Job Description
Mō tēnei tūranga mahi | About this role
Job Title: Principal Adviser
Role type: Full time permanent
Location: Wellington
Salary band GSR C: $117,035 - $150,657 depending on skills and experience
About the Role - Kōrero mō te Tūranga
Are you ready to step into a leadership position to help prepare New Zealand to respond against high priority biosecurity incursions? The role will require you to work with, lead, enable and guide a wide range of stakeholders, both within MPI and externally, to take a systemic approach to preparing for, and tackling biosecurity threats.
This will be perfect for you if you love variety, a fast-paced and dynamic working environment and you take satisfaction working on complex topics that people care about and are important to protecting the prosperity of New Zealand.
You will use your great time management skills, policy tools and your knowledge of the machinery of government to lead critical pieces of work for the benefit of New Zealand's Biosecurity System.
About You - Mōu
You are savvy, can navigate through complex systems, have policy experience, or equivalent thereof, knowledge around the machinery of government, and/or experience leading pieces of work that are involve multiple stakeholders and are complex.
You ideally will have:
- Working knowledge of the different components of the machinery of government
- Strong problem-solving and time management skills
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills to gather a wide range of information from subject matter experts and synthesise this to come up with recommend ways forward
- Policy experience and be comfortable bridging the gap between high level strategic thinking and operational planning
- The ability to engage with people to work out a way forward, identify priority issues, flag risks, and work independently
You don't need a technical background in biosecurity or science, but some working knowledge of the Biosecurity System would be an advantage.
You do not need to meet all of the role requirements to apply. We offer a breadth of development and learning opportunities and will welcome an application if you think you could make a great fit.
About the Team - Mō tō mātou Rōpū
You will join a small but high-profile team based in Wellington within Biosecurity New Zealand. You will be given visibility, raising your profile with Senior Leadership, and the ability to try new things alongside a supportive manager with strong ethics on work life balance.
About MPI - Mō te Manatū Ahu Matua
Our role includes seizing export opportunities for our food and fibre sector, improving sector productivity, ensuring the food we produce is safe, increasing sustainable resource use, and protecting New Zealand from biological risk.
Benefits of working at MPI - Ngā hua o te mahi i te Manatū Ahu Matua
- Additional MPI leave days
- Annual Wellness payment
- Career development and internal opportunities across the branch and organisation
Are you ready to make a difference? - Kua rite koe mō tēnei mahi whaitake?
We are committed to being a good partner under Te Tiriti o Waitangi which includes working closely with iwi, hapū, whānau and hāpori.
We aspire to reflect the diverse communities we serve, so we welcome applications from individuals of all backgrounds, and identities. As an organisation, we are committed to making Manatū Ahu Matua Ministry for Primary Industries a great place to work for all.
In your cover letter we'd like to know about you, your values; your interest and motivations for this role; the abilities, strengths, personal attributes, and diverse perspectives you will bring to the role and this organisation, which may have also been gained outside of the workforce.
To view the position description and/or apply online, please click “APPLY FOR THIS JOB” or visit the MPI Careers Site. To apply, you must hold the right to work in New Zealand or be eligible to obtain it – click here to find out more about work visa eligibility and options.
Applications close at midnight Sunday 29th June 2025
If you have any questions about the role, please email cassie.a'uvaa@mpi.govt.nz
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