APS 6 – $91,944 – $104,393 per annum plus superannuation
Sustainability, Climate & Strategy Division
Adelaide-SA, Brisbane-QLD, Canberra-ACT, Darwin-NT, Melbourne-VIC, Perth-WA, Sydney-NSW

Develop, influence and deliver policy and programs to further support sustainability and productivity growth in the agriculture, fisheries and forestry sectors.
Work in a diverse, hybrid team that cares about their work and one another, and values team culture.
Location flexible, with flexible work options available.

Who we are
The Sustainable Agriculture Branch manages the sustainable agriculture component of the Natural Heritage Trust (NHT). The NHT was set up in , the successor to the original National Landcare Program created in and is the Australian Governments key investment platform for achieving its natural resource management, sustainable agriculture and environmental protection outcomes. Through the NHT, the Australian Government has invested $ million in the five-year Climate-Smart Agriculture Program to support Australias agriculture sector to be positioned for climate-smart sustainable growth through best practice natural resource management, positive biodiversity and increased soil health. This will drive agricultural productivity, competitiveness, and sustainability by supporting farmers in the areas of emissions reduction, carbon and biodiversity markets, soil health, and protecting natural capital and biodiversity. The program works with farmers, the natural resource management sector, the Landcare movement, First Nations communities and many other stakeholders. The branch is also responsible for delivery of policies and programs under the National Soil Strategy, and more broadly supporting and driving soil policy both domestically and internationally. This includes investing $27.6 million for enhancing the Australian National Soil Information System to provide improved access, sharing and use of soil data and information and supporting a National Soil Monitoring Program to understand the condition and trends of soils nationally.

The Climate Policy Branch is a multi-disciplinary, specialist function that provides strong national leadership and direction on climate change and Australias agriculture, fisheries and forestry sectors. The branch is at the forefront of policy development and program design with respect to both climate adaptation and mitigation priorities and works across government agencies (including with state and territory counterparts) to ensure the department is shaping broader whole-of-government climate and net zero agendas. Building trusted, professional relationships with diverse industry stakeholders, researchers and subject matter experts, as well as international peers is therefore essential to achieving our objectives. The Climate Policy Branch prides itself on being a trusted advisor to government and the sector more broadly. Anticipating issues and opportunities to shape our strategic contribution to climate policy is therefore essential. This requires a mix of technical knowledge on issues affecting the sectors decarbonisation and adaptation task as well as broad policy nous that advances our national leadership and advocacy role for the sector.

Multiple positions are available across both branches, specifically within the Sustainable Agriculture Programs Section and the International Partnerships and Adaptation Section.

The Job
Program Officers generally undertake work that is moderately complex in nature and will work under limited guidance. The duties of the roles include but are not limited to:

For projects funded through grants, assessing grant applications, grant agreements, activity work plans, and milestone reports.
For procured projects, managing contracts through assessing project proposals, invoices, output reports, outcome reports and annual reports.
Regularly engaging with grantees and procured project partners.
Liaising with internal and external stakeholders, for example the Community Grants Hub, and representing the work area in relation to program and project delivery.
Assisting in the development of program documentation, such as ministerial submissions, grant opportunity guidelines, work orders and project trackers.
Providing program and project advice for executive level staff, including developing emails and briefings with options, recommendations and sensitivities.
Developing, shaping and influencing policy responses, taking into account whole of government considerations.
Tailoring communication to diverse audiences on complex policy issues.
Assisting with other ad-hoc tasks as required, such as the development of senate estimates briefings and responses to Ministerial correspondence.

Please note that the merit pool established through this selection process, which is valid for a period of eighteen 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.

What are we looking for
Knowledge and experience