Job opportunity: Executive Director, Australian Plant Phenomics Facility

An outstanding opportunity exists for an exceptional leader and communicator with an entrepreneurial vision to lead the Australian Plant Phenomics Facility (APPF) and drive the development and implementation of the facility’s five-year strategy.

As Executive Director, you will work in close collaboration with the APPF Advisory Board to:

• Consult with leaders in agriculture, food and wine science, to develop and implement the APPF strategic plan, ensuring the facility’s infrastructure is aligned with the needs of the research community and industry to help tackle the pressing challenges for plant phenomics and agriculture,
• Promote national consultation and knowledge exchange in plant phenomics,
• Nurture productive relationships with a range of private, governmental and non-profit stakeholders in Australia and overseas,
• Collaborate with the Department of Education and Training’s NCRIS team in developing the next Research Infrastructure Investment Plan.

• Quality background in ‘science to delivery’ and sound understanding of the Australian research and innovation sector.
• Demonstrated ability to attract co-investment and to drive and meet growth targets.
• Significant commercial experience, well-developed business acumen and evidence of success in influencing policy development and decision-making.
• Extensive understanding of Australian plant and agricultural science and related industry

Established in 2009, the APPF was developed with funding from the Australian Government under the National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy (NCRIS) and co-funding from the governments of South Australia and the ACT, the University of Adelaide, CSIRO and the Australian National University to develop a globally collaborative plant phenomics capability that provides leadership in infrastructure, skills and service for agricultural research and industry to maximise productivity in Australia’s unique and variable environment.

The APPF provides access to cutting-edge research infrastructure and expertise in plant phenomics to facilitate innovative research projects. The collaborative nature of the facility helps accelerate knowledge transfer, increases cross-disciplinary collaboration and promotes data sharing to help academic and commercial plant scientists understand the relate the performance of plants to their genetic make-up. 

The coming decade provides great opportunities to further enhance Australia’s plant phenomics capability. The benefits of high quality phenomics have been recognised by researchers and industry alike. Plant phenotyping solutions are being adopted in scientific experiments and plant breeding programs to accelerate research output and agricultural impact. A coordinated approach is required to support this phenomics expansion, drive innovation, translate big data into meaningful information and accelerate knowledge transfer and impact.

As Executive Director, you will capitalise on these opportunities and will drive the development and implementation of a five-year strategy to meet the aspirations of the APPF.

We invite you to join our dynamic team and have a real impact in shaping the future of plant phenomics in Australia!

Position details

The Executive Director will be appointed for three years with the possibility of an extension. An attractive salary package will be negotiated.

For further information including details on how to apply, please download the Candidate Booklet.

To learn more about this critical position, please contact Ms Helli Meinecke, Acting Executive Officer of the Australian Plant Phenomics Facility and Managing Director of The Plant Accelerator® on phone: +61 8 8313 0808 or by email at helli.meinecke@adelaide.edu.au

Closing date: 18 October 2018

20 September 2018