Senior Advisor Official Correspondence

As New Zealand's environmental regulator, the work we do today helps shape the future of our tomorrow.

Our purpose | To tatou kaupapa 

We are the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA), Aotearoa New Zealand’s independent environmental regulator. Our role is important: to help protect our country’s unique way of life by looking out for the health of its environment, its economy and its people.  

Our kaupapa is about making the right decisions based on evidence, mātauranga, and science. At the EPA, we encourage big ideas and bold goals.  

What we achieve today helps shape the future of New Zealand for generations to come.  

Come join us 

We welcome you to join us on our journey to a healthy environment that benefits us all. 

Jump in the waka - make history with us. 

About our group | Mō te roopu 

The Corporate Services Group works in close partnership with the wider business to lead, support, and enable the EPA to achieve its strategic intentions and effectively and efficiently deliver its core functions.  

There are four key functions within the Corporate Services Group.  

Communications and Customer function: 

Provides leadership and support in the areas of external communications and media management, corporate communications and publications, ministerial and government engagement, and information with the public through official correspondence and customer contact centre.    

About the role | Mō te tūnga  

• Typical day in the life of this role involves relationship management between leadership and subject matter experts to determine approaches to complex Official Information Act (OIA) requests and prepare responses, and in so doing, identify and act on risks and opportunities.  

• Lead responses to official correspondence and parliamentary questions. This involves ensuring the responses are complete, timely, accurately reflect the EPA’s strategic direction, and fulfil our OIA or other legislative requirements. The Senior Advisor is the guardian of a strategic approach that facilitates an effective and efficient process.   

• Coaching and supporting team members and training staff on the OIA 

• Success looks like joining the dots across organisational matters, providing context and detail for responses and enabling us to tell our wider EPA story 

About you | Mōhou ake  

We are looking for someone with a range of skills and experience – if you have some or all of the below, we would love to hear from you. 

• An in-depth knowledge of the OIA and the Privacy Act 

• An understanding of the importance of the relationship between entities and their responsible Minsters 

• An in-depth knowledge of machinery of government processes 

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills 

• An understanding of the role of a regulator 

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills 

• A tertiary qualification in a relevant area of expertise (eg environment, public policy, communications or law).   

What’s in it for you | Ngā āhuatanga kei a mātou 

There are extra benefits to working at the EPA: 

• Flexible working culture 

• Three additional annual leave days between Christmas and New Years in addition to four weeks’ annual leave 

• $400 non-taxable payment to help you set up working at home 

• An annual paid EPA Environment Day to support the community with environmental initiatives 

• In-house Māori cultural capability building programme  

• Learning opportunities, including the annual EPA Symposium  

• Active and lively social club, and diverse groups and support networks  

• EPA awards recognising individual and team effort 

Salary range  

$83,724 - $125,586 per annum (midpoint $104,655). 

This is the full salary range. Appointments are made within the range depending on skills and experience. 

How to apply | Me pēhea te tuku tono  

Complete the online application form and submit your CV and a covering letter.  

Please note: your covering letter is an important part of our assessment process. Please highlight how your experience relates to this role, and why you applied. Tell us about you, your values and/or whakapapa.  

View the position description 

For more information, please contact recruit@epa.govt.nz or check out the careers section of our website www.epa.govt.nz/careers. 

Please note, we will review applications as they are submitted and may begin our selection process prior to the end of the application stage.