Senior Scientist - High Impact Diseases | Wellington - Wallaceville

Role type: Permanent, full-time

Location: Wallaceville, Upper Hutt

Salary band and range: General Salary Range D: $100,934 - $135,076 depending on skills and experience

About the Role - Kōrero mō te Tūranga

We're seeking a Senior Scientist with expertise in virology and working in high containment to join our Virology A team at MPI's Animal Health Laboratory (AHL).

The Animal Health Laboratory located in Wallaceville, Upper Hutt is New Zealand's reference laboratory for exotic, new, and emerging terrestrial and aquatic animal diseases, and contains both PC2 and PC3+ laboratory facilities.

As our Senior Scientist – High Impact Diseases, you will lead the development of protocols and capability for safe handling and diagnostic testing of high impact diseases affecting animals and humans within the AHL's High Biosafety Laboratory.

You will supervise diagnostic testing within our laboratory to support import/export testing, testing for exotic disease investigations and responses, capability development projects, surveillance, quality assurance, and test validation.

Your key responsibilities will include - Enhancing MPI's capability to test for high impact diseases through:

• Developing test methods for diagnostic testing of high impact diseases.
• Leading training in procedures for safely testing for high impact diseases.
• Maintaining, developing, and strengthening relationships with key stakeholders in New Zealand and internationally, including industry, Māori, government, and non-government agencies to support our goals.

About You – Mōu

Our ideal candidate will be a highly motivated individual with the following qualifications and experience:

• PhD in a related scientific field
• Experience working in containment laboratories
• Strong planning, coordination, organising, and teamwork/leadership capabilities
• Expertise in molecular techniques, particularly PCR and real-time PCR
• Familiarity with quality assurance systems
• Knowledge of relevant standards and regulations (e.g., ISO:17025, AS/NZS 2243.3, animal ethics, HSNO)
• Excellent written communication skills, with the ability to produce clearly presented documentation.

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

Our Diagnostic, Readiness & Surveillance (DRS) directorate are the guardians of Aotearoa New Zealand's biosecurity. We run several targeted and passive biosecurity surveillance programmes at any one time, identifying new pests and diseases that make it past our borders, providing research and analysis on their impact, and supporting eradication where we can. Our laboratory programmes aren't just national - we also work with international partners to monitor biosecurity threats.

One of our greatest assets is our people. We've got a team of highly qualified, passionate science professionals who get to work on an extensive range of organisms and projects.

Then there's our facilities. Our design-award winning Wallaceville National Biocontainment Laboratory is one of the newest, most advanced biocontainment laboratories in the world. Opened in 2021, it's the most complex building in New Zealand. We diagnose, research, and help control animal diseases, including animal diseases that can affect people (zoonoses).

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
• Annual Wellness payment

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 applicant/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 11.59pm on 11 March 2026.

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

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