Horticultural Engagement Officer - CSIRO - IndustrialCareer

First listed on: 21 December 2017

Horticultural Engagement Officer

  • Can you help CSIRO connect our researchers with industry and community?
  • Are you experienced in stakeholder engagement with a background in Agriculture?
  • Join CSIRO's Health & Biosecurity team and help us to enhance our relationships!

The Position

This position will help CSIRO address a national (and international) gap in market-access R&D by serving as a trusted intermediary between researchers and industry. Market-access (both domestic and international) is a key constraint for Australian horticultural growth. Biosecurity and pest management issues remain a major barrier to market access, both in terms of demonstrating produce is pest-free and meeting maximum residue limits for chemicals used in pest management.

The successful candidate will play a key role in ensuring that scientists are effectively engaged with industry, helping ensure research leads to adoption, and identifying new R&D opportunities and partnerships. This includes helping to identify and expand our relationships across the supply chain, such as with agri-businesses, logistic companies, retailers, and importers. For industry this person will play an important role in ensuring that their needs and operating environment/challenges are properly understood by researchers, including through bringing an understanding of farm business structures and drivers in market choice, and that science is clearly communicated to them.

Your responsibilities will include:

  • Under the direction of senior research scientists, develop and deepen relationships across the horticultural supply chain at a grass-roots level in a way that will help develop and deliver effective biosecurity-related R&D services. This includes with farmers and the agencies representing them, agri-business, agricultural advisory services, exporters/importers, logistics companies and retail.
  • Providing the day-to-day interface between CSIRO scientists, the regulatory and scientific staff within each state, and industry. This includes contributing at a high level to the design and implementation of experimental work to be conducted with or through partners, sourcing and interpreting data, providing on-ground science oversight of industry-based experimental work, and conducting or organising informal and formal engagement activities.
  • Becoming a trusted advisor for industry, and the go-to for CSIRO scientists who want to work with the horticultural industry in biosecurity and pest management related areas.
  • Represent CSIRO at relevant industry forums, trade shows and other relevant public events.
  • Identify and make scientists aware of significant trends within the horticultural industry of relevance to R&D priority setting and delivery.

Location: Negotiable – Ecosciences Precinct (ESP), Brisbane, QLD (preferred) or Canberra, ACT
Salary: $95K - $103K plus up to 15.4% superannuation
Tenure: Specified Term – 3 years
Reference: 53152

To be successful you will need:

  • A degree or equivalent experience in a relevant area, such as Agriculture or Pest Management
  • The willingness and ability to travel throughout Australia and internationally, which will require occasional extended trips away from home and occasional weekend work.
  • A current and valid driver’s licence.
  • Extensive expertise in industry engagement, with a preference in horticultural R&D.
  • Existing networks and demonstrated deep understanding of the Australian agricultural industry across the supply chain, especially in relation to biosecurity and pest management issues.
  • Demonstrated potential to work between scientists and diverse industry partners to conceive and carry out scientific studies relating to pest management and biosecurity, including through high-level contribution to experimental design, and the sourcing and assessment of complex datasets. 
  • Demonstrated ability to use own initiative to quickly develop networks and become a trusted advisor to industry and researchers. 
  • Exceptional communication skills, both written and spoken, needed to make science accessible to diverse audiences, and to communicate horticultural challenges to the R&D community.

To view the full position description and selection criteria for this role please click here: Position description

We work flexibly at CSIRO, offering a range of options for how, when and where you work. Find out more here! Balance

We imagine. We collaborate. We innovate. At CSIRO, we do the extraordinary every day. We innovate for tomorrow and help improve today – for our customers, all Australians and the world. We do this by using science and technology to solve real issues. Diversity is the compass that navigates our innovation. We provide an inclusive workplace that respects, values and actively pursues the benefits of a diverse workforce.

How to Apply: Please apply for this position online at https://jobs.csiro.au/ and enter requisition number 53091. You will be required to upload one document only containing both your CV/Resume and cover letter, outlining your motivation and suitability for the role.

Applications Close: 11:59 PM AEST, Sunday 4th February 2018