Environmental Health Manager
As a part-time Environmental Health Manager, you’ll be an important member of the health strategy team to maintain the health of the Army. You’ll provide essential support to command in barracks, in the field and on operations.
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:
- advice to commanders – combination of advice related to prevention of disease, active monitoring of environments, hazard management, and mitigation strategies and recommendations
- human resource management – managing Environmental Health Teams
- 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
- disease control – implementing measures for the prevention and control of communicable disease and maintaining and interpreting disease statistics and other epidemiological data
- waste disposal – advising on the safe disposal of human, perishable and industrial wastes in accordance with compliance with appropriate environmental standards
- pest control – management and advice on the safe eradication of pests and vermin
- vector control – management and programs for the effective control of vector borne diseases
- operational health support – providing advice and preventative medicine services for hygiene and sanitation in field operations
- disaster support – maintaining public health standards in support of disaster preparedness and disaster recovery
- liaison – liaising with civilian environmental health and other specialist authorities.
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.
The Army Reserve has units located all across Australia and offers you the flexibility to serve where you live. There are training locations in cities, small towns and regional areas. Even if there isn’t a unit close to you there may be other ways to serve. You’ll have a Careers Coach who you can ask about your options.
You’ll 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).
The best part is feeling I’m making a difference in a humanitarian sense.
The best part is feeling I’m making a difference in a humanitarian sense.
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. 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.
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 a 3-year degree in Environmental Health or a Graduate Diploma in Environmental Health. You must also be eligible to hold membership in Environmental Health Australia (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.
Two 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.
There is no minimum number of years required in the ADF Reserve as service is voluntary. You can volunteer until the Defence Reserve 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. In your first year, you can choose to serve between a minimum of 20 and up to 150 days, which includes Initial Employment and Military Training. After that, you can choose to serve 20 to 150 days each year, with the potential to extend to 200 days. On training completion, you can serve from as little as one night a week, one weekend a month, or in consecutive weeks - in a way that suits your lifestyle.
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: 14 days
Location: Army Logistic Training Centre (ALTC), Bonegilla, Vic
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.