The Opportunity

Do you have a passion for enterprise risk and quality management? As a leader, do you enjoy building capability and encouraging career development within your team?

The APVMA’s Office of the Executive General Counsel program is seeking applications for an Assistant Director Quality and Risk to utilise their expertise in enterprise, quality and risk management to ensure the delivery of functions and the achievement of outcomes for the Governance, Risk and Assurance team.

Located in either Canberra ACT or regional Armidale NSW, you will gain experience in the Australian Public Service, have access to a variety of flexible working arrangements, and help protect the health and safety of people, animals and the environment in Australia.

The Role

The Governance Risk and Assurance section plays a key role in building and operationalising strategies, frameworks and policies which support planning, governance, risk management, assurance and public transparency and accountability for the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA). The section works to support the APVMA achieve its purpose, vision and strategic objectives and to be a fit for purpose second line of defence across its full range of functions.

The position leads the Quality and Risk team within the section. The team is currently responsible for the following functions: Enterprise risk management; Quality management; Legislative compliance and Business continuity.

Working under broad direction, the Assistant Director uses their expertise to ensure the delivery of functions and the achievement of outcomes for which their team is responsible. They play a leadership role in a small team in a multidisciplinary environment, possess an outcome focused mindset, embody a proactive approach to achieving results and exhibit strong professional ethics and judgement. They are responsible for building capability in their team through coaching others, providing performance feedback, conflict resolution and encouraging career development, as well as contributing more broadly to the overall leadership of the section. As a leader within the section, they are also expected to help ensure its overall effectiveness and contribute to section priorities and projects.

Our ideal candidate

To be a strong contender for the role, you will have:

1. Experience in enterprise risk and quality management and/or legislative compliance functions.
2. Proven leadership skills that demonstrate a commitment to developing staff.
3. Effectively delivering services/functions and achieve outcomes.
4. Ability to manage competing priorities in a rapidly changing environment.
5. Strong organisational skills and high-level attention to detail.
6. Excellent written and oral communication skills.
7. Ability to build and maintain productive working relationships with internal and external stakeholders.
8. Strong research, analytical, critical thinking and problem-solving skills.
9. Demonstrated ability to self-motivate, work independently and display initiative and confidence.
10. Tertiary qualifications in risk management, quality management, governance, business or a related field (desirable).
11. Experience in the public sector and/or regulator operations (desirable).  

For more information, go to our careers page.

Want to know more?

At the APVMA, we value your skills and potential. We provide a collaborative and growth-oriented environment where your contributions are recognized and appreciated.

If the prospect of working for a world-class regulator sounds like you and you're ready to take the next step in your career, apply for this position today! Applications close on 5 July 2026.

For further information on the position, please contact Andrew Heath, Board Secretary and Director, Governance Risk and Assurance on 02 •••• •487 or And•••••••••@apvma.gov.au.

We look forward to receiving your application and exploring the possibility of welcoming you to our team!

Please note that this role is being advertised non-ongoing. If an offer of non-ongoing employment is made, the successful applicant could be employed for an initial period of up to 12 months, which may be extended in accordance with subsection 333E (1) of the Fair Work Act 2009.