Acknowledgement of Country
CSIRO acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the land, sea and waters, of the area that we live and work on across Australia. We acknowledge their continuing connection to their culture and pay our respects to their Elders past and present. View our vision towards reconciliation.
Role highlights
- Apply your veterinary expertise to cutting-edge animal research in Australia’s national high-containment facility
- Work alongside scientists, veterinarians and animal research teams on nationally significant science
- Join ACDP and build distinctive experience in a research and high-containment environment unlike conventional veterinary or animal-care practice
About CSIRO
As Australia's national science agency, CSIRO is solving the greatest challenges through innovative science and technology. Many of our iconic innovations were once considered impossible until someone, just like you, joined us and took on the challenge. Visit CSIRO.au for more information.
Why join ACDP?
CSIRO’s Australian Centre for Disease Preparedness (ACDP) in Geelong is a nationally significant high-containment facility protecting Australia from serious and emerging animal and zoonotic disease threats. Our teams work across research, surveillance, diagnostics and emergency response, helping safeguard Australia’s animal industries, environment and communities.
This is a pivotal time to join ACDP. A major Part-Life Refit is modernising laboratories, infrastructure and animal research capability to support the Centre’s critical work for decades to come at the Geelong site. You’ll have the opportunity to contribute to science with genuine national impact—helping Australia anticipate, detect and respond to serious biosecurity threats such as lumpy skin disease, African swine fever and avian influenza. Whether your role supports research, diagnostics, surveillance, animal care, laboratory operations or critical infrastructure, your work can strengthen Australia’s preparedness, protect animal health and industries, and help reduce risks to the environment and community. You’ll also build distinctive experience in a complex, highly regulated environment unlike conventional veterinary, animal-care or laboratory practice.
The role:
Join CSIRO’s Australian Centre for Disease Preparedness (ACDP) as a Facility Veterinarian and bring your veterinary expertise to research that matters. As a Facility Veterinarian at CSIRO’s ACDP, you’ll work with multidisciplinary teams to support high-quality animal care and welfare, research studies, disease investigations and biosecurity preparedness. You’ll contribute to nationally significant work addressing emerging infectious diseases and animal health challenges affecting Australia and the region.
Animal research at ACDP takes place within rigorous animal ethics, biosecurity, safety and regulatory frameworks. Depending on the role, you may support animals throughout the research lifecycle, including infectious disease research. Candidates must be comfortable working in an environment where animals may not be able to leave the facility and where humane euthanasia may form part of approved research or biosecurity requirements.
Where you will make an impact:
- Provide clinical veterinary care and technical expertise for animal-based research, including health assessments, disease investigations, surgery, diagnostic imaging and biological sample collection.
- Advise research teams on animal health, welfare, husbandry, clinical monitoring, breeding and colony management to support high-quality research outcomes.
- Contribute veterinary expertise to study design, research protocols, animal ethics applications and project implementation, ensuring appropriate welfare and scientific standards.
- Support preventative health, disease surveillance and emergency veterinary response, maintaining animal health, welfare and research integrity.
- Develop and deliver technical training and educational resources to build capability and promote best practice in animal-based research.
- Collaborate with researchers, animal facility teams and other stakeholders to support animal welfare, regulatory compliance, biosecurity and research outcomes, including participation in shared weekend, after-hours and emergency rosters.
A few important details:
- Location: Geelong, Victoria - Wadawurrung Country
- Salary: AU$118k – AU$127k plus 15.4% superannuation
- Tenure & work schedule: Specified term of up to 3 years. Role is predominantly site-based
- Applications are open to Australian and New Zealand Citizens, Australian Permanent Residents who are able to obtain an Australian Government Baseline security clearance
- Appointment is subject to obtaining or holding an Australian Government Negative Vetting 1 security clearance and providing a national police check. Other security, medical or character requirements may also apply.
- Job Reference Number: 104423
What you will bring:
We’re looking for people who combine a genuine commitment to animal welfare with strong procedural discipline, sound judgement and accountability. You’ll work calmly and constructively across disciplines, follow detailed procedures consistently, speak up when something isn’t right and adapt to a highly regulated, sometimes time-critical environment.
Selection criteria:
- A veterinary degree and eligibility for registration with the Veterinary Practitioners Registration Board of Victoria, with a minimum of two years’ veterinary experience.
- Demonstrated experience applying veterinary expertise and professional judgement to animal health, clinical care, disease investigation and animal management in veterinary, research, diagnostic or related environments.
- Demonstrated practical competence in animal handling, husbandry and veterinary procedures, including surgery, across a range of animal species such as livestock, companion animals, avian species or wildlife.
- Sound knowledge of animal welfare, ethical animal use and regulatory requirements relevant to animals used for scientific purposes, including the Australian Code for the Care and Use of Animals for Scientific Purposes.
- Strong communication, collaboration and training skills, with the ability to work effectively across multidisciplinary teams, develop technical documentation and training resources, and communicate with a range of stakeholders.
- Demonstrated ability to exercise sound professional judgement in a regulated environment, manage competing priorities and appropriately identify and escalate animal welfare, safety, quality or compliance concerns, together with the willingness to work with zoonotic or exotic disease agents and follow high-containment requirements.
For full details about this role and all criteria, please review the Position Description.
Setting you up for success
We are committed to providing a recruitment process that is fair, equitable and accessible to everyone. We’re happy to discuss what adjustments to our process may help you feel safe, respected and able to participate fully. Please contact careersonline@csiro.auand let us know how we can support you.
Life, benefits and flexible work arrangements
Options for part-time, job-share and flexible work arrangements can be discussed based on needs of role and individual circumstances.We can discuss flexible work arrangements with you during the recruitment process. CSIRO also offers a range of leave entitlements, benefits and career development opportunities. To find out more, visit Careers at CSIRO.
Inclusion and belonging
As an equal employment opportunity organisation, we are committed to creating diverse and inclusive teams where people feel they belong. We recognise true diversity encompasses all ages, abilities, cultures, faiths, levels of education, genders, sexualities, diversity of thought and much more. We focus on hiring people who share our values of People First, Further Together, Making it Real and Trusted.
CSIRO holds Platinum Status for the Australian Workplace Equality Index for LGBTQIA+ inclusion, and a Science in Australia Gender Equity Bronze Award.
Child safety
CSIRO is committed to the safety and wellbeing of all children and young people involved in our activities and programs. View our Child Safe Policy.
How to apply
Please apply online and submit a cover letter (maximum 2 pages) and CV that demonstrate your motivation and ability to meet the essential requirements of this role.
Applications close
22 November 2026, 11:00pm AEDT
We strongly encourage early applications as we will be reviewing applications as they come through. CSIRO reserves the right to close the advertising early if we find our desired candidate.