Who we are The Environmental Biosecurity Office (EBO), headed by the Australian Chief Environmental Biosecurity Officer (ACEBO). provides policy leadership and support for national environmental biosecurity issues to ensure Australia's environment, Indigenous cultural heritage and social amenity interests are safeguarded from the impacts of exotic and established pests, weeds and diseases. The aims of the EBO are to: • provide national policy, engagement and leadership on environmental biosecurity issues • ensure that environmental biosecurity risks are identified and prioritised • improve the maturity of Australia's environmental biosecurity preparedness, surveillance and response capacity • support effective responses to detections and incursions of environmental pests, weeds and diseases • implement funding programs in support of projects that reduce environmental biosecurity risks • provide leadership and generate collaborations to strengthen national environmental and biosecurity outcomes. The office consists of four sections: • Invasive Species Research and Development. • Environmental Biosecurity Policy and Strategy. • Invasive Species National Coordination and Programs. • Australian Plague Locust Commission. The office works closely with the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (DCCEEW), state and territory governments, non-governmental organisations, communities, natural resource management organisations and land managers. The key duties of the position include The Jobs The EBO is looking to fill the roles of Assistant Director - Environmental Biosecurity Policy and Strategy and Assistant Director - Invasive Species National Coordination and Programs . The duties of both roles include: • preparing high quality written material including briefings, papers and reports • participating on, and providing strategic advice and direction to, internal and external groups and committees • mentoring and supervising junior members of the team • assisting in the progression of branch and divisional initiatives • maintaining knowledge of legislative frameworks, government decision-making processes and agency guidelines and regulations • keeping up to date with government programs related to environmental pests, weeds and diseases. In addition to the above duties, the role of Assistant Director - Environmental Biosecurity Policy and Strategy will also involve: • leading the development, improvement and implementation of national and departmental environmental biosecurity preparedness and response initiatives • liaising with the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (DCCEEW), state/territory departments of agriculture and the environment, Plant Health Australia, Animal Health Australia and other stakeholders to progress and effectively develop and implement environmental biosecurity preparedness and emergency response policies and programs • establishing and maintaining relationships with key biosecurity, environmental and agriculture preparedness and response stakeholders, and other organisations involved in preparedness and response to environmental biosecurity incidents, to progress key priority activities. In addition to the above duties that apply to both roles, the role of Assistant Director - Invasive Species National Coordination and Programs will also involve: • progressing delivery of the Exotic Environmental Pest List (EEPL) Action Plan, including consultation, publishing and annual reporting • leading the administration of the Environmental Biosecurity Protection Fund (EBPF) including process and project administration, and prioritising activities that will contribute to delivery of the EEPL Action Plan • working with jurisdictional and Australian Government departments to increase collaboration on weed management with a particular focus on avoiding further established weeds, including through addressing illegal online plant sales and increasing surveillance and detection of emerging weeds through systems and technology • undertaking planning to review and develop a new Australian Weeds Strategy (AWS) and support priority actions under the AWS. Please note that this recruitment process will initially be used to fill two ongoing vacancies in the branch . 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 further information on the work of our department please click here .
