Senior Adviser Dairy | Wellington City

Job Description

Senior Adviser (Dairy, Poultry, Eggs, & Honey)

Role type: Permanent

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

The Senior Advisor plays a key role in upholding the integrity, safety, and reputation of New Zealand's food system by contributing to the development, review, and implementation of food safety and suitability standards. This includes working on regulations, notices, risk management programmes, and regulated control schemes to ensure that food produced, processed, and sold in New Zealand meets high safety and quality standards.

In this role you will:

• give expert advice to help shape food policy, improve how the system works, and make sure New Zealand's food standards stay in line with international expectations.
• work closely with others to encourage innovation, lower compliance costs, support exports, and tackle new challenges – all while keeping food safe and suitable.
• take part in both big-picture and day-to-day work, including leading or supporting projects, helping with planning, and stepping into emergency response roles when needed.
• help build team capability by mentoring others, growing strong relationships with government and industry, and making well-balanced decisions that consider both technical and practical factors

About You – Mōu

You will be an excellent communicator with a strong ability to create plain-language writing and present complex information clearly. You will be confident in interpreting legislation and capable of delivering innovative solutions under pressure. Strong relationship-building skills are essential, along with a proactive attitude and experience in thought leadership. The role also requires someone who can influence stakeholders and contribute effectively to cross-team collaboration, driving improvements in team and organisational outcomes.

We are seeking someone with food safety and regulatory systems expertise, including knowledge of food legislation, HACCP, food processing practices, and export trade requirements.

Your experience will include:

• Strong communication and advisory skills, with experience in gathering, analysing, and communicating complex information.
• Skilled in presenting technical and policy information clearly to diverse audiences and contributing meaningfully to projects and initiatives.
• Collaborative and relationship-focused, with a track record of building and maintaining partnerships across internal and external stakeholders, and mentoring others to support capability development.
• A background from within the dairy industry such as milking systems, manufacturing or laboratories, and a passion to support the industry from a regulatory perspective.

You do not need to meet all 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

 The Dairy, Poultry, Eggs and Honey Team sits within the Food Risk Management directorate, plays a vital role in protecting New Zealand's food system.

This specialised team are responsible for developing, implementing, and maintaining regulatory requirements and guidelines, as well as providing expert technical advice across their respective areas.  The other team members are available to provide support and guidance, ensuring you're well-equipped to contribute effectively. Working closely with other teams across the directorate, we take a collaborative, science-based approach to food safety and risk management.

This is a great opportunity to be part of meaningful work that supports food safety and the integrity of New Zealand's Primary Industries.

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 trusted provider of high-value food and fibre products.

To find out more about the Ministry and what we do please click here.

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

• Additional MPI leave days
• Annual Wellness payment
• Bi-annual paid eye test and contribution to the costs of corrective lenses/frames

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 Thursday 18 September 2025.

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

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