Job Assistant Director - Detector Dog Policy and Program Support, Blacktown

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 the delivery of policy, technical training, operational capability support and general program support for the Biosecurity Detector Dog Program. The section works closely with Detector Dog Operations, and 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
Reporting to the Director - Detector Dog Capability, the role will lead the Policy and Program Support Team to:

• review, develop and implement detector dog program policy and guidance materials
• work with relevant operational and corporate teams to develop communications products and other material relevant to the detector dog program
• draft Ministerial and departmental correspondence, executive updates, briefings, decision minutes and reports
• provide secretariat and administrative support for the Detector Dog Working Group and Detection Capability Steering Committee
• undertake routine program enabling tasks such as monitoring and providing input into budgets, expenditure tracking, invoice payments and contract management.

In addition, as an individual you will:

• provide a high level of leadership and management to your team, including building staff capability
• model and promote the APS Values, the APS Employment Principles and compliance with the Code of Conduct
• work professionally and collaboratively with stakeholders to support delivery of departmental and program outcomes.

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 .