Senior Advisor, Emergency Management - Public Information and Education

Published: 10 June 2026

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

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

A resilient Hawke's Bay community | He Aumangea Hapori ki Te Matau a Māui

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.

Hawke’s Bay Emergency Management operates as a shared regional service on behalf of the region’s councils. We take a strategic, evidence-led approach to resilience that focuses on where effort will have the greatest impact, particularly for communities, sectors, and systems that are most at risk. 

We are looking for a Senior Advisor, Emergency Management Public Information and Education to join the Hawke's Bay Civil Defence Emergency Management (HB CDEM) team. This role enables consistent, clear, and trusted public communications across the region, supporting reduction, readiness, response, and recovery, and strengthening community understanding of hazards and emergency preparedness.

The focus of the role is the regional coordination and delivery of public information and education. You will lead the development of a regional public information and education strategy, plan and deliver public education and social marketing campaigns that build community resilience to natural hazards, and develop the frameworks, templates, and shared resources that keep messaging consistent across councils and partners. You will bring together communications staff from across the region's councils and partner agencies, and work alongside iwi, hapū, and Māori partner organisations, community groups, and national agencies, to keep public information aligned and consistent across the system.

During an emergency, you will provide functional leadership of the Public Information Management (PIM) function within the Emergency Coordination Centre (ECC). You will advise the Controller and Incident Management Team on public information, warnings, and community communications, so our community has the information it needs to make the best decisions for themselves and their whānau.

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 public information and communications capability from a wider public sector or complex organisational environment, even if their background is not in traditional civil defence roles.

This is a full time, permanent opportunity based in Hastings, Hawke’s Bay.

About you | E pā ana ki a koe:

We are looking for someone with a collaborative, team-focused approach who can build strong relationships with communications staff across other organisations to ensure consistent and comprehensive messaging is delivered to the public. You will bring a sound understanding of public information and communication practice within an emergency management or wider public sector context, along with knowledge of nationally consistent messaging, guidance, and good practice relevant to civil defence emergency management. You will stay calm and clear-headed under pressure, which is essential when leading public communications during a response.

You will also have:

• A recognised tertiary qualification in emergency management, communications, public relations, marketing, or a related field.
• Demonstrated experience in public information, communications, media engagement, or public education roles, ideally within an emergency management, public sector, or complex organisational environment.
• Experience working collaboratively with local authorities, community groups, mana whenua, and partner agencies.
• Proven ability to develop and deliver clear, accurate public communications, including in time-critical or high-pressure situations.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including preparing material for a range of audiences.
• A full New Zealand driver's licence is required.

What we offer | Nga huanga mōu:

The salary range for this role is between $104,635 to $126,670 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, 1 July 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. 

Applicants must have existing rights to work in New Zealand.

To view the job description please click here.

Apply via 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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