Adviser Food Assurance | Wellington City

Job Description

Adviser Food Assurance

Role type: Permanent, full time

Location: Wellington City

Salary band and range: GSR Band F $76,463 to $89,215 depending on skills and experience

About the Role - Kōrero mō te Tūranga

Step into a role where your work directly supports the safety and reputation of New Zealand's food exports. As part of New Zealand Food Safety, you will help uphold the integrity of systems that keep our products trusted around the world. This is an exciting entry point into the Animal Products export environment, giving you a front row seat to how New Zealand navigates global markets and maintains world class assurance frameworks.

Every day brings something new. You will problem solve real export issues, strengthen our team's reporting capability, and contribute to decisions that keep export supply chains moving smoothly. You will collaborate with a supportive group of specialists and work directly with recognised agencies and major exporters, helping coordinate responses and share information across the sector. Your work will help keep New Zealand's food story strong, credible, and internationally respected.

In this role you will:

• Build and improve team reporting systems
• Support analysis of export issues for internal and external stakeholders
• Connect with industry to share information on export requirements
• Contribute to work that strengthens export assurance
• Support communication of export events across MPI

About You - Mōu

You thrive in environments where information comes together to tell a story. You enjoy diving into data, spotting patterns, and turning complex technical details into insights that help industry and regulators make confident decisions. You bring natural curiosity and a desire to understand how systems work, paired with a collaborative mindset that helps you build strong relationships across teams, agencies, and sector partners. You are comfortable asking questions, exploring different solutions, and contributing ideas that lift the quality and consistency of our export assurance outcomes. Most importantly, you bring a willingness to learn, grow and adapt in a space that is fast moving, meaningful, and directly connected to New Zealand's global reputation.

We are looking for someone with:

• Skill in spreadsheets, reporting, and data management (Power BI desirable)
• Ability to analyse information and produce clear, simple outputs
• Strong communication skills to support customers and stakeholders
• Interest in assurance, regulation, food safety, or export processes
• A relevant tertiary qualification (e.g. food, biological, or related science)

You do not need to meet all of 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

You will join a skilled and welcoming group within New Zealand Food Safety, working closely with the export sector on real time issues that matter for New Zealand's reputation. The team collaborates daily with internal MPI groups and recognised agencies, sharing information, solving problems, and helping ensure export products meet overseas expectations.

This is a Wellington based team with strong sector relationships, including exporters such as Fonterra and Silver Fern Farms, and key regulatory and audit partners.

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
• MPI Mentoring program

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 26th April 2026.

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

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