Manager Food and Seafood Standards | Wellington City

Job Description

Job title: Manager Food and Seafoods Standards

Role type: Permanent, full-time

Location: Wellington City

Salary band & range: General Salary Range B, $138,938 to $162,716 per annum, depending on skills and experience  

About the Role - Kōrero mō te Tūranga

The Manager Food and Seafood Standards sits within the Food Risk Management Directorate within New Zealand Food Safety at the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) and plays a key leadership role across the food system.

This role leads the team responsible for developing, maintaining, and implementing New Zealand's food and seafood standards. A central focus of the role is people leadership and performance, alongside delivery of complex, high‑impact work programmes in a regulated and high‑profile environment.

Operating at a system level, the role requires sound judgement to balance public health protection, industry impacts, regulatory obligations, and international requirements. The Manager works closely with a diverse range of internal and external stakeholders, including local councils, food manufacturers, food service operators, primary producers such as shellfish growers and as well as industry bodies, and international counterparts.

As Manager Food and Seafood Standards, you will:

• Lead and set direction for the team responsible for New Zealand's food and seafood standards, fostering a high‑performing and engaged team culture
• Lead and deliver complex projects and work programmes, including contributing to the delivery of a high‑profile ministerial project
• Manage emerging food safety risks and ensure consistency and alignment across regulatory systems
• Oversee the delivery of complex, risk‑based and evidence‑driven policy, technical work, and work programmes
• Partner with industry, Māori, local councils, government agencies, and international stakeholders to support effective and trusted standards
• Support market access and contribute to senior leadership forums and food safety response readiness.

About You - Mōu

You are a confident and experienced people leader who can guide others through complexity and shifting priorities, and who brings a strong track record of developing and leading high‑performing teams.

You are likely to be an established leader from the food sector, with a solid understanding of regulatory or policy‑based operating environments. This role would suit someone motivated by purpose‑driven leadership and confident leading and delivering at a system level.

To be successful in this role, you will have:

• Demonstrated experience leading and managing high‑performing teams in complex or regulated environments, including performance and capability development
• Proven ability to lead and deliver complex work programmes or projects to agreed milestones, including within high‑intensity settings
• Sound understanding of food systems, food safety, or regulatory frameworks (domestic and/or international)
• Strong stakeholder engagement and influencing skills, with experience working across industry, government, local councils, or regulatory partners
• Comfort operating at a system level, applying sound judgement to balance public health, risk, impact and delivery, and effectively managing and escalating risks in complex or high‑pressure environments.

About the Team - Mō tō mātou Rōpū

The Food and Seafood Standards team sits within the Food Risk Management directorate of New Zealand Food Safety. The team brings together specialists across food and animal product standards, risk management, and regulatory design.

The team works closely with colleagues across MPI and with partners domestically and internationally. The work of this team directly supports MPI's role in protecting public health, maintaining confidence in New Zealand's food system, and enabling trusted trade.

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

• Ability to purchase extra annual leave
• Additional MPI leave days
• Reduced premiums for Group Healthcare Schemes

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.

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 midnight on Tuesday 21 April 2026

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

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