Senior Adviser (Animal and Animal Products) | Wellington City

Job Description

Senior Adviser (Animal and Animal Products)

Role type: Permanent, full-time

Location: Wellington City

Salary band & range: General Salary Range D - $100,934 to $118,005 depending on skills and experience

About the Role – Kōrero mō te Tūranga

As a Senior Adviser in the Animal and Animal Products team, you will play a key role in delivering science-based risk assessment and risk management advice to support the development of import health standards for animals and animal products. You will lead the development of robust, evidence-based risk analyses that underpin decisions on biosecurity requirements, including what measures are needed to safely manage risks associated with imports of animals and animal products. Your work will directly contribute to enabling safe trade and protecting New Zealand's biosecurity system.

Working in a dynamic and evolving environment, you will collaborate closely with internal teams and external stakeholders, lead consultation processes, and support engagement with international counterparts. This includes contributing to bilateral negotiations, ensuring alignment with international standards, and helping to maintain a consistent and pragmatic approach to risk management across import pathways.

In this role, you will:

• Develop risk analyses for new and existing standards, using advanced scoping information and scientific evidence
• Provide technical advice to amend, update, and create import health standards for animals and animal products
• Work collaboratively with other Biosecurity NZ teams to draft standards
• Contribute to consultation processes, including building the evidence base and supporting risk management decisions
• Support bilateral negotiations and engagement with offshore counterparts and international organisations
• Participate in peer review of risk assessments and other key documents
• Identify and implement improvements to risk assessment and analysis processes
• Build and maintain strong relationships with stakeholders, including industry and international partners
• Drive consistency in risk analysis approaches across import standards and pathways
• Contribute to strategic work programmes and support alignment with international standards
• Support negotiations on market access conditions, veterinary certificates, and related requirements
• Help ensure a consistent view of acceptable risk and appropriate risk management across all sectors

About You – Mōu

To be successful in this role, you will bring strong technical capability and a sound understanding of science-based risk assessment, supported by relevant tertiary qualifications and/or equivalent professional experience. With at least three years in a technical or advisory role, you have demonstrated your ability to gather, analyse, and synthesise complex information, and translate it into clear, well-structured advice for a range of audiences. You will have worked within regulatory or policy environments, with an understanding of biosecurity legislation, the New Zealand primary sector, and the broader business and political context. You are confident working across teams and stakeholders to deliver high-quality, evidence-based outcomes.

You will bring:

• A relevant tertiary qualification and/or significant regulatory experience (postgraduate science or veterinary qualifications desirable)
• At least three years' experience in a relevant technical or professional role
• Strong analytical skills and proven ability to interpret and synthesise complex information
• Experience communicating technical content clearly to both technical and non-technical audiences
• Demonstrated ability to build relationships and work collaboratively to achieve shared outcomes
• Knowledge of biosecurity legislation, regulatory systems, and the New Zealand primary sector
• Awareness of organisational priorities and the ability to align work accordingly
• Sound judgement and problem-solving skills, including identifying and evaluating options and their implications
• Confidence to engage with and influence a range of stakeholders
• Strong planning and organisational skills, with the ability to prioritise and meet deadlines
• Familiarity with scientific processes, including literature review
• Proficiency in common digital tools (e.g. Word, Excel, databases)

In additional to your technical skills and experience, you are a strong communicator and critical thinker who brings initiative, sound judgement, and a solutions-focused mindset. Comfortable working in a dynamic environment, you can quickly grasp complex issues, adapt your approach, and contribute to well-reasoned decisions. Your interpersonal skills enable you to facilitate collaboration, broker discussions, and build trust with others, while your ability to tell clear, compelling stories with information helps drive understanding and action. You are motivated to contribute to meaningful outcomes, continuously improve the way work is delivered, and support a consistent, high-quality approach across the system.

About the Team - Mō tō mātou Rōpū

The individuals in the Animal and Animal Products team work collaboratively, adding value to each other's work and problem solving together. The team engages with many other teams to complete high priority work that will protect New Zealand while facilitating trade; efficient delivery of our work is critical. You'll need to enjoy working in a dynamic team environment.

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.

To find out more about the Ministry and what we do please click here.

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

• 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” 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, 14 June

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

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