Senior/Adviser Pacific Partnership | Wellington City

Adviser/Senior Adviser Pacific Partnership

Role type: Fixed term full-time until June 2026

Location: Wellington

Salary range: Adviser - Band F: $74,964 to $97,056

Senior Adviser - Band E/D: $82,817 to $128,570 depending on skills and experience

Kōrero mō te Tūranga - About the Role

This position plays a key role in strengthening export systems and capacity in the Pacific region, through projects and mentoring activities to facilitate safe trade of horticultural produce from the Pacific to New Zealand. 

You will work in partnership with specific Pacific Island Countries (PICs) to assist them to enhance their horticulture export assurance systems to support sustainable trade. This includes identifying options for improving compliance across the supply chain and co-ordinating capacity building activities with other development agencies. 

Your role will also include:

• Improving assurance systems by developing and facilitating workshops and activities to identify gaps and options for improving their export certification assurance systems.

• Investigating and analysing current operating procedures, policies and strategies and research. You will develop methods for addressing these in collaboration with PICs.

• Lead the delivery of activities as per the country work plan to achieve the agreed objectives using project management principles.

• Developing import health requirements and negotiating bilateral quarantine arrangements in accordance with relevant international standards and principles.   

• Work collaboratively to enhance engagement and co-ordinate direct communications between PICs, MPI, international development agencies and donors, industry groups, trade organisations, regional councils and universities.

• Assist in conducting facility approvals and audits

• Ensuring the technical documents produced are written in simple understandable language that enhances ease of use. 

There is a requirement in the role to travel off-shore for at least a week at a time 3 -4 times per year.

Mōu - About You

This position requires someone with an understanding of biosecurity or other risk management systems and more importantly, an appreciation of Pacific Island culture, traditions and their operational systems.  

You will have experience in assessing risk or quality management systems, developing work programmes to achieve agreed outcomes and improving business or operational processes. Ideally you would also have a working knowledge or understanding of international development preferably in the Pacific region. 

You will also bring:

• Clear, confident communication style, and ability to present in a culturally relevant manner.

• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships both internally and externally across a wide variety of people.

• Sound analytical skills and ability to be able to deal well with ambiguity in complex problems.

• A sense of curiosity and creativity

Mō tō mātou Rōpū - About the Team

The Pacific Partnership team is part of the Biosecurity Import & Export Standards directorate within Biosecurity New Zealand. The team is made up of 4 staff all located in Wellington City.

While the Programme is a key deliverable, the team is also responsible for other Pacific plant health engagement and works with the rest of the directorate on Pacific related work, including standards development.

Mō te Manatū Ahu Matua - About MPI

Our role includes seizing export opportunities for our food and fibre sector, improving sector productivity, ensuring the food we produce is safe, increasing sustainable resource use, and protecting New Zealand from biological risk. 

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

• Additional MPI leave days

• Reduced premiums for Group Healthcare Schemes

• Career development and internal opportunities across the branch and organisation

Wā Mahi Ngāwari - Flexible Working

We support flexible working arrangements and are happy to discuss these options with you.

Kua rite koe mō tēnei mahi whaitake? - Are you ready to make a difference? 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 3 September 2024

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