Senior Biosecurity Advisor

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:

The NZ Biosecurity Institute defines biosecurity as “the protection of an environment from biological threats. In New Zealand action is taken to prevent unwanted organisms from damaging the economy, natural biodiversity, or the health of the New Zealand public.”

Hawke’s Bay Regional Council focuses on the biosecurity demands particular to our region. We manage animal pest programmes in rural and urban areas as well as target specific plant pests for control or eradication. Keeping the farm gate closed is not practical, so constant work is needed across the whole community. Find out more about our Regional Pest Management Plan here.

Today our native species and ecosystems are in crisis from a host of threats such as invasive pests. We are looking for an experienced biosecurity specialist to join our Biosecurity team as a Senior Biosecurity Advisor. In this role you will be one of our subject matter experts on biosecurity and pest animal management in Hawkes Bay.

This role is based in our Napier office but may be required to travel within the region on occasion. 

About you | E pā ana ki a koe:

The team is seeking a Senior Advisor to join the team and drive the delivery of our work programmes. You will be able to promote, educate and advise on biosecurity matters to landowners, supporting agencies and our internal colleagues. While providing specialist knowledge, planning and implementation expertise, you will also support the Team Lead by contributing to the development of the Biosecurity Advisors through mentoring and coaching activities. 

Ideally you will also have:

• A tertiary qualification (e.g., environmental science, agricultural science, geography, earth science or equivalent). 
• 3 years of experience in a similar role/relevant industry.
• Proven project or contractor management experience and/or workstream planning including budget and financial management - in biosecurity related projects would be a bonus!
• An up-to-date understanding of threats to indigenous biodiversity as well as the Biosecurity Act, the enforcement process, and working knowledge of the Regional Pest Management Plan (RPMP).
• An up-to-date understanding of nation-wide developments regarding biosecurity and biodiversity.
• Leadership, mentoring, or coaching experience with a willingness to share what you know.
• Experience working in a rural landscape and in one or more modes of on-farm transport (quad bike, side by side, motorbike and/or 4x4)
• Physical ability to undertake site visits in various terrain to facilitate or conduct pest plant or pest animal control at a site.  
• Resilience, adaptability, and flexibility to keep up with the ever-changing nature of HBRC. 

The role may require variable hours to be worked and will often operate unsupervised. Applicants should put a high degree of importance on safe work practices and be familiar with the use of GPS devices.

What we offer | Nga huanga mōu:

The salary range for this role is between $89,640 to $99,600 and will depend on the qualifications and experience of the successful candidate. 

Other benefits of working for our team include:

• Limited income protection and life insurance
• Additional week of annual leave after 3 years’ service 
• Subsidised eye tests and lenses, flu vaccinations, and other well-being initiatives. 
• Flexible working and working from home options. 
• HBRC has a strong commitment to developing and upskilling people within a supportive working environment. 

To see a full list of our benefits please visit our website.

We value diversity and as such we do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, or disability status although applicants must have existing rights to work in New Zealand. 

How to apply | I pēhea ki te whakauru:

Please apply through Seek or send your CV and cover letter directly to recruitment@hbrc.govt.nz.

Applications close 26 October 2023. To view the job description please visit our website here.

Please note that we will be reviewing and shortlisting applicants as they come in. We encourage early applications as we may withdraw the advertising at any time.

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.

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

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. 

26 September 2023

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