Who we are Cargo Operations South and Detector Dogs (COS&DD) pathway delivers regulatory assessment and inspection of goods across the biosecurity continuum (offshore, at the border and onshore) to verify compliance with Australia's biosecurity and imported food requirements and has a presence in Victoria and Tasmania. The branch is also responsible for national delivery of client contact services, along with biosecurity detector dog program policy, training and operations. The Detector Dog Capability Section is responsible for the delivery of policy, technical training, operational capability support and general program support for the Biosecurity Detector Dog Program. The section works closely with the Detector Dog Operations Section, as well as the traveller, mail and cargo pathway operations and policy teams, to optimise effectiveness and proficiency of the department's detector dog capability. The team is also responsible for dog and handler selection, training and verification, program policy and standards and canine welfare, kennelling and transport. The key duties of the position include The Job The Detector Dog Capability Manager plays a critical role in supporting the department's nationally dispersed detector dog teams by providing expert technical advice and guidance. This role focuses on enhancing operational capability through the development of technical guidance, overseeing and conducting verification activities, delivering remedial training, and monitoring team performance. It also involves analysing performance data to produce reports and recommendations, as well as contributing to policy development through collaboration. The duties associated with this role may include, but are not limited to: • providing technical and practical guidance to operational detector dog teams across geographically dispersed locations • performing verification activities for detector dog teams located in geographically dispersed locations, including the completion of well documented and timely reports • conducting practical remedial training of detector dog teams, as required • analysing and evaluating the operational proficiency and utilisation of detector dog teams and providing timely recommendations and reports to support continuous improvement • collaborating with the broader section to provide technical and practical guidance related to detector dogs, including detector dog policies, procedures and governance materials • executing a variety of administrative tasks related to the work of the section • ensuring record maintenance complies with legislative requirements and the department's policies on records management, information security and privacy. Please note that this recruitment process will initially be used to fill one vacancy in the section and that the role may be able to be performed from any of the locations listed above . 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 be used to fill future ongoing vacancies in the branch where the duties are of a similar nature. For information on the work of our Detector Dog Handlers please click here .
