• APS 6 (On-Plant Veterinarian) - $79,206 - $129,593 per annum plus superannuation
• Exports & Veterinary Services Division
• Various locations across Australia

• Play a pivotal role in ensuring the safety, integrity, and global reputation of Australian meat exports.
• Join a department that offers a diverse range of career opportunities for veterinarians.
• Join a workplace that supports mental well-being, offering resources and support to help you thrive in your career.

Why YOU are important to us and what impact will you have on Export and Veterinary Services Division & the department’s goal.
The Exports and Veterinary Services Division plays a vital role in regulating the export of animal products and the import of food products, ensuring they meet stringent Australian and international standards. We’re responsible for maintaining market access, implementing food standards, and supporting primary industries through the National Residue Survey. Our work impacts the safety, sustainability, and integrity of Australian meat exports globally. As part of the Veterinary and Export Meat Branch (VEMB), our teams deliver inspection and certification services across 88 regional export facilities nationwide, including abattoirs and other registered premises.

This is where you play an important role.
Your professional contribution and engagement will be critical in ensuring compliance with export legislation, food safety and animal welfare. This provides assurance to trading partners on government oversight and certification of meat commodities exported to overseas markets and supports Australia’s rank in the world’s meat-export market.

We recognise the importance of mental well-being within the veterinary workforce and are committed to providing resources and support to promote good mental health.

The Jobs

• Provide Expert Advice: You will offer veterinary and technical advice on public health, food safety and the quality of meat products. Your expertise will support establishment management and other stakeholders, ensuring all processes align with regulatory standards.
• Ensure Compliance: You’ll ensure the establishment meets its legal obligations under the Export Control Act 2020 and related legislation. You’ll monitor compliance through the Meat Establishment Verification System (MEVS), ensuring products meet importing country requirements.
• Maintain Veterinary Standards: You’ll stay informed on the latest developments in veterinary science and legislative changes, sharing this knowledge with the team and the establishment. You’ll apply best practices in quality assurance and Australian/international standards.
• Animal Welfare: You will oversee animal welfare, ensuring compliance with state, national and international standards. You will monitor and report outcomes to maintain high animal welfare standards.
• Inspection and Examinations: You will conduct or supervise ante-mortem and post-mortem inspections, ensuring compliance with the Australian Standard for production of meat and meat products (AS 4696:2023) and relevant overseas requirements.
• Emergency Preparedness: You’ll contribute to the veterinary emergency management plan and onsite emergency animal disease preparedness plan, ensuring the establishment is prepared for any potential outbreaks.
• Training and Leadership: You’ll lead, mentor, and develop a team of veterinary and non-veterinary staff, fostering a high-performance environment. You’ll also chair weekly meetings with management, providing feedback on key performance indicators (KPIs) and processes.
• Sampling and Testing: You’ll collect samples to test for diseases and verify compliance with substance regulations, ensuring the safety and integrity of meat products.

Applicants should note that as a Veterinary Officer in VEMB you may be required to undertake activities across export meat and live animal veterinary officer roles.

As a Live Animal Veterinarian you will:

• perform quarantine and export duties across Australia, in strict compliance with export and biosecurity legislation, national standard operating procedures and work instructions
• review export and import documentation, issue export permits and health certificates, undertake veterinary inspections and approve facilities for the export and import of live animals and animal reproductive material
• provide technical advice and training to departmental staff, third-party accredited veterinarians, clients & stakeholders
• maintain accurate computer based and manual records and prepare reports as required
• contribute to the efficient operation of the Live Animal Section in VEMB.

What we are looking for
Knowledge and experience
Understanding of public health veterinary science and biosecurity requirements.

Mandatory qualifications
To be considered for these positions you must have a veterinary degree from an Australian university or equivalent veterinary qualification recognised in Australia. You must be registered, or eligible for registration, with the relevant Australian state/territory veterinary board and you must maintain this registration whilst employed by the department.

Work locations
Currently, ongoing OPV positions are available at the following locations:

NSW - Bourke, Inverell, OPV Pool – NSW
VIC - Northern Victoria Pool, Tongala, OPV Pool - VIC
WA – Harvey/Bunbury Pool, Tammin, Beaufort River
SA – Naracoorte, Bordertown, OPV Pool – SA
TAS - Tasmania Pool
QLD - Moranbah, OPV Pool – QLD
NT – Batchelor

Please note that future ongoing and non-ongoing vacancies (both regional and metropolitan) may become available throughout Australia and the merit pool established from this process may be used to fill these vacancies where the duties are of a similar nature. Non-ongoing (specified term) contracts may be offered to new employees for an initial period of up to twelve months with the possibility of extension up to a maximum period of two years in total. Non-ongoing (casual) contracts will be offered for periods of up to two years. Some of these non-ongoing positions may become ongoing in the next eighteen months. Should a position become ongoing then the merit pool, 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 the vacancy on an ongoing basis.

Information session
We will be holding an online information session (timing will be confirmed upon registration) where there will be a presentation on the role and an opportunity to ask questions. Staff with the relevant experience will be online to answer questions about the role. Please register by emailing Craig Burleigh at craig.burleigh@aff.gov.au.

Eligibility and other requirements
The successful applicants must:

• note that you may be required to perform occasional out-of-hours and weekend work
• wear an official uniform supplied by the department, including during field operations (as applicable), in accordance with the department’s uniform policy
• wear appropriate protective personal equipment and clothing to comply with departmental Work Health & Safety policies and procedures
• note that they will be required to undergo a pre-employment medical examination which will include Q-Fever tests and that Q-Fever immunisation will be required where immunity cannot be established.