Head of Operations - ANSTO Centre for Accelerator Science

Position Overview

• Ongoing | Full Time | $149k - $167k +15.4% super
• Lucas Heights Location 
• Technical leadership role within Australia’s national research infrastructure ecosystem
• Challenging, rewarding, exciting opportunity to support accelerator science and enable innovation

About the Opportunity

The Head of Operations oversees all operational aspects of ANSTO Centre for Accelerator Science (CAS), ensuring safety, efficiency, and compliance with regulations, optimising resource utilisation, and fostering a culture of collaboration and innovation. This role is critical in enabling CAS to perform as a world-class facility that delivers excellence in accelerator science for a diverse research and industry user community both nationally and internationally. Their technical leadership inspires a program of continuous improvement and delivers strategic development of accelerator systems and technologies, scientific instrumentation, laboratory equipment, and supporting infrastructure, to position CAS as one of the foremost hubs of technical capability within the global community.

CAS operates four tandem particle accelerators and a wide range of advanced (and often bespoke, inhouse designed) engineering systems, scientific instrumentation, equipment, and technologies across twelve beamlines for accelerator science applications and twelve chemistry laboratories for specialised sample processing. CAS offers accelerator mass spectrometry, sample preparation, ion beam analysis, ion beam implantation, and ion beam irradiation - together in one centre - backed by decades of accumulated experience in accelerator science and operations.

The Centre for Accelerator Science is a multi-disciplinary team of scientists, technicians and engineers supporting academic and industry users across Australia and the world with a suite of accelerator instrumentation for ultra-sensitive measurement, analysis and irradiation applications. As a user facility open to all, supported by the National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy, CAS informs policy, provides critical services for IAEA, and enables discovery and innovation in areas such as environment, climate and health sciences, space technologies, advanced materials for energy and quantum, and cultural heritage.

Your Duties and Responsibilities

Leadership and Operations Management

•    Lead and manage the provision, maintenance, development and continuous improvement of systems, processes, instruments, technologies, and equipment to ensure world-class safety, quality, and efficiency in how and what CAS operates.
•    Lead multi-disciplinary teams of technical engineering experts to achieve excellence by inspiring an inclusive and innovative environment that promotes psychological safety. Formulate and prioritise plans and objectives that communicate vision and translate the CAS strategy into measurable deliverables for technical operations.
•    As a core member of the CAS senior management team, produce content for business plans and report on CAS performance against targets and objectives, devise new ideas and strategies for growth including for streamlining and workforce development, engage with collaboration and funding opportunities.
•    Manage CAS facilities and equipment through ANSTO’s capital portfolio management framework to ensure both reliability and availability of facilities against operational safety and compliance requirements
•    Take on additional duties or deputise for the CAS Director, as requested

Safe and Compliant Operations

•    Lead the development, management, monitoring and oversight of systems, procedures and practices that ensure compliance with all relevant regulations, safety standards, and policies governing CAS operations. This includes managing the CAS Safety and Risk Register.
•    As Licencing Officer, ensure all accelerator operations are compliant with ARPANSA licence conditions and manage all CAS licencing responsibilities, as required by regulator.

Technical leadership

•    Apply significant technical expertise within a project management framework to lead and/or oversee the development and delivery of CAS capital investment projects for accelerator technologies, scientific instrumentation, and engineering systems in consultation and/or collaboration with stakeholders and scientific experts.
•    Provide subject matter expertise in troubleshooting complex issues, implementing solutions, and driving continuous improvement initiatives.
•    Represent ANSTO and CAS within global technical forums and foster value-add partnerships with local and global communities, to inform strategic decisions and planning for advancements in accelerator science, instrumentation, and related technologies

Please click here for Position Description
 

Skills and Experience

• Degree in relevant field (Engineering, Science, Management). Masters or PhD qualifications highly regarded.
• Track record of application of technical expertise in the development of research infrastructure in relevant field
• Significant experience leading, managing and operating within a large scientific infrastructure facility/s.
• Experience contributing to strategy formulation and ability to interpret strategy into operational objectives and plans.
• Proven success leading and managing teams to achieve excellence, desired organisational outcomes and achieving optimal work performance. Experience guiding, developing and mentoring staff
• Demonstrated experience leading and managing work health and safety and regulatory compliance activities within a unit or department.
• Excellent communication, interpersonal skills, negotiation and influencing skills.
• Demonstrated experience managing large or divisional financial plans, forecasting, planning and cost control.
• Ability to operate within an operational or business excellence framework and lead business process change across a multi-disciplinary group.
• Demonstrated ability to initiate and manage change, allocate resources effectively and identify and manage risks
• Demonstrated experience in managing effective relationships with key stakeholders and clients
• Project management experience, including a sound understanding of the principals and practice of effective resource management to achieve a successful outcome.

“If you like big kit and awe-inspiring science with real world impact, then this is the place for you. I’m looking forward to working with a vibrant and compassionate leader who can take us to the next level in how and what we operate across our accelerator science infrastructure. It’s an exciting time to join CAS as we are growing the team and significantly investing in our skills and technology through national research infrastructure funding. This is an opportunity to lead with purpose, to help us perform at our best, to expand the boundaries of what's possible.” - Dr Ceri Brenner, Director ANSTO Centre for Accelerator Science.

About Us

ANSTO leverages great science to deliver big outcomes.  We partner with scientists and engineers and apply new technologies to provide real-world benefits.  Our work improves human health, saves lives, builds our industries and protects the environment.  ANSTO is the home of Australia's most significant landmark and national infrastructure for research.  Thousands of scientists from industry and academia benefit from gaining access to state-of-the-art instruments every year.
 

Benefits of Working with Us

ANSTO employees are passionate about what they do. We enjoy being part of an organisation making a difference in the lives of Australians. 

We support and reward our employees through eligibility for:

• Training, development and mentoring opportunities 
• Performance based salary increases 
• Work-life balance with generous leave entitlements and flexible conditions

If you want to join a world class organisation that's making a difference in the lives of Australians, apply now!

How to Apply

For further technical information relating to this position please refer to the Position Description or contact Ceri Brenner on (02) 9717 3374 or ceri.brenner@ansto.gov.au.  For all other queries please contact Talent Acquisition on +61 (02) 9717 3740.

To be eligible for appointment, applicants will require a security and pre-employment medical assessment.

If this position sounds exciting and you are ready for a challenge, please complete the application form and submit your application online.

Application closing date:  31 October 2024 at 11:59pm.

All applicants must be Australian Citizens 

In order to solve great challenges, we need great minds and great teams. At ANSTO, we understand that diverse teams produce better outcomes and we value the merit that a diverse perspective can bring to our team. We encourage people from diverse backgrounds to apply for our roles including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, primary carers, those with a disability, and women in STEM. ANSTO is a charter member of the Science in Australia Gender Equity (SAGE) initiative and is proudly taking action to create a gender-inclusive workforce.