Environmental Health Manager
As an Environmental Health Manager, you’ll be an important member of the health strategy team to maintain the health of the Army. You’ll be trusted with the planning, identification, evaluation and recommendations of control strategies to minimise environmental and workplace health impacts on ADF members.
What you'll do
You’ll provide essential support to command in barracks, the field and on operations. In the field, you’ll ensure high environmental health and sanitation standards, that are appropriate for the situation you’re in. This may include not only providing advice but sometimes physically implementing control strategies (pest control, construction and maintenance of field hygiene facilities, etc). You may also be employed in disaster support, providing advice and support to deployed forces and affected populations.
Your duties may include:
- advising commanders – providing advice related to disease prevention, environmental monitoring, hazard management and mitigation strategies
- human resource management – you may be responsible for the training, welfare and discipline of the soldiers under your command
- disease control – implementing measures for the prevention and control of communicable disease and maintaining and interpreting disease statistics and other epidemiological data
- water supplies – providing advice on the safety and quality of all Army water supplies, including reticulated base supplies, field water supplies and swimming pools
- food safety – advising on the safety and quality of all Army food supplies including procurement, delivery, storage, preparation and serving
- facilities – determining that appropriate standards are applied to Army facilities to meet health and safety requirements and that facilities are being maintained in a sanitary and safe condition
- work health and safety – monitoring and evaluation of the Army working environment, providing recommendations for the control of workplace hazards including risk analysis
- waste disposal – advising on the safe disposal of human, perishable and industrial wastes in accordance with compliance with appropriate environmental standards
- operational health support – providing advice and preventative medicine services for hygiene and sanitation in field operations
- disaster support – protecting public health standards and health threats including vector/pest control, water quality analysis, food safety, waste management and sanitation. Also providing advice and services in support of disaster preparedness and disaster recovery
- liaison – liaising with civilian environmental health and other specialist authorities.
- chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear environments (CBRNE) support – supporting the provision of safe food and water supplies and the disposal of wastes.
Opportunities for progression and upskilling continue throughout your career as an officer. As you progress, the Army will provide you with leadership, management, and specialist skills training to develop your ability to effectively manage your teams. You’ll also be provided with training opportunities to further develop your role-related expertise. This world-class training will strengthen your skillset and enable you to become an influential leader in the Army.
As an officer in the Army, you may also undertake a posting to an Any Officer role during your career, such as instructor/training roles and staff officer roles. This experience helps you broaden your skill set and prepare for more senior roles.
Following training, you could be posted to one of the many Army bases across Australia, or to a specialist facility for specific roles. You will most likely be located at one of the Health Battalions in Adelaide, Brisbane, Darwin or Townsville. You’ll work with and lead small teams in both field and deployment locations (exercises and operations). You may also be deployed to temporary facilities on combat, disaster relief, peacekeeping and aid provision operations.
Discover where the Army operates across Australia on our base locations map.
My job took me to 6 countries in total, it was a fantastic experience.
Requirements and training
You must be an Australian citizen to serve in the ADF. However, Australian permanent residents may be eligible. For more details, visit the "Citizenship" tab on the Eligibility Requirements page.
You can apply for a role in the ADF from 16.5 years of age and must be at least 17 to join. The maximum age to join is 57 years.
You don’t need a driver’s licence for this role but if you have one, it can’t be suspended or cancelled.
All ADF members require a security clearance. As an ADF member, you’ll need to obtain the appropriate level of security clearance for your role. You’ll need a collection of relevant information including background checks and/or interviews so the Australian Government Security Vetting Agency (AGSVA) can make an informed assessment to ensure the protection of Government resources and information. Your Careers Coach will explain what level of clearance is required for the career you are considering.
For more information or to learn about how security clearance will apply to you, view the eligibility requirements page.
The minimum requirement for entry into this role is an undergraduate degree in Environmental Health that is fully accredited by Environmental Health Australia (EHA). Alternatively, you’ll hold an undergraduate degree in an associated health science field plus a postgraduate diploma/degree in Environmental Health that is fully accredited by EHA.
Your qualifications must be recognised by EHA as meeting the professional standards to practice as an Environmental Health Officer under Australian law, rules and regulations.
2 years’ work experience practising as an Environmental Health Officer is also desirable.
To join the ADF, you must be healthy and physically fit. This is partially assessed from the completion of an extensive questionnaire covering your medical history, followed by a physical examination.
You’ll also be required to successfully pass a physical fitness assessment.
Male
- Push-ups: 8
- Sit-ups: 20
- Beep Test: 6.1.
Female
- Push-ups: 4
- Sit-ups: 20
- Beep Test: 6.1.
For further details on medical and physical fitness standards, refer to physical fitness standards for entry into the ADF and medical process for entry into the ADF.
You’ll be appointed for an Initial Minimum Period of Service (IMPS) of 4 years. Subsequent periods of service may be offered subject to the requirements of the ADF and your suitability for further service. You’ll have a Careers Coach who can advise on how IMPS will relate to your chosen occupation and personal situation.
