About us

Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) is an independent statutory authority in the Australian Government Health portfolio. We are established by the Food Standards Australia New Zealand Act 1991 and manage the Food Standards Code (the Code). The Code is enforced by state and territory departments, agencies and local councils in Australia, the Ministry for Primary Industries in New Zealand, and the Australian Department of Agriculture and Water Resources for food imported into Australia.

We develop food standards for Australia and New Zealand covering labelling, food additives, processing aids, novel foods (including genetically-modified foods), irradiated foods, commodity standards and contaminants (such as chemicals and naturally-occurring toxins) and, for Australia only, food safety and primary production, and processing standards.

We are highly regarded both nationally and internationally as a world leader in risk assessment and management, modelling and analysis of food composition, and behavioural research into food choices. We assist Australia and New Zealand to ensure a safe food supply, enable industry innovation and competitiveness, facilitate informed consumer choice and support broader public health goals.

We value diversity in gender, backgrounds, culture, and experience and are committed to providing an inclusive workplace culture that ensures everyone has equal opportunity to contribute, participate and progress. Applicants who are Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander, come from a diverse cultural or linguistic background or have a disability, are strongly encouraged to apply. We aim to ensure that all applicants are treated fairly and that they have equal access to job opportunities.

We offer a flexible an attractive remuneration package, including generous employer superannuation contributions. Further information about pay and conditions can be found in our Enterprise Agreement 2016-19 and Determination 2019/21.

Our values & behaviours (DAART)

• Develop - Support people to grow and develop
• Achieve - Collaborate to achieve a common goal
• Accountable - Responsible for commitments, behaviours and actions
• Respect -  Build open and supportive relationships
• Transparent - Build trust by being genuine, clear and consistent

We model these values and behaviours and integrate them into our everyday work.

The Opportunity

The occupant of this position will have primary responsibility for providing expert scientific advice on public health nutritional science issues and building and managing close links with the public health nutrition scientific community in Australia and New Zealand and internationally.

What you will do In this role you will:

• Provide expert scientific advice to ensure that the recommendations and decisions of FSANZ that relate to public health nutritional issues in the development of food standards are based on the best available scientific information and sound public health principles
• Keep the Board and staff of FSANZ informed on public health nutritional science issues that are relevant to the setting of food standards, including those issues that are of emerging importance
• Ensure that FSANZ has a strong network of public health nutrition scientific contacts in a range of settings in Australia and New Zealand, as well as internationally
• Strengthen FSANZ’s profile and standing in the public health nutritional scientific community by participating, and facilitating staff participation, in appropriate events and promoting the public health nutrition science work of FSANZ.

Our ideal candidate

To be successful in the role you will:

• have appropriate qualifications and extensive experience in public health nutritional science
• have a strong network of public health nutrition scientific contacts in a range of settings in Australia and New Zealand
• have highly developed analytical skills and be able to identify technical solutions in a regulatory setting
• model the APS and FSANZ values.

Selection Criteria

You will be able to demonstrate:

1. Provide strategic specialist advice on public health nutritional science in the context of food standards, including advice that contributes to and supports the strategic direction of the agency and food regulatory system in this scientific discipline.
2. Provide high level analysis and design of technical solutions in the field of public health nutritional science and coordinate scientific positions across FSANZ.
3. Liaise and engage with other internal or external professionals to exchange views, seek advice and ensure positive outcomes and represent FSANZ in the context of public health nutritional science. Maintain professional public health nutritional science knowledge and lead and deliver high quality public health nutritional science projects. Ensure the delivery of high quality scientific outputs that ensures employees maintain a high level of specialist expertise in disciplines such as nutritional science, epidemiology and statistics. Postgraduate qualifications in public health nutritional science at Ph.D. level, including appropriate epidemiological, methodological and extensive relevant work experience.

Conditions of engagement

Conditions of engagement include a three-month probation period, health and character clearances (including police records check and security clearance).

To be eligible for engagement, applicants must be Australian citizens, unless special approval is given by the CEO. An agreement between the Australian and New Zealand Governments provides opportunities for New Zealand citizens to apply for FSANZ positions that are located in the New Zealand office. 

Eligibility

You must be an Australian citizen (unless special permission is given by our CEO) and have the ability to obtain and maintain a Negative Vetting 1 security clearance.

To Apply

Further information and application: http://www.foodstandards.gov.au/ 

Applicants will be asked to provide a statement (up to three pages) outlining how your skills, knowledge, experiences and qualifications make you the best person for the job.

Position contact: Dr Nick Fletcher on +64 4 978 5652

For assistance please call our Recruitment team on (02) 6271 2657 or email hrmanager@foodstandards.gov.au

Applications close: 11 November 2019.