Environmental Health Officer
As a part-time Environmental Health Officer, you’ll provide environmental health and occupational hygiene support to the Air Force and ADF in Australia and overseas.
If you’re looking to experience adventure and excitement outside the everyday, earn tax-free pay and work as part of a close-knit team, this is an exciting opportunity that can work around your lifestyle.
What you'll do
You’ll be responsible for the planning, identification, evaluation and recommendations of control strategies to minimise environmental and workplace health impacts on ADF members.
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:
- ensuring water safety
- ensuring food safety
- epidemiological studies
- occupational hygiene
- waste management
- vector control
- emergency management
- workplace assessments
- radiological assessments.
Following training, you’ll be posted to either a Joint Health or Air Force Health Services Wing Unit for duty, which may include exercises or deployments.
Discover where the Air Force operates across Australia on our base locations map.
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.
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.
To qualify for entry into the Environmental Health Officer specialisation, you’ll need to hold an undergraduate degree majoring in Environmental Health or a postgraduate qualification in Environmental Health. The qualification must be accredited by Environmental Health Australia.
In addition, you’ll need a minimum of 3 years’ relevant experience in your profession. This experience will be assessed by the Air Force Environmental Health specialisation advisor during the recruitment process. A tertiary qualification in Occupational Hygiene or a related field 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.
Female
- Sit-ups (feet held): 20
- Shuttle Run Score: 5.1.
Male
- Sit-ups (feet held): 20
- Shuttle Run Score: 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.
There is no minimum number of years required in the ADF Reserve as service is voluntary. You can volunteer until the Defence retirement age of 65, subject to the requirements and your suitability for further service.
Reserve service is flexible and can fit around your family, life and work responsibilities. You choose your level of commitment ranging from a minimum of 20 days and up to 150 days per year, with the potential to extend to 200 days. In your first year, this includes both Initial Employment and Military Training. On training completion, you can serve from as little as a couple of days a week, one weekend a month or in consecutive weeks - in a way that suits your lifestyle.
Course: Specialist Reserve Officer Induction Course
Duration: 5 days
Location: RAAF Base East Sale, Vic
This course will provide you with general service knowledge, including:
- Air Force customs
- mess etiquette
- air power studies
- organisation of the ADF
- basic practical instruction in drill movements.
Course: Operational Health Support Course (OPHLTHSPT)
Duration: 2 weeks
Location: Health Operational Conversion Unit (HOCU), RAAF Base Amberley, Qld
This course includes a 4-day field phase and will provide you with the knowledge and skills required to deploy an operational health support facility. Subjects include:
- Operational Health Support
- instruction on the various levels of health support available
- personal and collective preparation for deployment
- logistics and administrative considerations
- establishing and running a deployed health facility.
You’ll continue to develop your expertise and skills by completing a number of specialist training courses, which include:
- RAAF Industrial Hygiene Training
- Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Defence
- Emergency Management for Public Health Professionals
- Operational Field Hygiene Training
- Operational Health Support Course
- Ionising Radiation Protection Officer Training
- Radiofrequency Radiation Safety Officer Training
- Defence Occupational Noise Training
- Vector Control and Mosquito Identification Training.
You may be required to undertake specialist training in occupational hygiene, emergency management, audiometry, operational health support, vector control, field hygiene, pest control and radiation safety.
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. For Reserve service, the maximum age to apply is 60 years, with a Compulsory Retirement Age (CRA) of 65. Candidates who wish to enlist into the Reserves beyond the age of 61 years will need further assessment to ensure they can complete all pre-requisite training in their chosen field prior to reaching CRA.
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.
To qualify for entry into the Environmental Health Officer specialisation, you’ll need to hold an undergraduate degree majoring in Environmental Health or a postgraduate qualification in Environmental Health. The qualification must be accredited by Environmental Health Australia.
In addition, you’ll need a minimum of 3 years’ relevant experience in your profession. This experience will be assessed by the Air Force Environmental Health specialisation advisor during the recruitment process. A tertiary qualification in Occupational Hygiene or a related field 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.
Female
- Sit-ups (feet held): 20
- Shuttle Run Score: 5.1.
Male
- Sit-ups (feet held): 20
- Shuttle Run Score: 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.
There is no minimum number of years required in the ADF Reserve as service is voluntary. You can volunteer until the Defence retirement age of 65, subject to the requirements and your suitability for further service.
Reserve service is flexible and can fit around your family, life and work responsibilities. You choose your level of commitment ranging from a minimum of 20 days and up to 150 days per year, with the potential to extend to 200 days. In your first year, this includes both Initial Employment and Military Training. On training completion, you can serve from as little as a couple of days a week, one weekend a month or in consecutive weeks - in a way that suits your lifestyle.
Course: Specialist Reserve Officer Induction Course
Duration: 5 days
Location: RAAF Base East Sale, Vic
This course will provide you with general service knowledge, including:
- Air Force customs
- mess etiquette
- air power studies
- organisation of the ADF
- basic practical instruction in drill movements.
Course: Operational Health Support Course (OPHLTHSPT)
Duration: 2 weeks
Location: Health Operational Conversion Unit (HOCU), RAAF Base Amberley, Qld
This course includes a 4-day field phase and will provide you with the knowledge and skills required to deploy an operational health support facility. Subjects include:
- Operational Health Support
- instruction on the various levels of health support available
- personal and collective preparation for deployment
- logistics and administrative considerations
- establishing and running a deployed health facility.
You’ll continue to develop your expertise and skills by completing a number of specialist training courses, which include:
- RAAF Industrial Hygiene Training
- Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Defence
- Emergency Management for Public Health Professionals
- Operational Field Hygiene Training
- Operational Health Support Course
- Ionising Radiation Protection Officer Training
- Radiofrequency Radiation Safety Officer Training
- Defence Occupational Noise Training
- Vector Control and Mosquito Identification Training.
You may be required to undertake specialist training in occupational hygiene, emergency management, audiometry, operational health support, vector control, field hygiene, pest control and radiation safety.