CBIS Operations Technician

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

• Play a key role supporting 24/7 operations and biocontainment systems at ACDP
• Apply technical expertise across plant systems and site security
• Contribute to a nationally significant biosecurity facility in Geelong

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

We are seeking an Operations Technicians to join our CBIS Operations team at the Australian Centre for Disease Preparedness (ACDP), a globally recognised high-containment biosecurity facility in Geelong.

As the Operations Technician, you will play a key role in operating and supporting complex plant systems, automation infrastructure and security systems that underpin ACDP’s biocontainment environment. You’ll work across a diverse range of critical infrastructure, applying your technical expertise to maintain system performance, diagnose issues and support safe, continuous operations.

This role combines hands-on technical work with operational coordination in a 24/7 environment. You’ll contribute to incident response, continuous improvement and compliance with strict regulatory and biosecurity requirements, supporting a facility that is central to Australia’s disease preparedness capability.

Your high-level duties will include: 

• Operating and maintaining the Plant Control & Monitoring System (PC&MS), including fault diagnosis and rectification
• Operating critical plant systems such as:
• Air handling and pressure-controlled environments
• Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) and biocontainment processes
• Incinerators, sterilisers and gas safety systems
• Supporting the performance and availability of security systems (EACS and VMS)
• Coordinating plant access and acting as a Permit Officer for high-risk work activities
• Leading or contributing to continuous improvement and root cause analysis initiatives
• Providing technical guidance, coaching and on-the-job training to staff and contractors
• Supporting contractor management, maintenance activities and compliance requirements
• Contributing to technical documentation including procedures, risk assessments and specifications
• Participating in on-call and out-of-hours support, including emergency response roles

Role particulars

Location: Geelong, VIC

Salary: AU$100k - AU$113k pa + 15.4% superannuation

Tenure: Specified term of 2 years, Full-time 

Reference: 103171

As the successful candidate, you will bring:

• Relevant electrical or mechanical trade qualification or equivalent experience in a relevant industry.
• Demonstrated knowledge of, and practical experience with SCADA/PLC and/or security systems within operational environments.
• High level technical knowledge, electrical / mechanical aptitude and understanding of building and related engineering systems, including experience in process control, plant diagnostic and maintenance methods.
• Proven ability to identify and resolve complex issues in operational plant environments, drawing on practical experience and applied technical expertise.
• Proven ability to use plant management control systems and/or physical security systems to operate, diagnose and maintain engineering plant and physical security systems.
• Ability to effectively manage a number of competing priorities simultaneously, and carry out non-routine tasks under general direction.
• Strong interpersonal skills and “customer service” focus, with the ability to work effectively in a small team and supervise trade, technical staff and contractors, including induction, work permits and work risk assessments.
• Strong written and oral communication skills, including experience with preparing written reports, producing test plans and commissioning documentation, with proficiency in the Microsoft Office suite.
• Willingness to comply with ACDP microbiological and security requirements and participate in an on-call roster.
• Demonstrated evidence of professional and respectful behaviours and attitudes in a collaborative environment.

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 security clearance at the NV1 level and are subject to other security/medical/character requirements, including Security Assessment/Microbiological Security Requirements for Personnel Working on the Australian Centre for Disease Preparedness (ACDP) Site.

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 

23rd August 2026, 11pm (AEST)