Assistant Director, Marine And Island Parks Branch

Description:

• EL 1 - $124,861 - $134,295 per annum plus superannuation
• Parks Australia Division
• Adelaide - SA, Brisbane - QLD, Canberra - ACT, Christmas Island, Darwin - NT, Hobart - TAS, Melbourne - VIC, Norfolk Island, Perth - WA, Sydney - NSW

• Gain invaluable experience managing marine and island park programs - management planning, grants, structural adjustment, advisory committees, and diverse thematic work (science, authorisations and compliance, tourism and visitor engagement, Indigenous engagement, and communication, education and awareness).
• Work in a role that that showcases Australia's natural and cultural wonders to the world, demonstrating to all why these places are so special, and inspiring communities to become more invested in their care and future.
• Be part of a team dedicated to protecting some of Australia's most wild places.

Identified position
This position is an ‘Identified’ position which signifies that the role has a strong involvement in issues relating to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. The successful applicant must have an understanding of the issues affecting Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people and an ability to communicate sensitively and effectively with Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander People.
Who we are
Australia’s natural and cultural heritage is unique. Our land and seascapes are distinctive, home to plants and animals found nowhere else in the world, and to some of the oldest living cultures on earth. These environments and cultures are an essential part of our national identity, and visitors travel from across the country and the world to experience them. The Director of National Parks (the Director) is responsible for six national parks, the Australian National Botanic Gardens, 60 Australian Marine Parks and the Heard Island and McDonald Islands Marine Reserve established under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999. Parks Australia is the federal park agency that supports the Director, and they are a division of the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (the Department). We work to showcase these natural and cultural wonders to the world, demonstrating to all why these places are so special, and inspiring communities to become more invested in their care and future.
Australia has the largest network of marine parks in the world. Marine parks protect the diversity of life in our oceans–from astonishing coral reefs in our tropical seas to deep ocean canyons and undersea mountains in temperate marine regions. The Marine and Island Parks branch oversees the management of each of the Marine Park Networks and three Island Parks (Norfolk Island, Christmas Island and Pulu Keeling), Marine Park Grants programs, and Authorisations and Compliance programs.
The Marine Park Grants Section is responsible for managing a range of grant programs including Our Marine Park Grants, Indian Ocean Territories Grants and the South-east Fishing Business Assistance Grants program. The intention is to establish a merit pool for future vacancies across other sections including regional marine park management teams, authorisations and compliance, and island park management teams.
For more information about us please visit our website.
The job
Depending on the section, the successful candidate will be responsible for:

• Contributing to the review and development of park management plans, including the development of new plans for marine parks.
• Managing teams to develop and/or implement park management programs across one or several of the following areas including science, authorisations and compliance, park protection, tourism and visitor experience, Indigenous engagement, and communications, education and awareness.
• Managing grant programs to support management plan outcomes.
• Managing structural adjustment programs with industry.
• Managing program and project planning and reporting, budgets, contracts, grants, procurement of goods and services, and appropriate permits.
• Managing teams in negotiations with a diverse range of national, state and island-based stakeholder groups - government agencies, industry peak bodies, conservation organisations, research institutions and community-based organisations – to build trusted relationships that support park management.
• Working closely with relevant leads within the department and broader Australian Government to align approaches and build partnerships and networks that support park management.
• Managing the planning and delivery of external expertise-based park advisory committees.

What you’ll gain from the experience
This is an opportunity to work on a range of park management programs in partnership with a diverse range of people who have cultivated excellent and enduring relationships in marine and island park management. The branch is delivering some exciting and important work, including oversight of park natural resource management programs, grant and structural adjustment programs, and programs on the review and preparation of park management plans. You will input to how we engage in network management to help deliver portfolio and whole-of-government priorities, and be part of a team which, among other things, is focused on bringing a more strategic approach to protected area management.
What we are looking for
We are seeking candidates who can demonstrate the following:

• Experience in policy and planning and undertaking stakeholder consultation.
• Experience in delivering programs/projects/grants, including oversight of planning and reporting, stakeholder liaison, and budget and contract/grant management.
• Experience building productive and respectful working relationships with First Nations peoples and diverse stakeholder groups (industry, research institutions, conservation organisations, community-based groups).
• Experience managing teams - with dispersed team members - including mentoring staff and the coordination of work and career performance plans.
• Ability to manage and/or work as part of a team, contributing to group priorities, and providing support to, while enabling and empowering team members.
• Ability to foster positive relationships with a broad range of stakeholders, including experience managing sensitive protected area issues.
• Ability to manage multiple competing priorities and adapt workplans reactively in response to changing priorities.
• Demonstrated oral and written communication skills including the ability to prepare briefs, reports and strategies.
• Demonstrated ability to model, apply and promote Workplace Diversity, Workplace Participation, Work Health and Safety principles and practices in the workplace.

Desirable qualifications

• Hold a degree, or postgraduate qualifications in protected area management, environmental management or similar.
• Experience in delivering large scale and complex program and/or project outcomes will be highly regarded.
• An understanding of the marine environment will be well regarded.

Eligibility and other requirements
Citizenship - to be eligible for employment with the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water you must be an Australian citizen.
Security Clearance - this position requires a Baseline Vetting security clearance. You will be required to obtain and maintain a clearance at this level.
Pre-employment checks - your suitability for employment will be assessed through a pre-employment screening process. This process includes a requirement to undergo and satisfy a National Police Check, referee checks, character clearance and where required a pre-employment medical assessment, specified mandatory qualification(s) validation and a probation period.
For additional information, please read the Job Description below.

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