Principal Compliance Officer at Environmental Protection Authority, Wellington

As New Zealand's environmental regulator, the work we do today, helps shape the future for our tomorrow. 

Our purpose | To tatou kaupapa

We are the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA), New Zealand’s independent environmental regulator.  Our role is important; to help protect our country’s unique way of life by looking out for the health of its environment, its economy and its people.

Our kaupapa is about making the right decisions, based on evidence, mātauranga, and science. We are passionate people working as one EPA to encourage big ideas and bold goals.

What we achieve today helps shape the future of New Zealand for generations to come. We welcome you to join us on our journey to a healthy environment that benefits us all.

Jump in the waka - make history with us.

About our group | Mō te roopu

The Compliance, Monitoring and Enforcement (CME) group’s functions underpin the overall strategic direction and goals of the EPA - protecting people and the environment, delivering the right decisions and strengthening trust in the EPA

Our multi-disciplinary team of compliance, monitoring and enforcement officers work together, supporting each other to carry out this essential role in maintaining and upholding New Zealand’s environmental regulatory regime for the good of all of Aotearoa today, and for future generations.

We do this through educating, engaging, monitoring and investigating, and taking enforcement action when necessary. This approach benefits the environment and communities, and means we can focus our resources (including our enforcement powers) on tackling the most important environmental issues.

About the role | Mō te tūnga

We are looking for a regulatory specialist with a senior level of experience to join our team of regulatory professionals.  This is a Fixed Term or Inter-Agency Secondment opportunity until June 2023.

As a Principal Compliance Officer, you will have confidence in leading and contributing to best practice delivery of regulatory compliance, monitoring and enforcement functions and decision making by the EPA.

An expert in your field, you will enjoy sharing your knowledge with others including mentoring, coaching, training and providing technical advice to members of the CME team as required.  You’ll be expected to lead and provide quality technical and procedural advice and support for compliance interventions and investigations.  

This is a key role which sits on the CME leadership team and contributes to enhancing the credibility, capability and professionalism of the CME Group and culture.  The role also involves raising awareness of the requirements of the different Acts that the EPA regulates.

An element of this role will be participating in an after-hours roster for emergency environmental notifications with domestic travel (sometimes with overnight stay/s) sometimes required.

About you | Mōhou ake 

We are looking for an individual with a range of skills and capabilities – if you have some or all of the below, we would love to hear from you:

• Extensive experience in regulatory compliance and enforcement, ideally within local or central government
• Extensive experience in regulatory practice and applying legislation to unique and dynamic situations
• Proven record of evidence collection and management to recognised evidential sufficiency standards
• An understanding of the methods and techniques for the assessment and management of risk and assessing effects in a regulatory environment
• Good judgement and strong reasoning skills that can be justified
• A high level of written communication skills with the ability to produce clear, concise and well-reasoned documents
• Experience within a multi-jurisdictional regulatory environment
• Experience leading complex investigations and proven ability to take enforcement action including prosecutions
• Proven experience of mentoring and developing others in regulatory practice
• Extensive experience providing technical support and expertise to others
• Experience working with different stakeholders at all levels across government, the public and private sectors.
• Proven ability to operate at a strategic level to enhance group/organisational performance
• Experience in analysing complex technical and scientific data, with a proven ability to identify, analyse and diagnose problems in a logical and rational manner.
• Demonstrated knowledge and applied understanding of good decision-making principals and exercising of regulatory judgement/discretion and the use of appropriate directive and punitive tools to achieve regulatory compliance.
• Experience in undertaking the full range of CME intervention activities including statutory regulatory tools

What’s in it for you | Ngā āhuatanga kei a mātou

There are a range of benefits that our people value (benefits will vary for non permanent roles)

• Flexible working culture
• Flexible sick leave provisions
• Three paid ‘Board Holidays’ in addition to four weeks annual leave
• $400 non-taxable payment for at home flexible working set up
• Paid annual EPA Environment Day supporting the community on environmental initiatives
• Variety of in-house Māori language and tikanga workshops
• Learning opportunities including the annual Science Symposium
• Active social club and diverse range of groups and support networks
• Organisation wide awards recognising both individual and team effort.
• Relocation assistance for those moving to NZ from overseas

Salary Range |  

$109,000 – $164,894  (midpoint $137,412).

This is the full salary range. Appointments are made within the range depending on skills and experience.

How to apply | Me pēhea te tuku tono

Apply directly by completing the online application form and submitting your CV and cover letter.

Please note: your cover letter will form a key part of our assessment process. Please highlight how your experience relates to the requirements for this role and tell us about you, your values and/or whakapapa and motivations for the role.

For further information contact Jenny Macdonal via Jenny.Macdonald@epa.govt.nz or check out the careers section of our website www.epa.govt.nz/careers where our full Position Description is available.

We are open to supporting inter-agency secondments. If possible, please discuss the prospect of joining us with your current manager, before submitting an application.

Applications close | Rā Katinga

5pm, Friday 19th August 2022

The EPA’s top priority is the safety and wellbeing of its employees. EPA’s COVID-19 Response Policy requires all employees who work within our office or interact with the public in the course of their work to be vaccinated.  Any offer of employment made will be conditional on the successful candidate providing a current copy of their ‘My Vaccine Pass’ via the onboarding process.