Plant Records Officer

Department of Education and Training of Australia; Canberra; On-site; AUD 80,000 - 87,000; Full time

Job summary

Parks Australia’s Australian National Botanic Gardens seeks a skilled professional to join the Collections and Conservation management team. You will plan, develop and curate living collections in line with the Living Collections Strategy, coordinating with related horticulture and science programs.

You will stocktake living collections, process materials and permits, support propagation and conservation activities, and assist with public and staff inquiries, aiding ex-situ conservation and

Qualifications

• Experience with databases and Excel for data analysis and reporting.
• Sound plant identification skills and knowledge of botanical nomenclature and taxonomy.
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team with good communication.

Responsibilities

• Stocktake the living collections including plant identification, mapping, tagging and labelling plants, database updating and supervising volunteers.
• Processing biological material and research permits including stakeholder liaison and providing plant material.
• Supporting collections and conservation management activities through checking plants, collecting propagation material and database reporting.
• Overseeing the Growing Friends collection and providing operational support as needed.
• Responding to public and staff enquiries about the collection including checking database records and stakeholder liaison.

Skills

Databases

Microsoft Excel

Plant identification

Botanical nomenclature

Stakeholder liaison

Teamwork

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Science or related field

Tools

GIS

Job description

• Division
• Stocktake the living collections including database record keeping and mapping, tagging and labelling plants.
• Process biological material and research permits including stakeholder liaison and collection of plant material.
• Support collections and conservation management activities including database reporting, monitoring plants and collecting propagation material.

• APS 4 - $80,371 - $87,496 per annum plus superannuation
• Division
• Canberra, ACT

• Stocktake the living collections including database record keeping and mapping, tagging and labelling plants.
• Process biological material and research permits including stakeholder liaison and collection of plant material.
• Support collections and conservation management activities including database reporting, monitoring plants and collecting propagation material.

Who we are

Australia’s natural and cultural heritage is unique. Our land and seascapes are distinctive, home to plants and animals found nowhere else in the world, and to some of the oldest living cultures on earth. These environments and cultures are an essential part of our national identity, and visitors travel from across the country and the world to experience them. The Director of National Parks (the Director) is responsible for six national parks, the Australian National Botanic Gardens, 58 Australian Marine Parks and the Heard Island and McDonald Islands Marine Reserve established under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999. Parks Australia is the federal park agency that supports the Director, and they are a division of the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (the Department). We work to showcase these natural and cultural wonders to the world, demonstrating to all why these places are so special, and inspiring communities to become more invested in their care and future.

The Science and Australian National Botanic Gardens Branch leads science and conservation planning and policy for Parks Australia, and conducts research in conservation and biodiversity management through a range of programs. We engage in and coordinate diverse research partnerships and ensure First Nations knowledge and innovative solutions are core to our work, enabling us to enhance engagement and embed science into decision‑making at all levels.

Our work includes:

• Strategic science planning and prioritisation and shaping research partnerships for Parks Australia
• Leading cross‑cutting research to support Parks Australia - in areas such as climate change adaptation, nature positive and knowledge weaving
• Providing scientific support for Protected Areas policy and Park Management Plans
• Managing the Australian National Botanic Gardens, home to our Branch and the nation’s largest living collection of native plants
• Innovation in the cross‑cutting application of new technologies and data analytics to meet science and application outcomes
• Facilitating research and science capacity building and education
• Curating national collections of biological data and conserving and protecting plants through systematics research, seed banking and ex situ conservation
• Climate adaption and policy for Parks Australia
• Evaluation and reporting to understand management effectiveness and performance of our parks, gardens and agency
• Data and information systems services for Parks Australia

The Australian National Botanic Gardens (ANBG) is the nation’s most diverse collection of Australian native plants. We directly contribute to safe‑guarding Australia’s plant species from extinctions and are responsible for leading, building and sharing knowledge of our Australian flora. The ANBG works closely with biodiversity science programs - the Australian Biological Resources Study, the Centre for Australian National Biodiversity Research, the National Seed Bank, and Biodiversity Informatics - in partnerships for research, for management of physical and digital biological collections, and for management of fundamental national biodiversity data and information accessed nationally and internationally. The ANBG works closely with other Commonwealth parks to support plant conservation initiatives. The ANBG is uniquely placed to provide holistic solutions for national plant conservation, with combined expertise in, and specialist science facilities for, botanical taxonomy, evolution and systematics, seed biology and horticulture. For more information about us please visit our website https://www.anbg.gov.au.

For more information about us please visit our website .

The job

The Collections and Conservation management team are responsible for the planning, development and higher‑level curation of living collections in accordance with the Living Collections Strategy and in coordination with the Living Collections and Conservation Horticulture teams.

In this role you will be responsible for:

• Stocktaking the living collections including plant identification, mapping, tagging and labelling plants, database updating, collecting herbarium specimens, liaising with horticultural staff and supervising volunteers.
• Processing biological material and research permits including checking plants and database records, stakeholder liaison and providing plant material.
• Supporting collections and conservation management activities through checking plants, collecting propagation material, database reporting, record updating and working with colleagues on priority species management.
• Overseeing the Growing Friends collection of propagation material, reviewing requests to propagate new taxa and providing operational support as needed.
• Responding to public and staff enquiries about the collection including checking database records, living plants, identification work, stakeholder liaison.

What you’ll gain from the experience

This is a rare opportunity to work in a dedicated and knowledgeable team focused on the planning, development and management of the ANBG living collections. You will also be undertaking operational work that directly underpins ex‑situ conservation work including maintaining and developing rare and threatened species collections.

What we are looking for

We are seeking candidates who can demonstrate the following:

• Experience with using databases and with using Microsoft Excel for data analysis and reporting.
• Sound plant identification skills and knowledge of botanical nomenclature and taxonomy.
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team, and to maintain positive working relationships.
• Good communication skills and the ability to liaise effectively with a range of internal and external stakeholders.
• Excellent attention to detail and accuracy when performing work tasks, and strong problem‑solving skills.

Desirable qualifications

• Tertiary qualifications in environmental science, natural resource management or horticulture.
• GIS and basic financial processing experience.

Additional requirements

• hold and maintain a valid Australian motor vehicle drivers licence,
• note that the physical requirements of the role involves a combination of outdoor and office‑based work,
• wear an official uniform supplied by the department, including during field operations (as applicable), in accordance with the department’s uniform policy,
• wear appropriate protective personal equipment and clothing to comply with departmental Work Health & Safety policies and procedures
• Ability to undertake 1-2 watering shifts of 4-5 hours per month, paid as overtime. Inclusion on the watering roster is optional.

Eligibility and other requirements

Citizenship -

to be eligible for employment with the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water you must be an Australian citizen.

Pre-employment checks -

your suitability for employment will be assessed through a pre-employment screening process. This process includes a requirement to undergo and satisfy a National Police Check, referee checks, character clearance and where required a pre-employment medical assessment, specified mandatory qualification(s) validation and a probation period.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) in recruitment

You may use AI tools to support your participation in this recruitment process, unless advised otherwise. If you use AI, you must ensure your use is transparent, authentic and truthful, and that all information reflects your own skills and experience.

The department may use AI in a limited, transparent and responsible way to support parts of this recruitment process. AI does not make decisions - all assessments and selection outcomes are made by people.

For more information, see:

• Artificial Intelligence Transparency Statement
• AI in recruitment | Australian Public Service Commission