Vector Surveillance Officer

Description:

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 the Torres Strait and diverse surveillance and diagnostic services around Australia, including animal and plant health surveillance measures under the Northern Australia Quarantine Strategy.
The Surveillance Section is one of the four national Sections delivering diagnostic or surveillance activities within the Operational Science & Surveillance (OSS) component of the Science & Surveillance Group (SSG). The Section is comprised of the National Border Surveillance, Vector Monitoring Program (VMP) and Hitchhiker Surveillance Program teams and is led by a management team consisting of a Director, Assistant Directors and APS 6 Senior Surveillance Officers.
The key duties of the position include
The Job
Under general direction of the Regional Vector Coordinator (RVC) the duties of the roles include, but are not limited to:

• Maintaining regular communication with their RVC and seeking and following advice to deliver vector monitoring tasks to the required standard of the work instructions.
• Maintaining cooperation with external stakeholders associated with the Vector Monitoring Program (VMP), including port and approved arrangement (AA) operators, other Commonwealth and State/Territory/Local government agencies and treatment providers.
• Being responsible for conducting routine vector and, if required, plant-pest monitoring activities appropriate to port risk assessments, including placement, installation, maintenance, and servicing of all trap types operated by the department.
• Gaining and using knowledge of mosquito biology to guide effective delivery of vector monitoring activities including the optimum methods for sampling, placing traps, and knowing when and where to sample mosquitoes.
• Conducting regular surveillance activities at first points of entry and high-risk AA sites, including formal ground surveys, by:
  - identifying, describing, and mapping known or potential mosquito breeding sites
  - using appropriate sampling methods (including supplementary trapping, dipping or aspirator collections) to determine the mosquito and, if required, plant-pest species present in the port environment and their relative abundances
  - assessing overall receptiveness of each surveillance location or area, including factors such as sanitation, breeding sites, frequency of conveyance movements, cargo types, etc
  - initiating and managing risk-mitigation actions through liaison with department staff and stakeholders
  - entering and providing data regularly to the RVC within required timeframes and format
  - preparing written reports documenting surveillance activities and outcomes.

• Preparing, maintaining, and annually updating a consolidated vector 'toolbox' for each port consisting of:
  - aerial maps of the ports and high-risk AAs, with trap locations
  - descriptions of each trap including type, location, and frequency of inspection
  - current copies of all vector related work instructions, including national response guidelines
  - copies of raw data worksheets
  - a list of local and national vector contacts within our department and the State/Territory health agency.

• Managing specimens collected by the program by:
  - establishing and rearing cultures of mosquito larvae collected by surveillance
  - using appropriate diagnostic resources, including taxonomic keys of appropriate regional or taxonomic focus, to complete morphological identifications of adult and larval mosquitoes
  - preparing and storing specimens for morphological and/or molecular identification.

• Conducting activities required under national response guidelines for detections of exotic mosquitoes, including:
  - contributing daily situation reports on the status of the detection/response, both verbally and in writing
  - the establishment of response trap networks under the limited direction and guidance of the RVC and VMP operational and policy managers
  - completing tasks such as trap clearance and identification of specimens outside of standard business hours, including over weekends and public holidays.

• Mentoring other regional staff to become proficient at managing some aspects of the Vector Surveillance Officer role to create backup capacity for the program.

Please note that this selection process will initially be used to fill one ongoing vacancy within the Biosecurity Plant and Science Services division. The merit pool established through this selection process, which is valid for a period of 18 months from the date the vacancy was advertised in the Public Service Gazette, may also be used to fill future ongoing vacancies in the branch where the duties are of a similar nature.