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 Science and Assurance Branch which is responsible for building community confidence in the regulatory decision making of the APVMA by leading our post-market regulatory functions, including chemical review, recalls, AERP, hormonal growth promotions (HGPs), and manufacturing quality and licensing (MQL) programs. As one of three science branches, the Science and Assurance Branch will work closely across the Agricultural Chemicals and Veterinary Medicines Branches to lead APVMA’s science policy work to ensure all regulatory tools and scientific approaches are contemporary and adaptive to new opportunities and risks, and that staff and stakeholders 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 Science and Assurance 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 Science and Assurance, 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 Science and Assurance Branch, including management of the branch’s budget, setting the branch’s strategic direction, and establishing expectations and priorities.

Oversee the post-market regulatory activities for the agency within statutory timeframes, including the management of the chemical review, recalls, AERP, HGPs and MQL programs.

Establish processes and mechanisms to ensure the agency’s regulatory tools and scientific approaches are contemporary and adaptive to new opportunities and risks. This includes ensuring that our staff have access to up-to-date guidance, instructional materials, and training to undertake their work.

Manage the team that provides support to our external stakeholder engagement forums, including the APVMA Advisory Group, the Agricultural Chemicals Working Group, the Veterinary Medicines Working Group, and the National Registration Scheme Advisory Group.

Contribute to evaluation activities to ensure consistency in regulatory science, including peer review assessments from the Agricultural Chemicals and Veterinary Medicines branches as required.

Engagement with other regulatory authorities, including international regulators, involved in agvet chemical 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 excel in this critical and demanding role, you must be forward-thinking, self-driven, resilient, and skilled at fostering strong relationships. Your proven leadership abilities will inspire trust and respect, supported by sound scientific judgement and a results-oriented mindset. You will adeptly navigate complex regulatory science challenges within the public sector, leveraging your expertise, resources, and networks to deliver outcomes.

You will bring advanced regulatory science experience specific to agvet chemicals, alongside extensive executive management expertise. You will have a demonstrated track record of providing strategic leadership, identifying staff capability needs, and building motivated, high-performing teams committed to delivering excellence.

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. You may wish to visit our website to view all our current opportunities: www.csexecutivegroup.com