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
- Lead quality assurance capacity building across partner laboratories in the Asia-Pacific region
- Provide expert advice, training and support to implement sustainable quality systems and advance ISO accreditation
- Work in a collaborative work culture with international partners, including regular overseas engagement
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. CSIRO is one of the world’s largest and most successful publicly funded R&D organisations. Visit CSIRO.au for more information.
The opportunity
The Australian Animal Health Laboratory (AAHL) Research Unit is located at the Australian Centre for Disease Preparedness (ACDP) in Geelong. Their goal is to protect a healthy, productive and prosperous future for Australia’s animals and people by delivering world-renowned science that will further our understanding, preparedness and management of infectious diseases. The ACDP International Program (ACDP-IP) partners with multiple organisations across the Asia-Pacific to build laboratory capacity, improve the quality of laboratory diagnostic services, and laboratory biosafety and biosecurity in the region.
We are seeking an experienced laboratory Quality Assurance (QA) Senior Advisor with a strong interest in international development and laboratory capacity building to join the ACDP International Program within the Diagnosis, Surveillance and Response Program. The role focuses on providing expert advice, training and support to develop and implement practical, sustainable quality management systems across partner laboratories in the Asia‑Pacific region. You will support laboratories to progress towards accreditation against relevant ISO standards and work closely with ACDP’s QA and technical experts to ensure consistent application of best practice. The position involves delivering support both virtually and in‑country, including regular overseas travel as required. This work directly contributes to strengthening regional diagnostic capability for the prevention and control of high‑impact animal and zoonotic diseases.
Please note that, due to the nature of the role, you will be required to meet ACDP’s microbiological security and any other additional security assessment requirements, as well as be appropriately vaccinated.
Your high-level duties will include:
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Assess and advise on quality management needs of partner laboratories within the ACDP International Program.
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Lead delivery of practical, sustainable QA systems, including training, guidance on QA principles, processes and documentation.
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Foster a strong quality culture, including QA governance, auditing programs, corrective and preventative actions, and reporting.
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Support laboratories to progress towards or achieve accreditation against relevant ISO standards.
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Contribute to project planning, monitoring, evaluation, learning frameworks, and internal and external reporting.
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Build and maintain effective partnerships with international stakeholders by tailoring QA solutions to local contexts and resources.
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Collaborate closely with the ACDP QA team and contribute to program delivery, strategic objectives, and continuous improvement.
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Undertake regular travel across the Asia‑Pacific region and work effectively in low‑resource environments, maintaining confidentiality at all times.
Role particulars
Location: Geelong, VIC at the Australian Centre for Disease Preparedness (ACDP).
Salary: AU$118K – AU$127K per annum (pro-rata for part-time) plus up to 15.4% superannuation
Tenure & work schedule: Specified term for 12 months; Full-time
Reference: 102387
As the successful candidate, you will bring:
Essential
- A relevant degree and/or equivalent experience in quality management within the biological sciences.
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Strong knowledge of quality assurance processes and ISO standards, including ISO 9001, ISO 17025, ISO 17043 and/or ISO 35001, and their practical application.
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Proven experience conducting laboratory audits, performing root cause analysis, and monitoring corrective actions within a quality management system.
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Demonstrated experience as a specialist advisor with strong interpersonal and communication skills, including the ability to develop and deliver effective training and coaching and to collaborate with stakeholders from diverse cultural backgrounds.
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Demonstrated ability to support projects through independent planning, implementation and completion of project activities in line with client expectations.
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Ability to work both independently and collaboratively as part of a multidisciplinary team, building and maintaining effective and respectful working relationships.
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Willingness and ability to undertake regular overseas travel (every 1–2 months) for periods of 1–2 weeks (up to 3 weeks) to deliver project work and structured training.
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Desirable
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Previous experience working overseas, particularly in low-resource environments.
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Previous experience working in an accredited laboratory in molecular biology, virology, serology or related fields..
For full details about this role, please review the Position Description.
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 contact Talent Consultant and 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 that 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 Gold 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 the provision of a national police check and may be subject to other security/medical/character requirements.
Child safety
CSIRO is committed to the safety and well-being of all children and young people involved in our activities and programs. View our Child Safe Policy.
How to apply
Please apply online and provide a CV and a detailed cover letter (maximum 2 pages) that best demonstrate your motivation and ability to meet the requirements of this role. Please attach your selection criteria responses to your cover letter as one document.
Applications close
15 March 2026, 11:00 pm AEDT
We strongly encourage you to apply early, as we will review applications as they come in. CSIRO reserves the right to withdraw this ad prior to the closing date, if required.
