Senior Adviser

Senior Adviser Food Compliance Services

Role type: Permanent

Location: Flexible

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

About the Role - Korero mo te Turanga

The role plays a pivotal function in supporting food safety compliance within the Food Risk Management directorate at New Zealand Food Safety (NZFS). This role provides expert guidance to Food Safety Officers and leads the development and delivery of training under the Food Act 2014, ensuring officers are equipped to respond effectively to food safety issues and uphold public health standards.

Working closely with MPI's Learning and Development team, the Senior Adviser designs and implements training programmes that reflect best practice adult learning principles and respond to evolving legislative and operational needs. The role also involves collaborating with co-regulators and Territorial Authorities to promote consistent compliance across the food sector and deliver targeted national interventions.

A key focus of the role is identifying and addressing performance gaps through continuous improvement initiatives. The Senior Adviser monitors the effectiveness of training and operational interventions, using feedback and evaluation data to refine approaches and inform broader regulatory strategies. Their food safety and compliance insights will help shape education materials and contribute to the development of national standards.

This newly established position offers the opportunity to influence the direction of food compliance capability across NZFS. It requires strategic thinking, strong stakeholder engagement, and a commitment to enhancing the performance and consistency of food safety operations nationwide.

About You - Mou

Ideally you will bring a background in learning design and delivery paired with sound food safety knowledge. You will have an understanding of instructional design principles and technology-enhanced learning strategies. You will have developed and implemented training programmes that are fit-for-purpose, responsive to legislative change, and aligned with operational needs.

You will be skilled in building and maintaining trusted relationships across all levels of an organisation, including with external stakeholders such as co-regulators and Territorial Authorities.

Experience providing strategic advice and engaging with decision-makers is key, as is the ability to present complex technical or policy information in a clear and accessible way for diverse audiences.

Knowledge of food legislation, regulatory frameworks, and food safety systems-such as HACCP-is highly desirable, along with a proactive approach to staying informed on sector trends and incorporating emerging issues into training and operational planning.

About the Team - Mo to matou Ropu

Food Compliance Services has a reputation as a high performing team, with a variety of technical skills and experience. A nationwide team, dedicated to food safety and strengthening the integrity of the food safety system and contributing towards improving New Zealand's public health.

About MPI - Mo te Manatu 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 - Nga hua o te mahi i te Manatu 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 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 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 Thursday 25 September.

If you have any questions about the role, please email

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