Acknowledgement of Country
CSIRO acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the land, sea and waters, of the area that we live and work on across Australia. We acknowledge their continuing connection to their culture and pay our respects to their Elders past and present. View our vision towards reconciliation.
Role highlights
- Enable science to occur safely at the Australian Centre for Disease Preparedness
- Deliver HSE services to drive continual safety improvement
- Support critical biosecurity research in a unique high-containment environment
About CSIRO
As Australia's national science agency, CSIRO is solving the greatest challenges through innovative science and technology. Many of our iconic innovations were once considered impossible until someone, just like you, joined us and took on the challenge.
Visit CSIRO.au for more information.
The opportunity
Join the Health, Safety and Environment (HSE) team at CSIRO, where we partner with all levels of the organisation to take personal accountability for safety. We are a future-focussed team that provides innovative programs to enhance CSIRO’s wellbeing and safety culture.
We are seeking a HSE Advisor to support the Australian Centre for Disease Preparedness (ACDP) facility in Geelong.
The ACDP is a purpose-built biosecurity facility containing the largest and highest-level biocontainment (BSL-4) laboratory in the southern hemisphere. The ACDP laboratories and research teams help protect Australia’s general public and our multi-billion-dollar livestock and aquaculture industries, from exotic and emerging infectious disease threats and outbreaks, while also collaborating with world health and animal organisations and agencies.
As our new HSE Advisor, you’ll provide technical and practical support to research staff, affiliates, leadership teams and a range of other stakeholders, while collaborating with the broader, nation-wide HSE team. If you’re passionate about enhancing safety and well-being culture, excel at building relationships and possess strong communication skills, we'd love to hear from you.
Please note, the appointee must hold Australian Citizenship and be able to meet ACDP’s Microbiological Security and Security Clearance requirements.
Your high-level duties will include:
- Supporting the implementation of CSIRO’s HSE Plan through the planning and delivery of priority HSE activities and initiatives, with a focus on organisational consistency across the CSIRO sites.
- Contributing to HSE projects and positively challenging the status quo to drive continual HSE improvement.
- Building and maintaining strong relationships with site work groups, understanding their unique HSE needs, and providing recommendations to guide management decisions.
- With limited guidance, developing and reviewing policies, procedures and systems and offering solutions to challenging HSE issues in partnership with relevant work groups.
- Contributing to a cohesive, collaborative and innovative HSE team and providing hands-on HSE practical support to operational staff.
- Coaching and educating staff through knowledge sharing across relevant organisational teams, utilising best practice and communities of practice to enhance the overall HSE performance.
Role particulars
Location: Geelong, VIC
Salary: AU$100k - AU$113k pa + 15.4% superannuation
Tenure: Indefinite, Full-time
Reference: 103925
As the successful candidate, you will bring:
- Relevant trade certificate/diploma/bachelor’s degree (e.g. Cert 4 in Work Health and Safety) or equivalent relevant work experience in Health, Safety & Environment, Risk Management or related fields
- Demonstrated ability to collaborate with HSE staff and key stakeholders to foster a positive safety culture and build strong relationships, with a capacity to adapt to changing environments and challenges to achieve team objectives
- Proven experience understanding stakeholder priorities as well as leveraging and contributing to HSE teams in the design, delivery and implementation of communication strategies (written and verbal – e.g. training) to deliver consistent messaging across the organisation
- Experience in facilitating knowledge transfer within HSE teams and across stakeholders, while providing support, guidance, and coaching to colleagues, encouraging open communication and strong collaboration
- Proven ability to interpret legislation and regulatory standards, as well as other relevant information, to proactively identify potential issues and respond appropriately
For full details about this role, and other criteria, please review the Position Description.
Support and workplace adjustments
We offer a range of reasonable supports and workplace adjustments. Please reach out to the contact person in the Position Description if we can help you to equitably participate in our recruitment process or the role itself.
Not sure if you meet all the criteria?
While it is CSIRO policy that the successful candidate must meet all the essential criteria, there are many ways to demonstrate this. Don’t let the list discourage you. If you are unsure about applying, please reach out to the contact person in the Position Description.
Setting you up for success
We are committed to providing a recruitment process that is fair, equitable and accessible to everyone. We recognise that it may be helpful for us to adjust our process to make it equitable for your individual situation. Please reach out to the contact on page 1 of the position description, to let us know how we can support you.
Life at CSIRO and flexible work arrangements
We work flexibly at CSIRO, offering a range of options for how, when and where you work. We can discuss flexible work arrangements with you during the recruitment process. CSIRO also offers a range of leave entitlements, benefits and career development opportunities. To find out more, visit Careers at CSIRO.
Inclusion and belonging
Solving Australia's greatest challenges takes a diversity of minds and lived experiences. We know diverse teams are more effective and deliver more innovative outcomes. As an equal employment opportunity organisation, we are committed to creating diverse and inclusive teams where people feel they belong. We recognise true diversity encompasses all ages, abilities, cultures, faiths, levels of education, genders, sexualities, diversity of thought and much more. We focus on hiring people who share our values of People First, Further Together, Making it Real and Trusted.
CSIRO holds Platinum Status for the Australian Workplace Equality Index for LGBTQIA+ inclusion, and a Science in Australia Gender Equity Bronze Award.
Eligibility
Applications for this position are open to Australian Citizens only.
Appointment to this role is subject to provision of a national police check and may be subject to other security/medical/character requirements.
The successful applicant will be required to obtain and maintain a security clearance at the NV1 level and will also be required to meet the ACDP Microbiological Security and Security Clearance requirements (listed in the position description) and may be subject to other security/medical/character requirements.
Child safety
CSIRO is committed to the safety and wellbeing of all children and young people involved in our activities and programs. View our Child Safe Policy.
How to apply
Please apply online and submit a cover letter (maximum 2 pages) and CV that demonstrate your motivation and ability to meet the essential requirements of this role.
Applications close
14th September 2026, 11pm (AEST)
