* APS 4 - $77,728 - $84,619 per annum plus superannuation
* Biosecurity Strategy & Reform Division
* Canberra- ACT
We are seeking an Administrative/Secretariat Support Officer to assist in the delivery of nationally cost-shared programs to eradicate exotic pests and diseases from Australia. This is done in partnership with government and industry, as well as Animal Health Australia and Plant Health Australia, to ensure effective and timely management of national biosecurity responses through the National Management Group.
Why YOU are important to us and what impact will you have on the Biosecurity Strategy & Reform Division and the departments' goal.
The Biosecurity Strategy and Reform Division strengthens Australia's national biosecurity system through evidence-based policy, strategic reform, and innovation. Working closely with stakeholders, the division drives national response efforts and system improvement by delivering strategic advice, enhancing transparency, supporting research, and enhancing situational awareness. Our work is aligned with the National Biosecurity Strategy and Biosecurity 2030 Roadmap.
We lead improvements to Australia's biosecurity system and support responses to exotic pests and diseases. This includes developing and managing biosecurity policies, preparedness programs, and coordinating national emergency responses. We oversee the National Biosecurity Strategy and manage responses to independent reviews.
As an Administrative/Secretariat Support Officer you will enable the delivery of nationally cost-shared programs to eradicate exotic pests and diseases from Australia under the biosecurity emergency deeds and deed-like national arrangements. You will provide general administrative support to National Biosecurity Emergency Response section, and secretariat support as part of a small team for the National Management Group to ensure effective and timely management of national biosecurity emergency responses.
This is where you play an important role.
As the Administrative/Secretariat Support Officer, you will:
* Management of group mailboxes including record keeping in accordance with departmental and branch protocols.
* Proactively triaging and responding to enquiries from a diverse range of stakeholders (both internal and external) on biosecurity incident response matters.
* Communicating (both verbally and in writing), liaising, negotiating with, and responding to internal and external stakeholders, including government agencies and industry.
* Contributing to, and supporting the development and implementation of, improvements and best practice in systems, processes and procedures.
* Building subject matter expertise through on the job training and learning opportunities.
* Providing high level administrative support in an incident response environment.
* Promoting and ensuring compliance with departmental Work Health and Safety (WHS) and Rehabilitation policies and guidelines; and being alert for, and reporting risks to WHS.
Please note that 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.
What are we looking for
Knowledge and experience
Our ideal candidate will have:
* Demonstrated experience working collaboratively and maintaining productive working relationships with a range of stakeholders.
* Demonstrated experience in drafting correspondence using agreed formats and structured guidelines, minute taking and secretariat functions.
* Strong digital literacy skills and experience with the Microsoft Office software suite.
* Demonstrated experience in the delivery of effective secretariat services.
* A working knowledge or desire to gain working knowledge of legislative frameworks, government decision-making processes and national biosecurity incident management.
The successful applicant will possess the following
* Well-developed organisational and communication skills, with the ability to work across and support multiple work areas.
* An ability to learn and adapt quickly to be flexible in response to emerging priorities.
* A good attention to detail and a commitment to continuous improvement and change, in particular improving processes and responding to changes in business requirements.
* The ability to establish strong working relationships with geographically dispersed stakeholders.
* Strong digital literacy skills including proficiency with the Microsoft Office suite (e.g. Outlook, Word and Excel)
* High standards of professional and personal integrity.
* The ability to prioritise competing tasks to deliver outcomes in a responsive, timely manner.
* The ability to maintain a strong work ethic with the ability to set and deliver on priorities.
* Consistently display and champion behaviours that align with APS Values and Code of Conduct.
* The ability to work as an effective and supportive team member, including the ability to work as part of a geographically dispersed team.
The successful candidate:
May be required to perform occasional out-of-hours and weekend work.
VetPaths
The Australian Public Service (APS) values the unique skills, perspectives, and experiences that veterans gain during their Australian Defence Force (ADF) employment and encourage veterans to apply. Support may be available to veterans transitioning to meaningful APS careers through participation in VetPaths, which offers veterans an opportunity to participate in a six-month program offering formal learning and development, career mentoring and activities for wellness and peer support.