THE CLIENT

Our client, the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA), is the Australian Government statutory agency responsible for the management and regulation of all agricultural and veterinary chemical products in Australia. It was established in 1993 to centralise the registration of all AgVet chemical products into the Australian marketplace. The APVMA regulate agricultural and veterinary chemicals to manage the risks of pests and diseases for the Australian community and to protect Australia’s trade and the health and safety of people, animals and the environment.

THE ROLE

We are seeking an experienced and visionary executive to lead APVMA’s Veterinary Medicines Branch which is responsible for delivering premarket regulatory activities for veterinary medicines. This Branch assesses and evaluates applications submitted by applicants to approve or vary actives and labels, register products, issue permits, import consents and certificates of export, and provide pre-application assistance. As one of three science branches, the Veterinary Medicines Branch also works closely with the Science and Assurance Branch to ensure all regulatory tools and scientific approaches are contemporary and that staff have access to up-to-date guidance and instructional materials that reflect APVMA’s regulatory scientific approaches.

As a senior leader at the APVMA, supporting the Chief Executive Officer, the Executive Director Veterinary Medicines will be expected to deliver strategic outcomes by developing and implementing a business plan aligned with APVMA’s corporate planning and reporting documents while drawing on strong project, risk, and financial management skills, and building effective relationships with a diverse range of stakeholders. You will provide strong leadership by modelling the APS leadership behaviours, leading high-performing technical teams to deliver meaningful results while fostering a culture of collaboration, innovation, and inclusion. As a member of the Executive Leadership Team, you will also contribute to organisational strategy, culture, and performance by actively engaging in agency and whole-of-government priorities.

THE OPPORTUNITY - ARMIDALE, NSW OR CANBERRA, ACT

As Executive Director Veterinary Medicines, you will be a proven decision maker who is able to bring information sources together to establish the ‘full picture’. You will be someone who can thrive in an environment that promotes quality – quality in scientific assessment, in decision-making, in risk management, and in stakeholder engagement. Providing effective and seamless regulation to stakeholders prior to, during, and after decisions are taken is critical to the role.

Key Responsibilities

Plan and coordinate the work of the Veterinary Medicines Branch, including management of the branch’s budget, setting the branch’s strategic direction, and establishing expectations and priorities.

Oversee the premarket regulatory activities for veterinary medicines within statutory timeframes, including approval (and variations) of actives, registration of products, the issue of permits, the issue of import consents and certificates of export, and the provision pre-application assistance.

Oversee the preparation of assessment advice to Delegates on whether an application satisfies health, environment, residues, trade, efficacy and chemistry safety criteria.

Implement oversight of quality assurance mechanisms for APVMA’s premarket regulatory activities.

Engage with other regulatory authorities, including international regulators, involved in veterinary medicines regulation to streamline and strengthen internal processes.

Promote regulatory best practice and process enhancement initiatives across teams.

Represent the APVMA in domestic and international fora.

ABOUT YOU

To succeed in this important and demanding role, you will be a forward-thinking, self-motivated, and resilient leader with a demonstrated ability to build and maintain effective relationships. You bring strong leadership credentials and the capacity to earn trust and respect, underpinned by sound scientific judgment, a results-driven mindset, and the capability to address complex regulatory science challenges in a public sector environment. This includes leveraging your regulatory science expertise, coordinating resources effectively, and fostering collaborative outcomes.

You will possess extensive experience in regulatory science, particularly in relation to veterinary medicines. With a strong background in executive management, you will be skilled in setting strategic direction and delivering outcomes. You will also demonstrate the ability to assess and support staff capability needs and lead high-performing, motivated teams committed to delivering high-quality work.

SELECTION CRITERIA

Essential:

Success in this role will require you to bring demonstrated strengths in the following areas:

Demonstrated ability to lead, motivate and develop high-performing regulatory science teams while setting strategic direction, managing complex workloads, and fostering a culture of continuous improvement.

Proven experience in applying scientific judgments in a regulatory context to deliver risk-proportionate, evidence-based decisions within a complex legislative framework.

Demonstrated ability to interpret complex scientific data, apply technical expertise in a regulatory context, and the capacity to broaden technical expertise to meet evolving regulatory needs.

High developed interpersonal, communication, and negotiation skills, including the ability to convey complex information clearly and concisely to diverse audiences.

Proven ability to build and maintain productive working relationships with internal and external stakeholders at all levels to support collaboration, problem-solving, and shared regulatory outcomes.

Strong organisational and project management skills, including a strong record of prioritising and delivering results in fast-paced, resource constrained environments.

Sound understanding of public sector governance, risk management, financial accountability, and process improvement, ideally withing a regulatory science setting.

Demonstrated commitment to model the APS Values and APS Employment Principles; and promote compliance with the APS Code of Conduct and the Secretaries’ Charter of Leadership.

Desirable:

A PhD in a relevant discipline from an Australian University or qualification of equivalent standard from an Australian or overseas university, or other qualifications appropriate to the duties of the position.

Relevant experience working in and/or knowledge of Australia’s agvet chemical regulatory scheme.

HOW TO APPLY

To apply, please click the "Apply" button and submit the following:

A cover letter addressing the Essential Requirements, maximum 1000 words.

A customised current CV/resume outlining your experience, achievements and capabilities that will enable you to successfully undertake the responsibilities of this role.

CONTACT

To receive a Candidate Information Pack and full job description which may assist with your application, please email [email protected].

To have a confidential discussion about this role, you can call Helen on +61 438 620 434 or send a text to organise a suitable time.

Applications close on 16th July 2025 at Midnight AEST.

THANK YOU

CS Executive Group would like to thank you in advance for taking the time to apply for this role. Unfortunately, due to the large volume of correspondence received daily, we genuinely cannot respond to each application—only those applicants being considered for shortlisting as candidates are contacted.

However, if on this occasion you're unsuccessful, please note your details will be added to our Talent Pool database.

Visit our website to view all of our current opportunities: -

www.csexecutivegroup.com/jobs