Principal Advisor Assurance - Hawke's Bay Civil Defence Emergency Management

Published: 9 March 2026

Te whakapakari tahi i tō tātau Taiao – Enhancing our environment together.

Our vision is a healthy environment and a resilient and prosperous community.

About The opportunity | Ko te āheinga:

Following Cyclone Gabrielle, Hawke’s Bay has committed to fundamental change in how we prepare for, respond to, and recover from emergencies. Communities, mana whenua, councils, and partners rightly expect a system that works when it matters most.

With our community at the heart of our civil defence system, our mission is to build strong connections, empower local voices, and enhance collaboration across the region to create a safe, informed, and resilient Hawke’s Bay that is prepared for, responds to, and recovers from emergencies and disasters well.

This role exists to provide confidence that the regional system is high-performing and ready for the challenges ahead. The role focuses on understanding risk, vulnerability, capability, and performance across councils, agencies, and shared arrangements.

As the Principal Advisor Assurance, you will be the architect of a new region-wide performance and assurance system. Reporting directly to the Director, you will provide the oversight necessary to advise the Joint Committee and Executive Leadership on where the regional system is strong, and where further effort is required to ensure excellence across five councils and multiple partner agencies.

This is a strategic leadership role where you will:

• Develop and implement a structured, region-wide performance system to measure the readiness and effectiveness of all CDEM capabilities.
• Identify critical gaps across reduction, readiness, response, and recovery, while driving regional levels of service so all communities are well supported.
• Evaluate regional vulnerabilities and response capabilities to ensure the emergency management system remains adaptable, resilient, and aligned with national expectations.
• Provide objective, high-level reporting to the Coordinating Executive Group and the Joint Committee to support transparent decision-making and continuous improvement.

This role also involves:

• Travel within the region and occasional travel elsewhere in Aotearoa New Zealand.
• Participating in the 24/7 duty team roster and performing emergency response and recovery functions as necessary during emergencies.

Experience with CDEM legislation and national frameworks is important. However, we are equally interested in people who bring strong operational insight and systems thinking, even if their background is not in traditional civil defence roles.

About you | E pā ana ki a koe:

We are looking for a strategic thinker who understands how complex systems perform under pressure, rather than simply checking compliance requirements. You will likely bring significant experience in emergency management leadership, strategic risk, resilience, public safety, or public policy. You are able to take a whole-of-system view, identify strengths and gaps, and translate that understanding into clear, practical advice for senior leaders and governance. You are comfortable working across organisations, challenging assumptions respectfully, and supporting a learning-focused approach to improvement rather than compliance for its own sake.

To be successful in this role, you will demonstrate:

• Experience assessing readiness, capability, risk, or performance across multiple organisations or systems.
• A good understanding of civil defence emergency management in Aotearoa New Zealand, including relevant legislation and national arrangements.
• Strong judgement, analytical skills, and the ability to work effectively with incomplete or uncertain information.
• The ability to clearly communicate findings and recommendations to executives, elected members, and mana whenua.
• A relevant tertiary qualification is expected, along with a full New Zealand driver licence.

What we offer | Nga huanga mōu:

The salary range for this role is between $122,485 to $144,100 and will depend on the qualifications and experience of the successful candidate.

Other benefits of working for our team include:

• Flexible working options to support work/life balance
• 5 weeks annual leave after 3 years
• 4% superannuation after 3 years
• Life insurance and income protection
• Subsidised eye tests and lenses, flu vaccinations, and other well-being initiatives
• Strong commitment to developing and upskilling people within a supportive working environment.

See a full list of our staff benefits here 

As an equal opportunity employer, we are dedicated to creating a welcoming and inclusive environment. We recognise that collaborative and innovative organisations depend on having a workforce made up from a diverse range of perspectives and experiences. We're all about excellence, and we encourage open communication – if you need any specific support, just let us know! Our main goal is to empower each person to share their unique talents to contribute to the outcomes for our community. This commitment ensures that our workplace is a dynamic and progressive space where everyone can flourish.

HBRC is responsible for Civil Defence emergencies and as such, all staff may be called upon to support the response.

How to apply | I pēhea ki te whakauru:

Applications close Wednesday, 8 April 2026, however we will be shortlisting and interviewing appropriate candidates as applications are received. If you are interested in this position, please do not wait to apply as we may close the ad earlier than advertised.

Please apply through Seek. If you would like any further information regarding the role, please email hr@hbrc.govt.nz 

Applicants must have existing rights to work in New Zealand.

To view the job description please click here.

About us | E pā ki a mātou:

At Hawke’s Bay Regional Council our purpose is to work with our community to protect and manage the region’s precious taonga of rivers, lakes, soils, air, coast and biodiversity for health, wellbeing and connectivity. Our organisation is diverse and our work is varied. Our structure comprises of six key business units; Corporate Services, Integrated Catchment Management, Asset Management, Māori Partnerships, Policy & Regulation, and the Executive Advisory Group which also consists of the Civil Defence and Emergency Management.

We focus on prioritising:

Te kounga o te wai, te haumarutanga me te mārohirohi ā-āhuarangi o te whakamarutanga | Water quality, safety and climate-resilient security.  

Kia koi, kia toitū hoki te whakamahinga o te whenua | Climate-smart and sustainable land use. 

Kia ora, kia āhei, kia mārohirohi ā-āhuarangi hoki te rerenga rauropi | Healthy, functioning and climate-resilient biodiversity. 

Kia toitū, kia mārohirohi ā-āhuarangi hoki ngā ratonga me ngā hanganga ā-whare | Sustainable and climate-resilient services and infrastructure. 

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