Senior Adviser Standards Processes at Ministry for Primary Industries, Wellington City

Senior Adviser Standards Processes (with Generative AI Focus)

Role type: Permanent, full-time

Location: Wellington

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

About the Role - Kōrero mō te Tūranga

Help shape how generative AI is used to strengthen New Zealand's biosecurity system.

We're looking for a Senior Adviser with strong process improvement, business analysis, and stakeholder engagement skills, and the ability to thoughtfully apply generative AI tools to real-world regulatory and operational challenges.

You will be a key driver of the Biosecurity Import and Export Standards Directorate's digital uplift, identifying opportunities where genAI can responsibly enhance our workflows, reduce complexity, and improve quality and consistency across the Directorate.

As Senior Adviser, you will:

• Lead process improvement and digital uplift projects
• Identify where AI-enabled tools (such as M365 Copilot or AWS Agentic AI) can support better ways of working, and work with others to embed these improvements into day-to-day practice.
• Support teams to adopt new tools and approaches, including developing guidance, providing advice, and helping build confidence in their use.
• Ensure changes are well-documented and governed appropriately, in line with MPI standards, risk expectations, and regulatory requirements.
• Develop clear documentation, templates, and guidance
• Collaborate across technical, regulatory and design teams

About You – Mōu

We're seeking a Senior Adviser with strengths in process improvement, business analysis, and applied generative AI (genAI). This role is ideal for someone who enjoys improving systems, experimenting thoughtfully with new technologies, and supporting others to develop confidence with AI tools.

We're looking for someone who deeply understands how to apply genAI tools to real‑world regulatory and operational work helping people work smarter, improving documentation and processes, and driving safe, meaningful innovation. You will bring a blend of analytical skill, digital curiosity, and people‑centred thinking. You'll enjoy translating big ideas into practical, usable processes, and you'll be enthusiastic about helping others get value from AI tools.

You will have:

• 5+ years' experience in process improvement, business analysis, or regulatory work
• Experience guiding the delivery of improvements through to implementation
• Hands-on experience with generative AI tools, demonstrated through using them in your own work, and an understanding of their strengths and limitations
• Ability to identify where generative AI could add value to processes or ways of working - and where it would not be appropriate
• Ability to design safe, human‑in‑the‑loop AI processes
• Strong analytical and communication skills
• Experience supporting capability uplift or coaching others
• A collaborative, curious mindset, and comfort with experimentation

Experience with public sector environments, service design, or Te Tiriti o Waitangi is a bonus.

You do not need to meet all of the role requirements to apply. We offer a breadth of development and learning opportunities and will welcome an application if you think you could make a great fit. 

About the Team - Mō tō mātou Rōpū

Within Biosecurity New Zealand, the Biosecurity Import & Export Standards (BIES) Directorate plays a critical role in strengthening the consistency, quality, and effectiveness of our regulatory systems.

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

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.

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

• 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 Tuesday, 21 February.

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

Follow MPI here - Whāia ngā tūhononga ki MPI i konei

Links to Facebook, MPI Careers, LinkedIn, X