Principal Adviser

Principal Adviser

Role type: Fixed-term/secondment until March 2027

Location: Wellington

Salary band & range: General Salary Range C: $119,376 to $139,700 depending on skills and experience

About the Role - Korero mo te Turanga

Help design, shape, and deliver the future work programme of Tiakina Kauri, the Management Agency for New Zealand's national kauri protection effort. You'll lead planning development, create new systems and services, and guide partners across Maori, government, science, and operations.

The core responsibilities for the role are:

Lead development of regulatory products such as our National Operational Plan and Annual reports
Codesign systems and processes with Maori and other crown agencies
Provide strategic analysis and design advice to senior leaders and ministers
Guide teams to design, document, and implement new services
Support the development of compliance frameworks aligned with the National Pest Management Plan
Lead planning and reporting development for Tiakina Kauri operations
About You - Mou

You will bring strong business analysis and policy advice skills and can quickly translate complex needs into practical systems. You're confident working across Maori, technical, and operational contexts and can lead collaborative design approaches.

To be successful in this role you will offer:

Deep skill in defining problems, gathering requirements, and analysing options
Proven experience in drafting documentation for senior leaders and ministers
Strong capability in designing and validating business solutions
Ability to collaborate across agencies, iwi, hapu and stakeholders
Advanced use of MS Word, Excel, and PowerPoint
Experience in project or programme delivery environments
You do not need to meet every requirement to apply - we're keen to hear from you if you believe you're a strong fit.

About the Team - Mo to matou Ropu

You'll join the Tiakina Kauri team within Biosecurity New Zealand, a collaborative group focused on safeguarding one of Aotearoa's most significant taonga. The team works closely with iwi, hapu, regional councils, DOC, researchers, and operational partners nationwide, and supports each other through open communication and collective problem solving.

About MPI - Mo te Manatu Ahu Matua

We're passionate about growing prosperity in the sector while ensuring respect for Kaitiaki - guardianship of our natural resources.

To find out more about Tiakina Kauri click here, or for what the wider Ministry does please click here.

Benefits of working at MPI - Nga hua o te mahi i te Manatu 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 mo tenei mahi whaitake?

We are committed to being a good partner under Te Tiriti o Waitangi which includes working closely with iwi, hapu, whanau and hapori.

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 Manatu 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 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 Wednesday, 22 April.

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

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