You may request discharge at any time provided you do not have an outstanding IMPS obligation.
Course: Specialist Service Officer First Appointment Course (SSO FAC)
Duration: 25 days
Location: Royal Military College – Duntroon, Canberra, ACT
You’ll learn fundamental knowledge of:
- leadership and military justice
- weapons handling
- command and control
- unit and personnel administration
- basic military skills
- the ideals of officer behaviour
- attitudes necessary for future employment.
This course is delivered in 2 parts for both full-time and part-time (Reserve) Officers.
- Part 1 – 10 days
- Part 2 – 15 days.
Course: Logistic Officers Basic Course (LOBC) – Health
Duration: 20 days
Location: Army Logistic Training Centre (ALTC), Albury/Wodonga region
You’ll undertake this course in the first 12 months of your appointment, where you’ll learn the fundamental skills required to operate in a deployed environment. The course includes theory, practical and simulated activities.
The LOBC aims to provide Logistic and Health Officers with corps and integrated skills and knowledge to fulfil a range of command and health specialised appointments at the rank of Lieutenant in a foundation warfighting environment.
You may be required to undergo further training in areas such as occupational hygiene, radiation protection, noise management and disease vector control throughout your employment with the Army.
You must be an Australian citizen to serve in the ADF. However, Australian permanent residents may be eligible. For more details, visit the "Citizenship" tab on the Eligibility Requirements page.
You can apply for a role in the ADF from 16.5 years of age and must be at least 17 to join. The maximum age to join is 60 years, less the Initial Minimum Period of Service (IMPS).
You don’t need a driver’s licence for this role but if you have one, it can’t be suspended or cancelled.
All ADF members require a security clearance. As an ADF member, you’ll need to obtain the appropriate level of security clearance for your role. You’ll need a collection of relevant information including background checks and/or interviews so the Australian Government Security Vetting Agency (AGSVA) can make an informed assessment to ensure the protection of Government resources and information. Your Careers Coach will explain what level of clearance is required for the career you are considering.
For more information or to learn about how security clearance will apply to you, view the eligibility requirements page.
With Defence University Sponsorship (DUS), you won’t incur a HELP or HECS-HELP debt as the Army will cover the cost of your course up to the Commonwealth Supported Place amount. This may also cover any necessary equipment and education materials.
For Army DUS sponsorship, you’ll need to have completed one year of an Australian university degree in Environmental Health (or similar) prior to receiving sponsorship, so it’s recommended that you apply for DUS after you’ve completed your first semester and have received your results. Your sponsorship starts from the date of your appointment into the Army, it doesn’t cover any previous semesters of study. You must be eligible to hold membership in Environmental Health Australia upon graduation.
To join the ADF, you must be healthy and physically fit. This is partially assessed from the completion of an extensive questionnaire covering your medical history, followed by a physical examination.
You’ll also be required to successfully pass a physical fitness assessment.
Male
- Push-ups: 8
- Sit-ups: 20
- Beep Test: 6.1.
Female
- Push-ups: 4
- Sit-ups: 20
- Beep Test: 6.1.
For further details on medical and physical fitness standards, refer to physical fitness standards for entry into the ADF and medical process for entry into the ADF.
You’ll be appointed for an Initial Minimum Period of Service (IMPS). Your IMPS will be 4 years full-time service after you have graduated and completed your sponsored university study and any required hiatus periods. Subsequent periods of service or open-ended appointment may be offered subject to the requirements of the ADF and your suitability for further service. You’ll have a Careers Coach who can advise on how IMPS will relate to your chosen occupation and personal situation.
You may request discharge at any time provided you do not have an outstanding IMPS obligation.
Course: Specialist Service Officer First Appointment Course (SSO FAC)
Duration: 25 days
Location: Royal Military College – Duntroon, Canberra, ACT
You’ll learn fundamental knowledge of:
- leadership and military justice
- weapons handling
- command and control
- unit and personnel administration
- basic military skills
- the ideals of officer behaviour
- attitudes necessary for future employment.
This course is delivered in 2 parts for both full-time and part-time (Reserve) Officers.
- Part 1 – 10 days
- Part 2 – 15 days.
Course: Logistic Officers Basic Course (LOBC) – Health
Duration: 20 days
Location: Army Logistic Training Centre (ALTC), Albury/Wodonga region
You’ll undertake this course in the first 12 months of your appointment, where you’ll learn the fundamental skills required to operate in a deployed environment. The course includes theory, practical and simulated activities.
The LOBC aims to provide Logistic and Health Officers with corps and integrated skills and knowledge to fulfil a range of command and health specialised appointments at the rank of Lieutenant in a foundation warfighting environment.
You may be required to undergo further training in areas such as occupational hygiene, radiation protection, noise management and disease vector control throughout your employment with the Army.