Team Manager Establishment, Invercargill | Invercargill

Job Description

Team Manager Establishment

Role type: Permanent, full-time

Location: Invercargill

Salary band & range: VTS Salary Range 1: $128,878 to $161,098

Starting salary will be dependent on skills and experience of the successful applicant

About the Role - Kōrero mō te Tūranga

You will lead and manage people (veterinarians) at a regional level and will place a strong emphasis on developing staff capability to ensure delivery of high quality and nationally consistent technical and operational services within the Establishments Team. The Invercargill Establishments Team Manager supports Verification Services veterinarians based at meat processing facilities in the Southland region.

A high level of versatility and a strong understanding of what it takes to enable meat processing facilities (Establishments) to own their compliance to ensure success is vital. Your positive engagement and that of your team will be essential in achieving success. Also important will be your ability to work collaboratively with other parts of Verification Services to deliver appropriate training, and support of staff to ensure consistently high levels of service provided. 

You will:

• Support the National Manager Establishment in the delivery of the national strategy and implementation programme in alignment with the Verification Services Leadership Team business development plans.
• Deliver technical requirements in the region including technical reviews, supporting your team's technical enquiries, and engaging with operators at the meat works level.
• Work with other relevant parts of Verification Services to ensure adequate ongoing training, and support of staff to ensure delivery of a consistent high level of service.
• Provide leadership and management to all staff by ensuring robust processes for communication, engagement, learning and development, and performance management are implemented.
• Manage all resources and outcomes through the effective implementation of organisational processes and procedures (health and safety, recruitment, financial, planning, monitoring, and measuring, reporting).

About You - Mōu

This role would suit someone with a Veterinary or science background who has solid people and cost centre management experience.

To be successful for this role, you will:

• Have a registerable veterinary or science based tertiary qualification.
• Have experience developing and coaching staff.
• Be able to make business decisions that have a financial impact and an understanding of cost recovery.
• Experience managing relationships and consulting with an assortment of external stakeholders.

You must have a current 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.

Mō te Manatū Ahu Matua - About MPI

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.

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

• Annual Wellness payment
• Comprehensive 3-day MPI Induction Programme
• Mentoring and coaching programmes

About the Team - Mō tō mātou Rōpū

Reporting to the National Manager Establishments, this role sits within the Verification Services directorate in the New Zealand Food Safety business unit.  will work closely with other Team Managers nation-wide as well as with your team members to deliver programmes and provide peer support and professional development.

The Invercargill Establishment team has a strong international flavour with members originating from South Africa, South Korea, Holland, Great Britain, USA, as well as New Zealand. Each of the six processing plants have a Supervising Veterinarian to manage the VS team there and to manage the relationship with the operator's compliance team and management team. The whole team has 20 verifiers which includes relievers who fill in across all sites as needed.

The work of the team directly contributes to MPIs strategic objectives of Prosperity, Visible Leadership and Protection. MPI's veterinarian verifiers are at the forefront of food safety in the export red meat sector, which generates around $13b of revenue annually. Our vets also have key roles in animal welfare and biosecurity response plans. We engage with the rural community through our on farm verification program.

Invercargill - New Zealand's southernmost city with a population exceeding 53,000. Invercargill is the capital of Southland. Invercargill is well-serviced with an excellent range of shops and a selection of lively bars and restaurants. The family-friendly Invercargill also boasts an abundance of special natural spaces, from parks and gardens to picturesque bushes and reserves, rivers, and beaches, as well as the unique Sandy Point domain.

Credit check - Tirotiro nama

Please note, given this position is identified as carrying financial risk, the preferred candidate(s) will be required to satisfactorily pass a credit check.

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” 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 Wedensday 18th February 2026. 

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