Lead teams performing mosquito surveillance activities at border locations to prevent the establishment of exotic mosquitoes within Australia.

• The Vector Monitoring Program is one of the department’s longest operating and most important surveillance programs.
• Work on the frontline protecting Australians from exotic mosquitoes
• Have a varied leadership operational management role which still gets out into the field in exciting locations throughout Australia

Locations: Adelaide (SA), Brisbane (QLD), Cairns (QLD), Darwin (NT), Melbourne (VIC), Perth (WA), Sydney (NSW).

The Job

The Senior Surveillance Officers will under the direction of an Assistant Director – Surveillance, lead teams of staff conducting border surveillance (Vector Monitoring Program), with key duties including but not limited to:

• supervising and managing the performance of multiple nationally dispersed teams, including building and sustaining productive, positive, respectful relationships among team members and facilitating regular, constructive feedback and communication
• supervising and providing direction to border surveillance staff, including providing scientific guidance, to help ensure consistent and sound delivery of border surveillance activities
• assisting communication between policy and border surveillance operational staff
• assisting with organising and chairing border surveillance operations conferences and workshops
• co-ordinating and participating in border surveillance activities, noting that this will involve working outside, conducting field surveillance throughout the year
• working as part of the broader Surveillance networks, which includes officers located in other states around Australia
• providing scientific advice and training to OSS border surveillance staff
• liaising with clients, stakeholders and government agencies to manage surveillance operations and mitigation of biosecurity risk, as necessary
• providing technical, administrative and managerial guidance to border surveillance staff regarding mosquitoes and in implementing border surveillance activities
• ensuring effective and accurate implementation of surveillance methods and recording and reporting of border surveillance activities
• participating in regional and national strategic and operational projects and reviews
• coordinating providing information to Biosecurity Operations Division management, Policy Divisions and other key stakeholders
• promote and ensure effective implementation of APS Values, Employment Principles and Code of Conduct, WHS and Rehabilitation policies.

What we are looking for

Knowledge and experience

• Experience in managing multiple nationally dispersed teams of surveillance officers
• experience in mosquito surveillance
• experience in planning, managing and conducting surveillance activities
• strong field and laboratory-based identification experience
• experience interpreting and applying technical knowledge
• working knowledge of the impacts and management of mosquitoes in managed or natural environments
• an understanding of the scientific, technical and policy aspects of mosquito surveillance, including the planning, delivery and reporting
• well-developed communication skills in liaising with industry and agency clients
• an understanding of threats from exotic mosquitoes to Australia and the policy framework that supports implementation of measures to mitigate the risk of new incursions
• an understanding of the application of Work Health and Safety principles in office and field-based contexts.

Mandatory qualifications

A tertiary qualification in a relevant scientific field and demonstrated relevant experience (5 years minimum).

Security Clearance - This position requires a Baseline Vetting security clearance. You will be required to obtain and maintain a clearance at this level.

Flexible employment arrangements are available with the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry.