State Veterinarian: Durban Harbour

Border Management Authority; Durban; On-site; ZAR 350,000 - 520,000; Full time

Job summary

Border Management Authority in Durban welcomes applications for a Veterinary Services position. The successful candidate will plan, implement and coordinate disease surveillance, manage animal identification and traceability, issue permits and health certificates for cross-border movements, and develop herd health programs to promote livestock productivity.

The role extends to training, administrative duties, governance, risk and compliance, knowledge management and export/import facility

Responsibilities

• Plan, implement, and coordinate disease surveillance.
• Manage animal identification and traceability.
• Issue permits and health certificates for cross-border movements.
• Design herd health programs to promote livestock productivity.
• Implement disease surveillance and epidemiologic studies.
• Develop an Early Warning System for key diseases.
• Contribute to emergency disease control preparedness.
• Liaise with the public, animal owners, and international bodies.
• Manage import/export of animals and animal products.
• Audit and ensure HACCP/HAS and national hygiene standards.
• Conduct post-mortem inspections.
• Maintain databases and prepare reports.

Job description

The successful candidate will be responsible for, amongst others, the following specific tasks:

Veterinary Services

• Plan, implement, maintain and coordinate disease surveillance measures (eg Early warning systems), identify controlled and noncontrolled diseases, and take appropriate corrective actions.
• Management of animal identification and traceability.
• Issuing of permits and health certificates for the movement of animals across borders/diseases free and infected zones.
• Identification of prevalent animal diseases, development and implementation of appropriate intervention strategies (e.g. Primary Health Care)
• Design and implementation of herd health programs to promote the productivity of livestock
• Implement disease surveillance and other epidemiologic studies.
• Facilitate the development of a practical Early Warning System for all relevant diseases including disease modelling, simulation, and scenario mappings.
• Contribute to the development of emergency diseases control preparedness systems.
• Liaising with the public, animal owners, organized agriculture and international organizations on the prevention and treatment of diseases.
• Manage and control the importation and exportation of animals and animal products.
• Implementation and management of the prescribed official veterinary management systems including the implementation of the National Monitoring Residue Program.
• Conduct veterinary risk assessments.
• Ensure that slaughter and other import/export facilities comply with the registration requirements with the relevant authorities.
• Performance of abattoir ante and post-mortem inspections as required.
• Audit the hygiene management systems at the import/ export establishment (e.g. implementation of Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) and Hygiene Assessment System (HAS). Certification of products in accordance with international norms and standards.
• Management of meat inspection and disposal of condemned material in accordance with the
• relevant legislation.
• Identify illegal slaughter practices and take corrective action with assistance when
• necessary.
• Undertake post-mortem, farm disease outbreak investigations and other examinations to identify causes of morbidity and mortality.
• Implement new procedures, techniques and/or equipment to ensure that an efficient and effective Veterinary Diagnostic and Research service is rendered.
• Ensure animal owners and para veterinary staff follow the correct procedures and methods to collect and dispatch samples.
• Inspect slaughter and sterilization facilities to ensure the maintenance of essential national hygiene standards.
• Evaluate safety, efficacy and quality of stock remedies registration dossier applications, import permits, labels, and advertisements and make recommendations
• Management of the official quarantine facility

Provision of training, development and awareness programs

• Determine the needs of communities through liaison with community leaders and other stakeholders;
• Determine interventions required to address the needs of stakeholders and plan, implement, and coordinate the appropriate interventions;
• Render veterinary advice to stock farmers and animal owners with regard to the prevention animal diseases and promotion of animal health care;
• Provide support to other line functionaries, e.g. extension, engineering with regard to veterinary related issues.

Administrative Services

• Provide inputs for the Operational Plan of the Veterinary unit.
• Comply with the Public Service prescripts
• Comply with Financial Management prescripts.
• Contribute to the maintenance of databases.
• Compile and submit reports as required.
• Oversee and supervise the relevant staff.e.g. para-veterinary and admin.
• Keep abreast of National and international trends with regard to the applicable prescripts, policies, procedures, technologies and new developments to be able to render an efficient and effective Veterinary Service.
• Monitor local and international environment to inform policy needs, updates and impact.
• Collection of data and stakeholder consultation.
• Compile and provide inputs for policy development, norms and standards.
• Dissemination, implementation and auditing of policies, norms and standards.

Governance, Risk and Compliance

• Assist with conceptualising the unit’s risk register.
• Ensure the mitigation of the business units’ risk profile through the application of fraud controls and risk prevention principles and implementing sound governance and compliance processes and tools to identify and manage risks.
• Assist with the coordination and maintenance of quality risk management in line with the relevant requirements.
• Monitor changes in the regulatory environment and ensure that appropriate operational controls are implemented to address new requirements
• Ensure effective support in the provision of evidence to all internal and external audit requirements.
• Drive the maintenance and enforcement of all Service Level Agreements to minimise business risk and ensure business continuity.
• Ensure adherence in the divisional team to all relevant laws, policies and Standard Operating Procedures throughout the organisation.

Knowledge

• The Constitution.
• Good governance and Batho Pele Principles.
• Internal performance evaluation and reporting.
• Government decision making processes.
• Diversity Management.
• Performance Management and Monitoring.
• Public Service Regulations.
• Government systems and structure.
• Public Finance Management Act.
• Border Management Act, 2020.
• Animal Diseases Act, 1984
• Meat Safety Act, 2000
• Lab animal housing and routines.
• A good knowledge of hygiene and micro-organisms, e.g. bacteria, viruses parasites.
• International agreements, conventions and bilateral agreements relating to
• Knowledge of the South African Constitution.
• Knowledge of the Border Management Authority Act.
• Understanding of legislation and prescripts applicable prevention and management of Alien and Invasive Species
• Knowledge of applicable international Conventions relating to Alien and Invasive Species.
• Knowledge of the Public Service Act and Regulations as well as the Public Finance Management Act.
• Knowledge of the National Treasury’s Risk Management Framework.
• Phytosanitary, sanitary and food safety & quality matters.
• Relevant legislation and regulations, norms and standards. Animal welfare.