Specialist Systems Auditor, NZ Food Safety | National

Job Description

Job Title: Specialist Systems Auditor, NZ Food Safety

Role type: Permanent, full-time OR Secondment of 6-12 months

Location: Preferably Auckland, Palmerston North, Wellington, Nelson, Christchurch or Dunedin
Other locations may be considered for the right candidate

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

About the Role - Kōrero mō te Tūranga

The Systems Audit Team delivers a systems audit programme which supports domestic food safety, assurance and market access outcomes and underpins New Zealand's $50 billion of food and primary industries export trade.

As a Specialist Systems Auditor at MPI, you'll work on diverse and challenging audits, both individually and within a team for the larger audits. This work will require you to travel across the country and provide technical expertise to domestic and international stakeholders.

Key Responsibilities include:

• Auditing businesses across New Zealand to confirm that they are complying with New Zealand's, and where relevant overseas country requirements
• The facilitation and hosting of overseas authority audits (by MPI equivalents from other countries) who come to New Zealand or ask for livestream audits to confirm that their country requirements are being met
• Providing subject matter expertise to accreditation bodies (such as IANZ and JASANZ) to ensure that those being accredited are also meeting the relevant MPI requirements
• Identification of areas for improvement of the Food Safety system and regulatory settings
• Contributing and adhering to the team's Quality Management System and our Health, Safety and Wellbeing processes

You will normally carry out audits in a sector that you are familiar with, however we encourage auditors to increase the scope of the sectors that they can work with over time by supporting other audits.

About You - Mōu

We are looking for an excellent communicator (both written and verbal) who has significant experience in auditing or verification and who has an in-depth understanding of a sector and the requirements that sector operates under.

You will be looking for your next career challenge and will take pride in professionally representing MPI in the domestic and overseas spheres.

You will be a technical expert in a relevant field. Our preference is for the person to have veterinary experience in the red meat sector and/or be a subject matter expert in shellfish, poultry, eggs, bee products or live animals and germplasm.

This role will require frequent and irregular travel (including day trips, overnight stays and travel for audits of up to three weeks). On longer audits we ensure that Auditors travel home for the weekends wherever possible.

In addition our ideal candidate will have/or display:

• Tertiary qualification relating to the primary sector (e.g. Veterinary Science qualification recognised by the Veterinary Council of New Zealand, Food Safety or Food Technology, Science)
• Professional qualification in auditing
• Effective relationship management and building
• Knowledge of international trade arrangements and MPI's role as a Competent Authority
• In-depth knowledge of the Animal Products Act
• Awareness of other relevant Acts including the ACVM Act, Animal Welfare Act, Food Act, Organic Products and Production Act and the Biosecurity Act

You must hold a current and full New Zealand driver licence (not temporary, learner, or provisional) or equivalent full foreign drivers licence, and any endorsements required for the type of driving you'll be doing.

You need to meet most of the role requirements as the auditors in our team are expected to have the competency and capability to audit experienced verifiers. However we offer a breadth of development and learning opportunities to help fill any gaps.  We will welcome an application if you think you have sufficient experience, a willingness to learn and could make a great fit. 

About the Team - Mō tō mātou Rōpū

The Systems Audit team is critical to MPI's work within New Zealand and impacts on our place in the global market.  Systems Auditors are recognised as experts in their field and are trusted advisers at MPI, by industry and with the Agencies we work with.

The team is geographically distributed around New Zealand, so we get together regularly – both on-line and in person to foster a great team culture and support each other. 

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.

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 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 11.59pm on Sunday, 15 February 2026

NB: If you are a Permanent staff member at MPI or ‘permanent' with another government department and applying for this role in a Secondment capacity, please ensure that you have discussed your application with your current manager. Should you be successful in obtaining this role your current Manager needs to be able to release you from your substantive position to take up this Secondment tenure.

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

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