Information and Guide for Applicants 
Thank you for your interest in seeking employment with Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ).
As an applicant for a position you will need to be able to demonstrate that you are able to satisfy the requirements of the position. In order to do this youmustaddress the Selection Criteria, and have regard to the Duty Statement and the Job Description.
Your written application may be the sole basis of an assessment for short listing. Your application and referees' comments may be the basis for the final assessment.
You should talk to the Contact Officer about the position to determine whether you are the right person for the job. The Contact Officer can be contacted on the number provided in the advertisement. The Contact Officer is the best person to provide you with general information about FSANZ, the position, the composition of the Selection Advisory Committee (SAC) and their proposed assessment method.
If you have any special requirements please state them in your application and discuss them with the Contact Officer.
You may also wish to conduct other research about the organisation and/or vacancy. Documents such as the Annual Report and Corporate Plan may be helpful and are available on our website.
Your application should:
- Specifically address each of the Selection Criteria. The SAC may not give further consideration to your application if you have not demonstrated you meet the requirements of the selection criteria.
- Generally not exceed six pages.
- Include concise curriculum vitae, resume or other employment history record.
- Be as simple as possible on plain white paper to facilitate photocopying.
- Be concise, relevant and use plain English.
- Cite examples and key achievements wherever possible.
- Include the FSANZ Personal Particulars Form
- Include a copy of qualifications/certificates where a mandatory qualification has been specified in the selection criteria.
Your application should be sent by email to FSANZ at hrmanager@foodstandards.gov.au or posted to Food Standards Australia New Zealand, Recruitment, PO Box 7186, Canberra Business Centre, ACT, 2610.
Your application should reach the email or postal address by the closing date. Applications received after the closing date may not be accepted.
Selection Process
The process usually followed by the SAC is:
- shortlist applications;
- interview the shortlisted applicants;
- review and assess referee comments and or reports; and
- prepare a selection report for the delegate’s approval.
Short listing
The SAC reviews all written applications to determine the suitability of each applicant for the advertised position, and select the preferred applicants for interview. Your application must address the selection criteria concisely but with sufficient detail to outline relevant experience so the SAC can make a valued decision on your suitability for interview.
Only the strongest applicants are shortlisted for interview, just meeting or satisfying the selection criteria will not necessarily be enough.
Interviewing
Depending on the requirements of the position, some SAC’s may include a written or practical test as part of the interview process. The interview will be aimed at assessing your claims against the selection criteria and inherent requirements of the position.
If you are located in Canberra interviews will be conducted face-to-face. If you are located outside Canberra, in the first instance, you will be interviewed via telephone or video conference. If a follow up face-to-face interview is required, you will be brought to Canberra at FSANZ’s expense. If you are located overseas, other arrangements will be made.
Reviewing and Assessing Referee Comments
Your application should include the names and contact details of at least two referees. It is not necessary to provide referees’ comments with your application.
Your principal referee would normally be a current or previous supervisor. You may also nominate peers, subordinates, and/or clients who are familiar with your work performance.
If it is not appropriate for any reason that your current supervisor is a referee, you should raise this matter initially with the contact person and then, if short-listed, discuss with the chair of the SAC.
The SAC may, in addition to your nominated referees, contact any other person who it considers is familiar with your work to assist in their assessment eg: previous supervisors, peers, subordinates and/or clients.
If your referee is unable to comment on some of the selection criteria, the reference can still be of value to the SAC. However, in these circumstances applicants should ensure that the remaining criteria are covered by other referee(s).
You will be given an opportunity to respond to any adverse comments that affect the SAC’s decision.
Selection Report
The SAC prepares a report on the selection process and makes a recommendation to the delegate who is responsible for approving the report. Once the report is approved, the SAC can act to complete the employment process, with the assistance of the Human Resources Unit.
Offer of employment
If your application is successful and you are offered employment with FSANZ, you should be aware that the offer may be subject to you satisfactorily completing a medical examination, police records check and probationary period.
Note: a person who has received a voluntary redundancy from the Commonwealth is not eligible to be employed by FSANZ until the conclusion of either the period identified as their paid redundancy period, or a maximum of 12 months after the date of the redundancy.
All employees (including New Zealand based staff) are employed under the provisions of the Public Service Act 1999, and in accordance with FSANZ’s relevant agency Agreement that is in force at the time of their engagement.
Due to significant interest in FSANZ vacancies, we are not able to provide feedback to people who are not selected for interview. Once a selection process has been completed, people who have been interviewed, but are unsuccessful, will be notified by mail and can request to receive a copy of their individual assessment.