Specialist Systems Auditor | Wellington City

Job Description

Specialist Systems Auditor

Role type: Permanent, full-time

Location: Preferably Auckland, Wellington, or Christchurch
Other locations may be considered for the right candidate.

Salary band & range: General Salary Range C: $121,764 to $142,494 depending on skills and experience

About the Role - Kōrero mō te Tūranga

The Systems Audit Team delivers an audit programme that supports food safety, assurance and market access outcomes, helping underpin New Zealand's $50 billion food and primary industries export sector. As part of New Zealand Food Safety's Assurance Directorate, the team provides independent assurance that New Zealand's regulatory systems are working as intended and continue to deliver trusted outcomes domestically and internationally.

As a Specialist Systems Auditor, you will work at the point where New Zealand's regulatory systems are tested, demonstrated and continuously improved. You'll undertake diverse and intellectually challenging audits across sectors including meat, dairy, seafood, laboratories, animal welfare and biosecurity, building a unique system-wide understanding of New Zealand's primary sector.

This is a role where New Zealand becomes your workplace. You'll travel throughout the country, engaging with industry leaders, regulators, technical specialists and international authorities, while contributing to activities that support confidence in New Zealand's food safety system and access to global markets.

This role involves frequent and varied travel, including day trips, overnight stays, and audit assignments of up to three weeks in duration. On longer audits, we seek to ensure auditors can return home on weekends wherever practicable.

Key Responsibilities include:

• Undertaking regulatory assurance and systems audit activities across New Zealand's food and primary production sectors.
• Assessing the effectiveness of regulatory frameworks, verification systems and assurance arrangements in achieving intended outcomes.
• Facilitating and hosting overseas competent authority audits, including onsite and remote audit activities.
• Providing technical expertise to accreditation bodies, including IANZ and JASANZ, to support accreditation decisions against MPI requirements.
• Identifying emerging risks, system weaknesses and opportunities for continuous improvement.
• Supporting the ongoing development of assurance systems that maintain domestic and international confidence in New Zealand's food safety and primary production frameworks.
• Contributing to the team's Quality Management System and Health, Safety and Wellbeing programmes.

You will normally undertake audits within sectors where you have existing expertise; however, we actively support auditors to broaden their experience and develop capability across multiple sectors over time. No two audits are the same, and the work offers continual variety, challenge and opportunity to learn.

About You - Mōu

We are looking for a technically strong and naturally curious professional who enjoys understanding how complex systems operate and how they deliver outcomes.

You will be an excellent communicator with significant auditing, verification or regulatory experience, and a strong understanding of the sector you work within. You will be comfortable engaging with a wide range of stakeholders and able to apply sound judgement in complex environments.

This role offers a unique opportunity to apply your expertise beyond individual operations and contribute to the performance and credibility of New Zealand's regulatory systems as a whole.

The role is suited to techncal experts in food production, including meat and dairy processing wanting to expand their knowledge base beyond manufacturing. 

Our ideal candidate will have and/or demonstrate:

• A tertiary qualification relevant to the primary sector (Veterinary Science, Food Technology, Food Safety, Science or related discipline).
• Professional auditing qualifications or equivalent auditing experience.
• Strong relationship management and stakeholder engagement skills.
• The ability to analyse systems and identify risks, trends and opportunities for improvement.
• Knowledge of international trade arrangements and MPI's role as a Competent Authority.
• In-depth knowledge of the Animal Products Act and or Food Act.
• An awareness of other relevant legislation, including the ACVM Act, Animal Welfare Act, Organic Products and Production Act, and Biosecurity Act.

You must have a current full New Zealand driver licence (not temporary, learner, or restricted) or equivalent full foreign drivers licence, and any endorsements required for the type of driving you'll be doing.

About the Team - Mō tō mātou Rōpū

The Systems Audit Team plays a critical role in maintaining confidence in New Zealand's food safety and primary production systems. The team provides a unique perspective on how New Zealand's assurance systems operate in practice and how they support market access, consumer confidence and New Zealand's global reputation for safe food.

Our team includes professionals from diverse scientific, veterinary, regulatory and industry backgrounds who value collaboration, technical excellence and knowledge sharing. While we are geographically dispersed across New Zealand, we regularly connect online and in person to maintain a strong team culture and support one another's ongoing development.

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 Tuesday 18^th August 2026

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