Geoscience Australia values the lands, water and sky as we work to deepen a shared understanding of Country and Earth. We respect First Nations peoples and their enduring connection, contribution and obligations to Country. Reflecting on our shared history, we are committed to listen and learn.

About us

Geoscience Australia is Australia's pre-eminent public sector geoscience organisation. We are the nation's trusted advisor on the geology and geography of Australia. We apply science and technology to describe and understand the Earth for the benefit of Australia. We apply our diverse professional expertise, our deep and trusted knowledge, our national-scale Earth observation infrastructure and our strong partnerships, to the opportunities and challenges that face our nation.

Our culture

Our strength lies in our people, including our diversity in backgrounds, skills and experiences, and the way we work together to respond to the emerging needs of our work. We value diversity in gender, backgrounds, culture, and experiences of our employees and are committed to providing an inclusive workplace culture that ensures everyone has equal opportunity to contribute, participate and progress. Applications from people who reflect this diversity are encouraged.

Our workplace is committed to the health, safety and wellbeing of our employees and offers a variety of flexible working arrangements to enhance flexibility, including remote working arrangements.

What we can offer you

When you work at Geoscience Australia you will have access to a range of benefits and the opportunity to experience a workplace culture that truly values and promotes diversity, inclusion, equity and belonging. To learn more about our competitive salary, free onsite parking, generous flexible working arrangements and the role you can play in growing our culture click here.

Our team

The Australian and New Zealand Governments are collaborating on a project to deliver improved position, navigation, and timing services across both countries with a Satellite-Based Augmentation System (SBAS) capability. Named the Southern Positioning Augmentation Network (SouthPAN), the regional SBAS capability will be utilised by a broad range of industry sectors, including transport, resources, agriculture, spatial, and utilities.

The SouthPAN project is a joint undertaking between Geoscience Australia and Land Information New Zealand and the project team comprises people from both organisations. The project will work with the prime systems integrator, providing government furnished elements and evidence of oversight and assurance during the establishment phase. Geoscience Australia and Land Information New Zealand will continue to work with the prime following the completion of the project to maintain and improve the SBAS capability over its 15-year sustainment period.

The role

The SouthPAN Quality Manager is responsible for establishing, maintaining, and continuously improving the SouthPAN Project Organisation (SPO) Quality Management System (QMS) to ensure compliance with organisational standards, contractual obligations and regulatory requirements. This role safeguards the integrity of deliverables and promotes a culture of quality across the program and operations. Quality is of critical importance for SouthPAN as the capability will be used by aircraft for navigation.

In this role you will:

Implement and maintain QMS processes aligned with organisational objectives and industry standards.

Ensure plans and documentation are accurate, current, and accessible throughout the project lifecycle.

Establish quality benchmarks and KPIs to assure incremental continuous improvement.

Plan and conduct internal and external audits and inspections to verify adherence to quality processes.

Collaborate with cross-functional teams to manage non-conformances and corrective actions.

Identify process inefficiencies and lead initiatives for improvement.

Monitor quality metrics using statistical tools and report trends to senior leadership.

Assess quality-related risks and develop mitigation strategies.

Communicate Quality Health Safety and Environment [JC1] [MP2] policies and quality objectives to internal teams and external partners.

Maintain, monitor and update information management policies and standards.

Ensure compliance with legislative and organisational requirements for information security, export control and privacy.

Support digital initiatives and ensure secure and effective information sharing across SPO information systems.

Provide training and guidance on quality standards, information management and procedures.

Manage and mentor staff in the SPO Project Support Team across Australia and New Zealand.

To be successful in the role you will have:

• Strong knowledge of QMS principles, ISO standards, and quality assurance frameworks.
• Proven ability to conduct audits and manage corrective/preventive actions.
• Analytical and problem-solving skills for identifying quality risks.
• 5 years' experience working on complex developmental or government procurement programs.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management capabilities.

Proficiency in quality-related tools, information management and reporting systems.

Strong leadership and management skills that support a diverse and dispersed workforce

Required skills, knowledge, experience and/or qualifications

• Certification in Quality Management (eg, ISO 9001 Lead Auditor, CQI, CQM, Six Sigma)
• Leadership experience in driving cultural change toward quality excellence.
• Experience managing information repositories including Sharepoint, Content Manager (formerly TRIM) and Objective.

Salary

We encourage candidates with the right technical skills to apply, even if their salary expectations fall outside the typical bracket. The delegate is open to considering expertise and experience for salary negotiations with the successful applicant.

Are you unsure about applying?

Did you know that a Hewlett Packard internal report found that men apply for jobs when they meet an average of 60 per cent of the job requirements? Women and other people from diverse backgrounds tend to only apply when they check every box. If you think you have what it takes, but don't necessarily meet every single point on what we are looking for, please still apply or get in touch with the contact officer to learn more about the role.