Land Science Summer Student

Published: 5 September 2025

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:

This summer, Hawke’s Bay Regional Council is offering a three-month paid Internship Programme to students who are studying towards a formal qualification that directly relates to the work we do here. This Fixed Term placement runs from November 2025 to February 2026 (don’t worry, we can work the dates around your exams) and will provide you with interesting, paid, full-time work as well as career development while you study. This opportunity to work and learn in the field is hugely valuable to your growth as a student and future employee.

The Land ScienceSummer Studentwill be supporting The Land Use Monitoring Programme, which generates an updated land use geodatabase annually to report on the spatial layout of land use at a point in time for the Hawke's Bay region. This programme provides valuable insights into land management, resource use, ecosystem extents and policy development. One of the main tasks will be to produce a GIS vegetation layer from regional LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) data and other information, contributing to an updated GIS land use layer for monitoring land use change. Updating the vegetation layer will help us discover changes in terrestrial biodiversity to guide soil conservation measures and sustainable land use practices.  You will also have opportunities to participate in occasional fieldwork, supporting erosion monitoring using ISCO instruments, and possibly with wetland monitoring.

About you | E pā ana ki a koe:

We are looking for an enthusiastic student who is well-organised, shows high levels of initiative and has the ability to work independently or with a team when required. This role will need an individual who is confident working in the field, while also comfortable with some office-based days. You will possess a strong level of interpersonal skills with the ability to initiate and engage effectively with people in the community. Analytical and technical skills are needed to make effective decisions from multiple sources of information gathered as is the ability to use problem solving skills when required. 

Requirements for the programme:

• You will have completed or be studying towards a formal qualification in a relevant field.
• Completion of a first year GIS paper and familiarity with ArcPro GIS software.
• An understanding of terrestrial ecology or vegetation is desirable.
• A current full driver’s licence is essential and competency driving a 4WD vehicle is an advantage.
• Physical fitness is required for all our student roles.

You will need to have existing working rights in New Zealand to be considered for these placements.

You will also need to be based in the Hawke’s Bay for the summer period while undertaking the programme so please bear this in mind when applying.

What we offer | Nga huanga mōu:

The hourly rate for our students is $26.00, plus 8% pay as you go for your annual leave entitlement.

HBRC also has a strong commitment to developing and upskilling people within a flexible and supportive working environment. 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. 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 Friday, 3 October 2025, 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.

To view the job description please click here.

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

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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