Veterinary Officer

Department-of-Energy,-Environment-and-Climate-Action; Colac; Hybrid; AUD 80,000 - 100,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid work arrangements

Job summary

Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action (DEECA) in Colac Otway is seeking a Veterinary Officer to lead the Animal Health and Welfare Unit in delivering disease surveillance, legislation enforcement, and auditing across the district.

The successful applicant will supervise staff, ensure program quality, and contribute to preparedness and emergency response, with flexible hybrid work arrangements in Colac.

Qualifications

• An appropriate tertiary degree in Veterinary Science registrable with the Veterinary Practitioners Registration Board of Victoria.
• Candidates must have these qualifications to be considered eligible and verification is required prior to appointment.
• Eligibility limited to Australian/New Zealand citizens or Australian permanent residents.

Responsibilities

• Lead disease and animal welfare investigations in the district.
• Deliver disease surveillance, certification, and auditing activities.
• Manage preparedness and response to animal disease outbreaks and welfare issues.
• Supervise staff in the district and ensure quality assurance of the Animal Health and Welfare program.

Education

Veterinary Science

Job description

Occupation: Agriculture and primary industries

Location: Barwon South West - Colac Otway

Reference: 2494

As a Veterinary Officer (VO) you will work as a member of the Animal Health and Welfare Unit, to ensure the delivery of major animal health projects that include disease surveillance; livestock legislation and enforcement management; emergency preparedness and response; and traceability and auditing. As the supervisor of the staff in their district, the DVO is accountable for the delivery and quality assurance of the Animal Health and Welfare program in their district.

Veterinary Officers are required to lead disease and animal welfare investigations in their district. By utilising their clinical experience in the prevention, investigation, diagnosis, control, eradication and treatment of diseases of farmed livestock in Victoria, they will contribute to better veterinary outcomes in these investigations.

The successful applicant will work with other staff delivering services that contribute to protecting and improving market access, work effectively as a member of a team, enjoy flexible working arrangements and undertake a wide variety of work across the division, involving;

• Management of animal welfare risks
• Disease surveillance
• Domestic and Export certification
• National Livestock Identification System auditing
• Preparedness and response to animal disease outbreaks
• Response to animal welfare issues

Specialist/Technical Expertise/Qualifications

Mandatory:

• An appropriate tertiary degree in Veterinary Science registrable with the Veterinary Practitioners Registration Board of Victoria.
• Candidates must have these qualifications to be considered eligible and verification is required prior to appointment.

This is a fixed term position available for a period of 18 months. The work location for this position is Colac with hybrid work arrangements available.

To be considered for this position, applicants are encouraged to submit a resume and cover letter (no longer than 2 pages) summarising their skills and relevant experience.

Please refer to the Key Selection Criteria provided in the Position Description, including the mandatory requirements.

Applications close 11.59pm on Monday, 9 November 2026.

Preferred candidates will be required to undertake pre-employment screening, including a Declaration and Consent form and a Nationally Coordinated Criminal History Check.

To be eligible for appointment to this role, applicants will possess corresponding work rights for the advertised employment period. Appointment to an ongoing position is only available to an Australian/New Zealand citizen or an Australian Permanent Resident.

An inclusive, culturally safe and flexible workplace

DEECA fosters an inclusive workplace culture and is committed to a fair, accessible, and equitable recruitment process.

We strongly encourage Aboriginal and or Torres Strait Islander people to apply. We recognise the strengths, knowledge and perspectives First Nations people bring and DEECA is committed to a culturally safe and respectful workplace. If you need support to participate, please contact [e-mail] .

We support flexible working arrangements, including hybrid work, varied hours, part-time work and job sharing. For more information about our recruitment processes, visit applying for a role with us .

Applications close Monday 9 November 2026 at 11.59pm