Operations Manager, Australian Centre for Disease Preparedness (ACDP)

Acknowledgement of Country

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Child safety

CSIRO is committed to the safety and wellbeing of all children and young people involved in our activities and programs. View our Child Safe Policy.

The opportunity

• Provide strategic best-practice operational leadership to a national world-class research facility
• Frontline leadership role combining Quality Assurance, Operations, Animal Welfare, Training, Facility Access and Health, Safety, and Environment (HSE)
• Join CSIRO’s ACDP team, providing vital scientific research into infectious diseases

CSIRO is Australia’s National Science Agency and one of the world’s largest and most successful research and development (R&D) organisations that works to solve the greatest challenges through innovative science and technology. We have improved the lives of many around the world through our R&D including WiFi, the Hendra Virus Vaccine, Aerogard and the Total Wellbeing Diet. 

The Australian Centre for Disease Preparedness - CSIRO is a purpose-built biosecurity facility in Victoria, containing the largest and highest level biocontainment (BSL-4) laboratories in the southern hemisphere. The ACDP laboratories and research teams, help protect Australia’s general public and our multi-billion-dollar livestock and aquaculture industries, from exotic and emerging infectious disease threats and outbreaks, while also collaborating with world health and animal organisations and agencies.  
 

Reporting to the Strategic Operations Director, the Operations Manager is a critical frontline leadership role supporting ACDP to meet its obligations across the functional areas of Quality Assurance, Operations, Animal Welfare, Training, Facility Access and Health, Safety, and Environment (HSE). The role will provide high level advice to the Strategic Operations Director and lead a team of 12 specialised staff, ensuring the smooth running of the facility and adherence to regulatory frameworks. 
 

You will be an inspiring leader who can influence and engage broadly across the business to drive high performance. You will bring experience in the development and optimisation of systems and processes, combined with your expertise in Quality, Compliance, Regulatory and Environmental processes, and ideally have knowledge of laboratory processes and/or high-risk site operations (PC4 experience is not essential). You will be highly organised and able to undertake a lead role in guiding and collaborating with key stakeholders from across the site and CSIRO to drive continual improvement of ACDP’s compliance culture, processes, and environmental impact.
 

The appointee must be able to meet ACDP’s Microbiological Security and Security Clearance requirements.

Your duties will include:

• Develop and facilitate positive relationships relating to the site and infrastructure including CBIS (CSIRO Business Infrastructure Services), BMG (Biorisk Management Group), and co-located functional areas and business units.
• Assume line management responsibility for the QA, Training, Stakeholder Engagement and Operations functions on the ACDP site, to ensure the team is high functioning and delivers to the requirements of their roles.
• Develop and monitor governance, risk management and business continuity plans.
• Oversee the integration of the site’s Quality Management System to support the broadening of scope under our current ISO 9001 certification.
• ACDP Refit project- Support the effective management and resolution of operational issues that may arise during each stage of the refit project, including working with other team roles to support change management across the site.
• Optimise existing business processes to meet best practice in line with ACDP/CSIRO procedures, strategic direction, and future ways of working to improve stakeholder outcomes. Formally review ACDP policies and procedures to maintain relevance and accuracy.
• Enhance ACDP’s integrated Quality and Environmental Management System to ensure accreditation to current standards through the active participation in external audits. Enhance the coverage of ISO accreditations to cover other areas of site operations, as required.
• Maintain microbiological security and compliance with relevant regulations, legislation & standards required of ACDP. Coordinate ACDP governance requirements and other applicable legislative requirements not undertaken by other specialist roles at AAHL.

Location:  Geelong

Salary:  AU$152k – AU$168k plus up to 15.4% superannuation

Tenure:  Indefinite

Reference:  96107

To be considered you will need:

• Bachelor degree and/or relevant experience in business management, scientific research, or operations.
• A minimum of 3 years management experience in leading and developing teams, fostering trust and new ideas in a collaborative environment, and proven ability to collaborate widely and provide guidance to staff and management.
• Demonstrated experience of working in an organisation which has a highly developed business strategy, structures, operating models, governance, and oversight mechanisms, with key intersections and relationships across the organisation.
• Proven ability to communicate openly and effectively and to build strong relationships with staff, stakeholders, and clients at all levels and across boundaries together with superior interpersonal, negotiation and influencing skills.
• Demonstrated financial, planning, project and change management skills and experience at the level of national business unit of comparable size and scale to ACDP.
• Demonstrated ability to manage competing complex demands whilst solving problems; establish or renegotiate priorities or re-assign tasks and meet deadlines.
• Previous experience working in Quality Assurance or under a compliance framework is desirable.

For full details about this role please view the Position Description

Eligibility

Applications for this position are open to Australian/New Zealand Citizens and Australian Permanent Residents. The successful applicant will be required to obtain and maintain a security clearance at the NV1 level and will also be required to meet the ACDP Microbiological Security and Security Clearance requirements and may be subject to other security/medical/character requirements.

Flexible working arrangements

We work flexibly at CSIRO, offering a range of options for how, when and where you work. 

Diversity and inclusion

We are working hard to recruit people representing the diversity across our society, and ensure that all our people feel supported to do their best work and feel empowered to let their ideas flourish. 

About CSIRO

At CSIRO Australia's national science agency, we solve the greatest challenges through innovative science and technology. We put the safety and wellbeing of our people above all else and earn trust everywhere because we only deal in facts. We collaborate widely and generously and deliver solutions with real impact. 

CSIRO is committed to values-based leadership to inspire performance and unlock the potential of our people.

Join us and start creating tomorrow today!

How to apply

Please apply on-line and provide a cover letter and CV that best demonstrate your motivation and ability to meet the requirements of this role.

Applications close

5th May 2024, 11:00pm AEST/AEDT