Acknowledgement of CountryCSIRO acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the land, sea and waters, of the area that we live and work on across Australia. We acknowledge their continuing connection to their culture and pay our respects to their Elders past and present.Child safetyCSIRO is committed to the safety and wellbeing of all children and young people involved in our activities and programs. View our .The opportunityThe Marine National Facility (MNF) provides a keystone element of the nation's research infrastructure by providing the only blue-water research capability available to Australian marine researchers and their international collaborators for work in Australia's vast marine estate.The MNF is responsible for overseeing the delivery of safe, successful and efficient marine research. The 94m research vessel Investigator enables research to be carried out in remote regions, from the tropics to the Antarctic ice-edge.Working closely with multiple teams in CSIRO's Engineering and Technology Program, the Operations Group are responsible for procuring, coordinating maintenance, and ensuring the science readiness of a suite of multi-disciplinary scientific instruments and equipment, including a number of containerised laboratories.As the Group Leader-Operations, you will be also responsible for setting and maintaining operational and technical excellence in the Program through effective leadership of the Voyages and Facilities Teams. Working with Team Leaders, you will drive a culture of continuous improvement and safe operations in pursuit of supporting science parties to achieve their desired outcomes.You will work positively and collaboratively across internal and external stakeholder groups to ensure the consistently high performance of the vessel and the scientific assets in support of successful and safe marine science missions.The role will require occasional interstate and, potentially overseas travel and there may be the opportunity to go to sea as part of providing support more broadly in the MNF.Your duties will include:
- Manage the Voyages and Facilities teams, leading staff, managing resources, directing and coordinating the completion of complex technical projects.
- Champion the development, implementation and standardisation of procedures and techniques.
- Oversee the effective, efficient and safe use (including ongoing management and maintenance) of physical Program facilities, including the vessel and the associated suite of scientific equipment and instrumentation.
- Maintain oversight and high-level engagement in the management of the Ship Management contract, through budget development and monitoring, quarterly reporting and performance assessment.
- Monitor and report on the Operations Group financial performance and project delivery.
- Manage the capital expenditure process on behalf of the MNF.
- Provide advice in relation to matters concerning the ship and science facilities to the Ships Management Program Director, as required.
- Strive for “Zero Harm” (physical and psychological) through a commitment to a healthy, safe and environmentally sustainable workplace.
- Exemplify and foster a culture of collaboration and teamwork and proactively develop the team's ability to work across structural boundaries to achieve program-wide goals.
- Allocate resources to meet priorities and achieve agreed outcomes.
- Supervise, mentor and support staff to achieve high levels of performance and provide opportunities for professional and career development.
- Work collaboratively as part of a multi-disciplinary, often regionally dispersed team, and business unit to carry out tasks in support of MNF and CSIRO scientific objectives.
- Other duties as directed.
- Proven leadership in the management of complex research-related programs, science technology operations and/or facilities, requiring harnessing of specialist knowledge and expertise from a range of disciplines and coordination across multiple and diverse groups and competing priorities.
- Demonstrated experience in high-level internal and external stakeholder engagement.
- Proven ability to establish and maintain effective and efficient teams through fostering an environment that promotes collaboration, individual responsibility and progressive thinking.
- Demonstrated experience in project management, management of budgets and contracts and complex procurement processes and in allocating and monitoring resources to achieve outcomes.
- Demonstrated ability to communicate openly and effectively and adapt your communication style to a diverse audience and build strong relationships with staff, stakeholders and customers at all levels.
- The ability to obtain a Maritime Security Identification Card.
- A willingness and ability to travel interstate and, if required, internationally.
- Engineering or Science discipline tertiary qualification or equivalent experience.
- Maritime Operational Management or Seagoing Experience
- Knowledge of the regulatory and logistic requirements associated with research vessel operations and/or with the deployment of marine-research technology.
- Hold a current driver's licence.