Animal Health Australia (AHA) is a not-for-profit public company which works to protect and improve animal health within Australia. AHA works in partnership with our members and other stakeholders to keep Australia free of new and emerging diseases and to improve animal health, enhance market access and foster the resilience and integrity of the Australian animal health system.

AHA and its members – WoolProducers Australia (WPA) and Sheep Producers Australia (SPA) - know that biosecurity practices on-farm and through the supply chain underpins animal health and market access outcomes. Those outcomes create value for more than supply chain participants and because of that sheep industries have developed the National Sheep Industries Biosecurity Strategy (NSIBS).

About the role

AHA is seeking to deliver against its strategic goals and a number of NSIBS objectives by investing in additional extension capability and capacity for the sheep and wool industries with a contract for full time workload until 30 June 2023. The successful candidate will be a biosecurity champion focusing on accelerating the adoption of biosecurity initiatives relevant to sheep meat and wool producers that generate local, regional and national benefits.

Key responsibilities include:

• increasing producers' and supply chain participants' awareness and adoption of best-practice biosecurity, surveillance, animal health and welfare and, emergency animal disease (EAD) response preparedness.
• working as part of a collaborative extension team and engaging proactively with SPA and WPA, as well as other biosecurity stakeholder extension staff Australia-wide
• establishing practical initiatives that protect and improve the sheep industries' market access and productivity as well as strengthen its biosecurity/product integrity frameworks.
• identifying key stakeholders in the sheep meat and wool sectors, linking and realising opportunities for collaboration and partnership.
• preparing grant applications and other materials required to facilitate the delivery of project milestones
• ensuring project outcomes/milestones are delivered within agreed budget and timeframes.
• developing regional and national project and supporting communication plans
• complementing work undertaken by the Department of Primary Industries, Local Land Services and NSW Farmers Association
• representing AHA at relevant events
• undertaking monitoring, evaluation and reporting
• adhering to AHA's policy and procedures.

About the team

AHA's biosecurity/product integrity team are passionate, high performing and driven to deliver value for AHA members and stakeholders. We work together with AHA members to enhance animal health and biosecurity for Australian livestock industries.

Location

The location of the position is open to negotiation but must be within NSW or the AHA office in Canberra. A key element of the role will be mobility, requiring regular travel around NSW and occasionally interstate.

Skills and experience

To be appointed and succeed in this role, the person will have demonstrated abilities for the following selection criteria:

Essential

• Demonstrated experience in a relevant area such as agricultural, animal or veterinary science
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Strong understanding of sheep meat and wool industry matters relating to animal health, welfare, biosecurity and traceability and how they relate to other livestock sectors
• Proven ability to understand and influence behavioural change through extension and monitoring and evaluation methodologies
• Comprehensive computer skills and confidence in using current telecommunications technology

Desirable

• Tertiary qualifications in agricultural, animal or veterinary science
• Specialty training in extension services
• Project management experience
• Understanding of the national animal health system

Applications

This position will be offered to the successful applicant on a full-time basis until 30 June 2023. The role is subject to a six-month probationary period. Remuneration is negotiable and commensurate with experience with an indicative total remuneration package in the range $95,000 - $115,000.

Applications must include a covering letter addressing the selection criteria (no more than two pages) in addition to a C.V.

Please submit applications by email to aha@animalhealthaustralia.com.au by 5pm AEDST 11 Nov 2020.

Further Information

For questions relating to the position, please contact Rob Barwell on 02 6232 5522