Senior Adviser - Performance | Wellington City

Job Description

Senior Adviser - Performance

Role type: Full-time, Fixed term until May 2026

Location: Wellington

Salary band & range: General Salary Range D - $100,934 to $118,005 depending on skills and experience

About the Role - Kōrero mō te Tūranga

We are looking for a Senior Adviser to join the Performance team within the Strategy, Performance & Treaty Partnerships directorate. You will be responsible for delivering and implementing assigned work programmes, applying a customer-centric approach to identify risks and opportunities for Biosecurity NZ.

Additionally, you will ensure the Deputy Director-General's (DDG) workflow and commitments are proactively managed to ensure delivery of work programmes and key outcomes.

As the Senior Adviser your key priorities will be to:

• Manage papers and documents for DDG approval. This includes providing quality assurance, reviewing, and offering advice on documents including memos, correspondence, reports, contracts and Ministerial documents.
• Review and assess approval processes across BNZ, including their interaction with wider MPI procedures, to identify opportunities for streamlining and improvement.
• Provide oversight of BNZ projects, ensuring effective programme support and robust quality assurance.
• Take ownership of the BNZ international travel pre-approval process.
• Liaise and collaborate with other business units, including negotiating timelines and priorities.
• Back-fill the Executive Assistant to the DDG when necessary.

About You - Mōu

We are looking for someone to bring:

• Experience at the Senior Adviser level working within a fast paced environment.
• Experience drafting memos, presentations, correspondence to support operational and strategic outcomes.
• Experience providing advice, analysis, internal consultation and engagement, and interaction with senior decision makers.
• Strong relationship management skills with the ability to gain credibility and trust of the DDG, and the Director Strategy, Performance and Treaty Partnerships.
• Your comfort in ambiguity with an ability to navigate through complex problems.
• An ability to identify emerging risks and manage risk.

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

Work closely with colleagues in the Office of the DDG. This position is also part of the Performance team who work across the branch to lift Biosecurity NZ's strategic capability and performance – integrating performance measurements, reporting, governance, and planning to enhance capability and assist Biosecurity NZ in achieving its goals.

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
• Ability to purchase extra annual leave
• Career development and internal opportunities across the branch and organisation

Security checks - Ngā Taki Whakahaumaru

Low level Security Clearance

• most preferably a New Zealand citizen, who has resided continuously in New Zealand 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, New Zealand, 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 New Zealand 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 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 24 August 2025.

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

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