Executive Officer to Assistant Secretary

• APS 5 - $78,548 - $86,168 per annum plus superannuation
• Biosecurity Plant and Science Services Division
• Cairns, QLD

• The Executive Officer holds a key role in the management of the Assistant Secretary’s office by providing comprehensive and high-level support to the Assistant Secretary and senior managers around Australia within the Science Services Group (SSG) and the Cairns, Darwin and Thursday Island offices in particular.

• The role spans a breadth of disciplines including planning, organizing, leading, co-ordinating, facilitating the workflow and ensuring a successful and cohesive work environment.

Who we are
The Biosecurity Plant and Science Services Division (BPSSD) safeguards Australia’s plant health status to achieve, maintain and expand overseas markets, while protecting the economy and environment. The division includes four branches, which together focus on providing scientific analysis and technical advice, facilitating the safe importation of plants and plant products, improving systems, market access, capacity building and stakeholder engagement. The division provides diagnostics, with advice on biosecurity risk and measures, and biosecurity training. The division conducts surveillance and response at first points of entry and approved arrangements sites nationally, and delivers plant, animal and aquatic health surveillance in northern Australia. The division works closely with communities and Indigenous rangers and regulates biosecurity risk in the Torres Strait.
Science and Surveillance Group (SSG) is comprised of scientists, operations and support staff responsible for regulatory advice and training, technical input to biosecurity policy, regulation activity in Torres Strait and diverse surveillance and diagnostic services around Australia, including animal and plant health surveillance measures under the Northern Australia Quarantine Strategy.
The Executive Section provides administrative and day to day support to Executive staff in the Department.
The Job

• Providing a high level of administrative support to the Assistant Secretary and senior managers by managing day-to-day correspondence, tracking incoming and outgoing mail, preparing and editing correspondence, filing correspondence, assisting with phone enquiries, organising meeting papers, managing calendars.
• Exercise discretion with access to and the dissemination of information.
• Undertaking projects as directed and providing assistance in the management of key projects as required.
• Providing secretariat services for various SSG and local/national committees, key meetings and business continuity management exercises. This service includes preparing agendas and relevant papers, recording and distribution of minutes and action items as per relevant Terms of Reference, logistics and catering.
• Monitoring the Assistant Secretary’s emails when they are not available. Action or respond if appropriate or delegate to appropriate directors for assessment and response. Follow up delegated tasks to ensure deadlines are met.
• Managing travel arrangements and acquittals. Preparing travel itineraries. Coordinating visits and meetings for internal and external visitors and delegations. Providing guidance and assistance with travel arrangements to interstate travellers.
• Serving as liaison with department managers to ensure a manageable flow of work and effective communication. Exercising judgement in communicating with clients and staff and where appropriate respond and close out issues on behalf of the Assistant Secretary.
• Building and maintaining productive working relationships with the Executive Officer and Executive Assistant cohorts in other locations. Actively engaging with the departmental Executive Officer and EA network, offering constructive feedback and supporting colleagues within the group.

Knowledge and experience
Our ideal candidate will be an administrative and/or Executive Assistant professional who is a self-starter, has good judgement, is organised, and results oriented. You will interact positively with a range of internal and external stakeholders. You will bring your senior executive support experience and show a demonstrated capacity to liaise effectively and work professionally with a diverse range of people. You will have great attention to detail with the ability to adapt to competing priorities and stay focused in a fast paced and high-pressure working environment. You should also be comfortable working with technology and operating in a flexible and dynamic workspace.
Highly developed skills using the Microsoft Office suite of software (including Word, Excel, PowerPoint) and MS Visio.
Skills and Capabilities

• A high level of professionalism, discretion, sensitivity, and interpersonal skills.
• Demonstrated resilience and proven capacity to work in a fast paced and often high-pressure environment with limited supervision.
• High level organisational skills and excellent time management with the ability to multi-task and work under pressure to meet deadlines.
• Good written and verbal communication skills including the ability to negotiate with a broad range of audiences.
• The ability to actively engage and prepare for stakeholder needs, both internally and externally, coupled with the ability to use initiative, discretion and maintain a high level of confidentiality.
• Have an understanding and application of the APS Code of Conduct and Values.

Eligibility
This position requires a Negative Vetting Level 1 security clearance. You will be required to obtain and maintain a clearance at this level.
For additional information, please read the Job Description below.