Operations Manager - ActivFire

Acknowledgement of Country 

CSIRO 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. View our vision towards reconciliation. 

Role highlights

• Lead operations for a nationally and internationally recognised fire protection certification scheme
• Flexible work environment + 15.4% super
• Contribute to Australia’s standardisation infrastructure and fire protection industry
  
  

About CSIRO

As Australia's national science agency, CSIRO is solving the greatest challenges through innovative science and technology. Many of our iconic innovations were once considered impossible until someone, just like you, joined us and took on the challenge.

Visit CSIRO.au for more information.

The opportunity 

We are seeking an ActivFire Operations Manager to lead the operations of CSIRO’s ActivFire team. This team plays a vital role in fire protection product certification and standards-based testing, supporting industry compliance and safety across Australia and globally.

In this role, you will provide operational management expertise and provide day-to-day supervision of a small team. You’ll oversee project delivery, maintain compliance with ISO 17025 and NATA-accredited systems, and engage with clients through audits and testing activities. You will also drive process improvements and foster a collaborative team culture, making a tangible impact on fire safety standards and product reliability.

Your high-level duties will include: 

• Oversee project delivery within timelines and budgets.
• Operate within the laboratory’s NATA-accredited Quality Management System.
• Conduct Factory Production Control audits and witness tests nationally and internationally.
• Provide day-to-day supervision of a small team, mentoring and guiding staff.
• Support adoption of CSIRO’s LIMS system and manage project documentation.
• Engage with internal and external laboratories and certification agencies.

Role particulars

Location: Clayton, VIC

Salary: AU$118k – AU$127k per annum (pro rata for part-time), plus 15.4% superannuation

Tenure: Specified term of 3 years, Full-time

Reference: 101894

As the successful candidate, you will bring:

• Tertiary qualification in an engineering or science discipline.
• Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to collaborate well with other team members as well as provide leadership.
• Organisational and project management skills and experience working with competing business and technical priorities and targets.
• Experience or knowledge of fire protection products and systems, including for fire detection, suppression and hydraulic systems.
• Experience or knowledge of Australian and international standards as well as the NCC.
• Ability to interpret, apply and communicate technical and/or regulatory documents, policies and procedures.
• Experience dealing with complex and exacting customer or stakeholder expectations, requests and enquiries.
• Experience and ability to apply judicious, evidence-based approaches to establishing conformance with specified requirements.
• Verbal, written and interpersonal skills with the ability to liaise, negotiate and influence a broad range of internal and external stakeholders.
• Demonstrated ability to independently prepare technical documents such as reports and specifications.

 
For full details about this role, and other criteria, please review the Position Description. 

Not sure if you meet all the criteria?

While it is CSIRO policy that the successful candidate must meet all the essential criteria, there are many ways to demonstrate this. Don’t let the list discourage you. If you are unsure about applying, please reach out to the contact person in the Position Description.

Setting you up for success

We are committed to providing a recruitment process that is fair, equitable and accessible to everyone. We recognise that it may be helpful for us to adjust our process to make it equitable for your individual situation. Please contact Sheridan Gerrard via email at Sheridan.gerrard@csiro.au to let us know how we can support you.  

Life at CSIRO and flexible work arrangements

We work flexibly at CSIRO, offering a range of options for how, when and where you work. We can discuss flexible work arrangements with you during the recruitment process. CSIRO also offers a range of leave entitlements, benefits and career development opportunities. To find out more, visit Careers at CSIRO.

Inclusion and belonging

Solving Australia's greatest challenges takes a diversity of minds and lived experiences. We know diverse teams are more effective and deliver more innovative outcomes. As an equal employment opportunity organisation, we are committed to creating diverse and inclusive teams where people feel they belong. We recognise true diversity encompasses all ages, abilities, cultures, faiths, levels of education, genders, sexualities, diversity of thought and much more. We focus on hiring people who share our values of People First, Further Together, Making it Real and Trusted.

CSIRO holds Gold Status for the Australian Workplace Equality Index for LGBTQIA+ inclusion, and a Science in Australia Gender Equity Bronze Award.

Eligibility 

Applications for this position are open to Australian Citizens, New Zealand Citizens and Australian Permanent Residents. Appointment to this role is subject to provision of a national police check and may be subject to other security/medical/character requirements.   

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. 

How to apply 

Please apply online and submit a cover letter (maximum 2 pages) and CV that demonstrate your motivation and ability to meet the essential requirements of this role.

Applications close 

4th January 2026, 11pm AEDT.