Aps5/Aps6 Policy Officers

Engage with primary industry stakeholders to help them understand the upcoming legislative changes to biosecurity levies that will affect their sector

Our client, the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF), is a large federal government department that develops works to enhance our agricultural, fisheries and forestry industries. They create new and maintain existing agricultural export opportunities, to provide gains for Australian agriculture. They also manage biosecurity risks to Australia to protect our multi-billion-dollar agricultural industries and our way of life.

With a reputation for having an excellent culture, combined with their subject matter expertise, you will really feel the impact of working here.

There are two vacancies at the APS5 level and one vacancy at the APS6level for Policy Officers to join the Levies Revenue Service Team.

There are several upcoming changes to legislation relating to levies in the biosecurity sector including the Biosecurity Protection Levy (coming into effect on 1 July 2024) and the Primary Industries Levy (coming into effect in 2025). You’ll join a team focused on the implementation side of the legislative changes, which includes communicating with stakeholders to help them understand the changes and setting up the new legislative system so that it is fully operational.

• Join a multi-disciplinary team that makes a big impact in supporting primary industries in Australia
• Contribute to an important aspect of Australian life – keeping our produce clear of incursions from pests and diseases
• Work to highly supportive and experienced Assistant Directors that have a great reptation within the Department
• Get exposure to diverse work and learnings as the team deals with a range of functions including numbers, systems, a helpdesk function, stakeholder legislation, policy, as well as finance

If you are currently a permanent APS employee, you can be engaged on a temporary s26 transfer for 12 months. Non-APS employees will be engaged on a 12-month non-ongoing contract.

You will be responsible for:

• Communicate legislative changes with stakeholders in the primary industries sector by updating webpages, fact sheets and communications collateral.
• Support the team to engage with up to 70 levy agents that are primary producers or intermediaries in the market.
• Translate complex and technical information into easily digestible information that stakeholders will understand.
• Communicate and liaise across teams within the Department to prepare internal briefing material, ministerial briefs and reports.
• Brainstorm with the team on ways to improve and innovate existing processes and procedures.

The ideal candidate for these roles will have policy experience in a government environment. You don’t need to have a background in agriculture or biosecurity. What’s more important is having excellent writing skills and the ability to make complex and difficult language, easy to understand.

You will also have:

• Excellent stakeholder engagement skills
• High attention to detail
• The ability to work across multiple tasks at once including strong prioritisation and organisational skills
• Be comfortable operating in a rapidly changing environment as priorities of the government and the Parliament change often

To be eligible for this role, you must be an Australian citizen and be willing to undergo a police check.

• APS5: $78,548 – $86,168 + 15.4% super
• APS6:
• 2 x APS5 vacancies and 1 x APS6 vacancy
• If you are currently a permanent APS employee, you can be engaged on a temporary s26 transfer for 12 months. Non-APS employees will be engaged on a 12-month non-ongoing contract
• Candidates can be located in Canberra and Sydney