Senior Adviser Export & Assurance at Ministry for Primary Industries, Wellington City

Senior Adviser Export and Assurance

Role type: Permanent, Full-time

Location: Wellington

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

Kōrero mō te Tūranga - About the Role

As Senior Adviser Export & Assurance you will be part of a team that delivers a high-quality programme of work that underpins New Zealand's regulatory assurance framework.

This work provides official government to government assurances on the export of animal products including food, live animals, and germplasm. It focuses on the legislation and policies that underpin export certificates and official assurances.

Your key responsibilities will be:

• Developing, maintaining, and revising legal requirements and guidance which enable the government to provide assurances for exported animal products.
• Drafting Ministerial documents and responses to Official Information Act requests
• Working closely with other parts of MPI to provide input into policy development. Areas may include: dietary supplements, export approved premises, export exemptions, official devices, halal processing, live animals, grass-fed standards and germplasm exports.
• Working with other teams to develop and maintain operational policies that give effect to legislative requirements.
• Working with external stakeholders and industry organisations to consult on legal requirements and provide timely advice and guidance on meeting requirements.
• Supporting the Team Manager, Live Animal Export Assurance and Manager, Food and Live Animal Assurance by contributing to relevant business/MPI forums.
• Contributing to the Assurance Quality Management System.

Mōu - About You

To be successful in this role, you will have experience assessing benefits, risks, and costs, and understanding the impact of regulations. You will have proven experience in developing policy, legislation, and guidance documents.

You will ideally have existing knowledge of animal or food production systems, as well as an understanding of domestic and export legislation for food and animal products. If you're passionate about these sectors and keen to deepen your expertise, this is a great opportunity to do so!

Importantly, you will have well developed written and verbal communication abilities, sound judgement and analytical skills, and the ability to listen, engage, and be persuasive with a range of stakeholders when required.

Mō tō mātou Rōpū - About the Team

The position sits within Food and Live Animal Assurance Directorate ofMPI's New Zealand Food Safety (NZFS) business unit. This business unit leads our food safety system and provides the requisite confidence, transparency and trust to domestic and overseas consumers, overseas regulators, and the primary industries. NZFS's  work underpins the credibility, integrity and strength of our regulatory settings and systems for food safety. We can offer variety, and unique opportunities to develop your skills within a large and dynamic organisation.

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.

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

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 midnight on Monday 9 March 2026.

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

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