•   Combine leadership and veterinary technical skills.
•   Manage biosecurity risk and export certification of live animals.
•   An inclusive and values driven culture, flexible work, room to grow.

Who we are
The Veterinary and Export Meat (VEMB) undertakes regulatory functions by providing inspection and certification for the export of meat, meat products and the import and export of live animals and reproductive material in order to meet importing country requirements and Australian legislative requirements.

The Live Animal section provides veterinary and technical assessments, inspections and certification for live animals and animal genetic material. These regulatory functions verify compliance with Australia’s biosecurity requirements for the import of live animals and animal genetic material, and ensure compliance with importing country requirements and Australia’s export legislation for the export of live animals and animal genetic material. Officers within the Live Animal section complete activities at regional offices (including Mickleham Post Entry Quarantine Facility), airports, seaports and third party premises around Australia. They assert their powers as Authorised Officers under the Export Control Act and as Biosecurity Officers under the Biosecurity Act. Veterinary officers within the Live Animal section also complete audits of avian facilities, artificial breeding centres and other third party isolation facilities.

The Jobs
The Senior Veterinary Officer (SVO) provides high level leadership of a veterinary operational team to meet business goals. You will provide leadership, technical advice, manage small projects and/or contribute to the management of complex projects and/or issues relevant to animal health and welfare, biosecurity risk and export certification of live animals and animal reproductive material. You will have the ability to contribute at an operational level to maintain competency and technical proficiency.

The Live Animal section has several opportunities for Senior Veterinary Officer (VO3) level.

•   Senior Veterinary Officer (based in Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, Brisbane)

•   Senior Veterinary Officer (based at Post Entry Quarantine (PEQ) facility, Mickleham, Melbourne).

The key responsibilities include:
•   leading and managing veterinary officers and maintaining a positive team environment
•   providing expert advice to team members, clients and the department about the export and import of live animals and animal reproductive material
•   engaging, liaising and negotiating with importers and exporters of live animals and animal reproductive material about highly complex, contentious and sensitive issues to determine a way forward often using innovative solutions to achieve departmental outcomes
•   building the capability of team members and ensuring that they maintain professional qualifications and expertise
•   having an in-depth understanding of relevant legislative, policy and procedural frameworks and ensure that team members are aware of and operate within these frameworks
•   implementing departmental policies, practices and procedures under broad direction and contribute significantly to their continual improvement
•   representing the department at cross-agency and external stakeholder meetings and other forums to explain the department’s position on issues that can be complex, contentious and sensitive.

Please note that these roles will contribute to regional veterinary operational services and there may be a requirement to perform occasional out-of-hours and weekend work to support operational work and on call services. The Delegate may approve payment of overtime, restriction or time off in lieu for operational duties undertaken by senior/or executive level officers.

Please note that this selection process will be used to fill vacancies, both ongoing and non-ongoing. Non-ongoing contracts will be offered for an initial period of up to 18 months with the possibility of extension up to a maximum of three years in total.

What we are looking for
Knowledge and experience
•   Experience and commitment to supporting a collaborative team environment including managing staff.
•   Knowledge of relevant legislation, Australian and international standards, quality assurance procedures and best practice models for the export and import of live animals and animal reproductive material.
•   An understanding of legislative frameworks, government decision-making and regulation.
•   Knowledge of animal pests and diseases that could impact Australia’s pest and disease status and market access.
•   Experience in providing technical advice to clients and staff about complex, contentious and sensitive issues.

Skills and capabilities
•   Effective interpersonal skills to manage in a team environment, engage with stakeholders and build strong working relationships.
•   Ability to successfully lead and manage a team in an operational context.
•   Ability to develop innovative solutions to complex problems.
•   Demonstrated strong communication skills and the ability to negotiate positive outcomes with clients to resolve complex, difficult and sensitive issues.
•   Successfully managed a change process.
•   Ability to undertake objective, systematic analysis and draw accurate conclusions based on evidence.
•   Ability to maintain professional veterinary qualifications and expertise.
•   Ability to be flexible and exercise sound judgement to manage competing workload priorities to meet tight deadlines.

Mandatory qualifications
You must have a veterinary degree from an Australian university or equivalent veterinary qualification recognised in Australia. You must be registered with the relevant Australian state/territory veterinary board and you must maintain this registration whilst employed by the department.

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