulate and implement fit-for-purpose policy. 
• Experience reviewing relevant national policy and/or agreements. 
• Experience in representing the organisation in external meetings and fora. 
• Experience in change management. 
• Knowledge and/or experience in stakeholder consultation, liaison and communication, and futures thinking practices. 
• Financial and contract management experience.

Skills and capabilities
The successful applicants will have the following: 

Strategic Policy Team

• Demonstrated experience in performing high quality policy research, analysis, and problem.
• Solving skills, including the ability to synthesise complex information from a variety of sources to provide accurate and timely policy advice. 
• Demonstrated experience and aptitude to seek innovative and fit-for-purpose solutions to anticipate, mitigate and resolve complex policy and strategic issues. 
• Demonstrated ability to exercise sound judgement and initiative in the interpretation and development of policy and to understand intersections and/or dependencies between programs of work. 
• Demonstrated effective communication skills, both written and verbal. 
• Demonstrated capability to actively establish and maintain strong, productive relationships with internal and external stakeholders. 
• Demonstrated ability to work under limited direction, assuming responsibility for managing own work priorities, and deliver results to tight deadlines. 
• Attention to detail and a commitment to continuous improvement. 

Secretariat Team

• Excellent written communication and attention to detail. 
• Strong stakeholder engagement skills with the ability to build productive working relationships internally and externally. 
• Critical and strategic thinking. 
• A proactive and positive attitude. 
• Self-motivated with the ability to prioritise own work and that of junior team members to meet deadlines. 
• A demonstrated ability to coordinate and implement projects and/or programs. 
• A demonstrated ability to provide secretariat services to support intergovernmental committees.

For additional information, please read the Job Description below.

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