High Throughput Lead | Wellington - Wallaceville

Job Description

Role type: Permanent, Full-Time

Location: Wallaceville, Upper Hutt

Salary range: $96,073 to $128,570, depending on skills and experience

Kōrero mō te Tūranga - About the Role

As a High Throughput Lead, you will be responsible for overseeing and enhancing high throughput diagnostic capability within the Animal Health Laboratory (AHL). You will have day-to-day oversight of complex and valuable robotic systems, which will be essential for running medium to large scale biosecurity emergencies requiring diagnostics. This role will include establishing and maintaining this capability within our biocontainment laboratory, and leading it's use during a biosecurity emergency.

In this role, you would have the opportunity to:

• Develop capability within the existing teams, at AHL, through training programs to enable rapid and effective responses to emergency large scale diagnostics within PC3+ containment
• Ensure the robotic equipment is maintained during normal business and be ready to go when an emergency disease response is initiated
• Develop operating procedures, and manage supplies  of essential reagents and consumables
• Liaise with others to ensure the best utilisation of the robotic platforms
• train MPI staff in its usage provide robust and thorough
• Establish and maintain sound working relationships across Diagnostic and Surveillance Services, and externally, to ensure ongoing supply of samples to maintain operational capability
• Work with the Team Manager Immunology to provide a long term plan and objectives for high throughput diagnostics
• Ensure appropriate maintenance, repairs and calibration arrangements are in place

Mōu - About You

To be successful in this role, you will have a solid background in biological science. You will also have experience working in an operational capacity in a biological laboratory.

In addition to the above, we are looking for a candidate with:

• A BSc or equivalent qualification/experience in a biological science (such as microbiology, immunology, virology, or molecular biology)
• Significant proven experience working in a biological laboratory, including conducting assays for antibody detection or DNA/RNA detection
• The ability to work within the constraints of, and follow the procedures used in a PC3+ containment laboratory
• A track record of demonstrating initiative, technical aptitude, and sound judgement
• Well developed relationship and stakeholder management skills
• Prior experience in providing training or facilitation in a specialised skillset
• The ability to identify goals, initiate work, and achieve outcomes, with minimal supervision
• Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal, including the ability to communicate technical information effectively to diverse stakeholder groups

Mō tō mātou Rōpū - About the Team

Our Diagnostic and Surveillance Services (DSS) directorate are the guardians of Aotearoa New Zealand's biosecurity. One of our key responsibilities is to be prepared for the next exotic disease response – at the laboratory that means being ready to handle large-scale diagnostics through excellent processes and sample management.
We run a number of targeted and passive biosecurity surveillance programmes at any one time, identifying new pests and diseases that make it past our borders, providing research and analysis on their impact, and supporting eradication where we can.

Our greatest asset is our people. We have built a team of highly qualified, passionate science professionals.. With employees from over 20 different countries, DSS is one of the most diverse, welcoming spaces in MPI.

Then there's our facilities. Our design-award winning Wallaceville biocontainment laboratory, opened in 2021,  is one of the newest, most advanced biocontainment labs in the world. Being a reference laboratory our team works on complex cases, not just standard diagnostic lab activities. You'll get to work on challenging, interesting and unusual cases as they arise – often things that are so new to biosecurity that no one else is working on them.

Mō te Manatū Ahu Matua - About MPI

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.

Ngā hua o te mahi i te Manatū Ahu Matua - Benefits of working at MPI

• Comprehensive 3-day MPI Induction Programme
• Career development and internal opportunities across the branch and organisation
• Work amongst some of the best scientific minds in the country

Wā Mahi Ngāwari - Flexible Working
We support flexible working arrangements and are happy to discuss these options with you.

Ngā Taki Whakahaumaru - Security checks

Low level Security Clearance

• most preferably a NZ citizen, who has resided continuously in NZ for at least the last five (5) years, OR
• is a citizen of, and/or has resided continuously in one or more of the following countries for the last five (5) years: either Australia, Canada, NZ, the United Kingdom (UK) or the United States of America (USA); and has a background history that is verifiable and can be assessed as appropriate by the NZ Security Intelligence Service (NZSIS) towards a recommendation of suitability for a security clearance at this level.
• click here to find out more about the national security vetting process and access the eligibility self-check tool.

If you do not meet these minimum criteria, we will not be able to accept your application.

Kua rite koe mō tēnei mahi whaitake? - Are you ready to make a difference?

We are committed to being a good partner under Te Tiriti o Waitangi which includes working closely with iwi, hapū, whanau 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 a great place to work for all.

In your cover letter we'd like to know about you, your values, your whakapapa; 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 on Sunday, 18 June 2023.

If you have any questions about the role, please email George.Petherick@mpi.govt.nz 

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