Senior Technician | Auckland Tamaki

Job Description

Senior Technician (Entomology)

Role type: Fulltime, fixed term until 20 September 2026

Location: Auckland

Salary band & range: General Salary range G $67,658 to $89,957 depending on skills and experience

About the Role - Kōrero mō te Tūranga

The Ministry for Primary Industries, Plant Health and Environment Laboratory is seeking a Senior Technician to join our Entomolgy team. You will provide technical support for professional diagnostic and advisory services for specimens collected during surveillance and investigation activities.

In this role, your responsibilities will include:

• Laboratory maintenance, and processing & curation of insect specimens.
• Routine identification and testing of samples received from Border, Post-Border.
• General surveillance, and response specimens.
• Laboratory information management system (LIMS) and Plant Pest Information Network (PPIN) data entry for Entomology and reporting new records.
• Collecting technical information and providing technical advice to other MPI staff.
• Assisting with equipment maintenance and calibration.

About You - Mōu

You will have experience in identification, particularly morphological and or experience within a quality environment. You will be a motivated individual with a tertiary education or relevant technical experience in entomology your skills and experience will include:

• Basic recognition and working knowledge of the major groups of plant and environmental pests.
• Proven technical skills in sample processing.
• Experience in plant health laboratories and relevant diagnostic methods.
• Knowledge of molecular identification techniques.
• Morphological identification of invertebrate's.

Our ideal candidate will be team players with excellent written and verbal  communication skills, posses leadership ability, be someone who takes initiative, and has sound judgment, with an ability to prioritize under pressure and adapt to changing demands.

About the Team - Mō tō mātou Rōpū

Our Entomology team is dedicated, diverse, and highly supportive and operates in a busy and varied environment to deliver our core work program supporting New Zealand's biosecurity system and our stakeholders.

The Plant Health & Environment Laboratory (PHEL) is part of MPI's Diagnostics Readiness and Surveillance (DRS) directorate. PHEL is the national reference centre for the identification of all suspected exotic, new, and emerging pests and diseases of plants, and arthropod pests affecting the environment. It also provides diagnostic services to primary industries to facilitate trade. The laboratory is accredited to ISO 17025.

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

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.

Drug and Alcohol Screening - Whakamātau Whakapōauau me te Waipiro

Please note, given this position is safety sensitive the preferred candidates(s) for the position will be required to undergo a drug and alcohol pre-employment screening test. Further information on this process can be found on our careers site, here.

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 11:59 on Wednesday 10 September 2025

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

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