Senior Adviser Plant Health Surveillance
Role Type: Permanent full-time
Location: Auckland or Wellington
Salary band & range: D - $98,955 to $132,427 depending on skills and experience

Kōrero mō te Tūranga - About the Role
As a Senior Adviser, you will be reporting to the Manager - Plant Health Surveillance, this role will provide technical support and review for plant health biosecurity surveillance programmes, including planning and prioritising surveillance activities and ensuring the outputs from these systems are available to other appropriate areas of Biosecurity New Zealand and MPI.
You will support the wider Diagnostic, Readiness & Surveillance Directorate by:

• Assisting delivery of surveillance programmes
• Drafting annual surveillance reports and surveillance project reports for publication
• Providing advice on the design and enhancement of surveillance programmes
• Providing support and advice to industry and other stakeholders/agencies on surveillance activities
• Gathering and analysing data to inform surveillance activities
• Gathering, assessing, and reporting surveillance-based information across the biosecurity system
• Undertaking assessments of pest and disease freedom status
• Establishing and maintaining systems to support the functions above
• Communicating with relevant authorities both nationally and internationally

Mōu - About You
You will bring your tertiary qualification in plant/plant pest science or related discipline (eg. ecology, biosecurity, biometrics), along with relevant technical or professional experience.
You will be well versed in creating extensive networks and maintaining strong relationships with sector participants and key stakeholders. Your strong communication skills will ensure you can deliver key messages to a variety of audiences.
To be successful in this role you will also bring:

• Knowledge of/experience with surveillance system development and/or management
• Understanding of quality management principles
• Ability to research and interpret information, solve problems, and carry out self-directed learning
• Understanding of, and ability to use, Geographic Information Systems (GIS)
• Experience in information and data management, as well as information development
• Ability to use Microsoft Office suite programmes
• Understanding of quality management principles
• Understanding of Tikanga and te Tiriti o Waitangi

Mō tō mātou Rōpū - About the Team
Diagnostic, Readiness & Surveillance (DRS) are responsible for delivering the core functions of biosecurity surveillance, incursion investigation, readiness, and diagnostics. This support the early detection of new pests and diseases, and determination of pest or disease freedom status for official assurances to trading partners.
You will work within a team of Advisers based between Auckland and Wellington.

Mō Tātou - 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
• Annual Wellness payment
• Reduced premiums for Group Healthcare Schemes
• Career development and internal opportunities across the branch and organisation
• Mentoring and coaching programmes

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 17 November 2024.
If you have any questions about the role, please email Melissa.Heaney@mpi.govt.nz

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