Market Access Counsellor | Wellington City

Job Description

Market Access Counsellor

Role type: Permanent, full-time

Location: Wellington

Salary range & band: General Salary Range C: $119,376 to $160,026 depending on skills and experience

About the role - Kōrero mō te tūranga

You will take responsibility as a market lead in the South-East Asia Bilateral Relations and Trade team to address technical market access issues, manage relationships with New Zealand and offshore stakeholders and lead technical negotiations with overseas governments on the regulatory access conditions for New Zealand's primary products and food exports. The work includes:

• Working with New Zealand Industry sectors to develop positions on trade issues
• Negotiation of market access conditions including certification requirements in designated markets:
• Negotiation and management of bilateral agreements and relationships:
• Trade aspects of emergency responses, and resolution of trade disruptions / incidents in designated markets:
• Intelligence gathering / analysis and influence on policy and regulations:
• Strategy Development and Business Planning:
• Providing advice to senior officials and Ministers
• Developing programmes for and escorting visiting delegations
• Travel to designated markets periodically to undertake negotiations

The work is dynamic and requires people who like a challenge, have strong communication skills and work well as part of a team. If you are interested in utilising your technical and regulatory skills to grow and develop a career with an international flavour this role could be for you. You

About You -  Mōu

You will be a highly motivated self-starter. Your ability to operate flexibly and maintain composure while operating within challenging time constraints and external scrutiny will be a real asset. Ideally you will have significant experience and knowledge of MPI's regulatory systems and experience in operating in the international environment representing the New Zealand Government. To be successful in this role you will have:

• A degree relevant to veterinary science, food safety, biosecurity, or trade negotiations
• A significant level of technical and professional knowledge of primary products and food exports and related issues
• Prior experience leading market access or negotiations with overseas competent authorities
• Experience related to primary products or food production and exports; food or biosecurity regulatory systems
• Established trusted relationships with stakeholders
• Experience analysing information; and providing high quality and timely reports.

Please note that appointments are made to the Bilateral Relations and Trade Division rather than individual teams as this provides flexibility for staff to transfer easily between any of the market access teams and provides for staff to undertake work of a cross-directorate nature when required.

About the Team - Mō tō mātou Rōpū

The Bilateral Relations and Trade Division within the Trade and International Relations Directorate is accountable for implementation of MPI's strategies and goals for growing, enhancing and maintaining bilateral trade and market access of New Zealand's food, fibre and other primary sector products.  This includes the negotiation and/or implementation of bilateral trade agreements and market access requirements, cooperation programmes, and building and sustaining key relationships with counterparts in other countries and markets.

The South-East Asia team within the Division is dedicated to working with the ASEAN countries to lift our exports of primary products through improving market access conditions and maintaining strong relationships with counterpart agencies in these countries to achieve that.

About MPI - Mō te Manatū Ahu Matua

The Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) partners with New Zealand's food and fibre sector to be the world's most sustainable provider of high-value food and primary products.

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

• Annual Wellness payment
• Bi-annual paid eye test and contribution to the costs of corrective lenses/frames
• Career development and internal opportunities across the branch and organisation

Security checks - Ngā Taki Whakahaumaru

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.

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” 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 11.59pm on Friday, 8 August.

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

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