Team Manager Horticulture Exports

Team Manager Horticulture Exports

Role type: Permanent, full-time

Location: Wellington

Salary band & range: General Salary Range C - $119,376 to $139,700 depending on skills and experience

About the Role - Korero mo te Turanga

This role provides dedicated leadership within MPI to support the growth and integrity of New Zealand's horticulture exports. Working across the Ministry - including close collaboration with teams such as Policy & Trade and New Zealand Food Safety- you will lead efforts to meet the increasingly complex import requirements of international markets. The role focuses largely on plant health (pests and diseases), with some overlap into food safety, and spans the diverse range of produce across the horticulture sector.

As Team Manager, you will lead a team of technical advisers delivering programmes and standards that enable and maintain market access for New Zealand exports. You will provide both people leadership and technical direction, ensuring work programmes align with international obligations and evolving trade conditions. This is a highly collaborative and outward-facing role, requiring strong engagement across government, industry stakeholders, and international partners, alongside responsibility for planning, performance, and resource management within the function.

Key responsibilities include:

• Lead the development and maintenance of export standards and assurance programmes to meet importing country requirements and international obligations
• Support and enable market access for New Zealand horticultural exports, including leading or contributing to bilateral negotiations
• Provide technical and policy advice on export matters to senior leaders, including Ministers and the Director-General
• Oversee the implementation and integrity of the plant export assurance system, including management of MPI-approved participants
• Build and maintain strong relationships across MPI, industry, and international counterparts to support export outcomes
• Lead and contribute to strategic improvement programmes related to export assurance and market access
• Contribute to business planning, performance reporting, and work programme management within the Plant Exports function
• Manage team performance, development, and wellbeing, ensuring effective leadership of a multidisciplinary team
• Ensure effective resource management, including financial oversight, planning, and operational delivery
• Represent MPI in domestic and international forums, promoting New Zealand's export systems and standards

About You - Mou

To be successful in this role, you'll be an experienced technical leader with a strong background in plant health, food safety, or a related scientific discipline, and a deep understanding of the trade and regulatory environment that underpins New Zealand's export systems. With at least 5-10 years' relevant experience, you bring the ability to navigate complex international frameworks, assess risks and regulatory impacts, and provide high-quality, evidence-based advice. You are confident working with senior stakeholders, both domestically and internationally, and can translate complex technical information into clear, practical guidance that supports market access and export assurance outcomes.

You will bring:

• A relevant tertiary qualification in plant protection, food safety, or a related field (postgraduate qualification in biological sciences preferred)
• Knowledge of international trade systems, including WTO frameworks and international agreements
• Proven experience assessing regulatory impacts, including risks, benefits, and compliance costs
• Demonstrated ability to engage and influence a wide range of stakeholders, including senior leaders and external partners
• Experience gathering, analysing, and communicating complex information to support decision-making
• Strong technical writing skills, including the ability to present complex material in clear, accessible terms
• Sound judgement and analytical capability in regulatory and trade environments
• Proven ability to think strategically and deliver high-quality advice in fast-paced or high-pressure settings
• Experience leading or contributing to complex programmes or workstreams (team leadership experience advantageous)
• Excellent planning, organisational, and prioritisation skills

You are also a collaborative and adaptable people leader who thrives in complexity and change. You bring strong interpersonal skills, with the ability to influence, negotiate, and build trust across diverse groups. You are comfortable working through ambiguity and conflict, and you support others to do the same through mentoring and coaching. With a proactive and innovative mindset, you look beyond established approaches to identify better ways of working, while maintaining a strong focus on outcomes, team wellbeing, and delivering value for New Zealand's export sector.

About the Team - Mo to matou Ropu

Biosecurity Import & Export Standards covers all the activities that contribute to reducing the likelihood that harmful pests and diseases will arrive at our border, as well as supporting the assurances for our plant produce exported overseas.

New Zealand's horticulture industry is at an exciting point with significant growth in exports being experienced over the past several years. Our job is to support this growth. The work we do facilitates the export of New Zealand's horticulture produce and ensure the produce complies with overseas country's requirements before leaving New Zealand. Producers and exporters all take action to comply with the requirements specified by our trading partners.

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

• Additional MPI leave days
• Annual Wellness payment
• Bi-annual paid eye test and contribution to the costs of corrective lenses/frames

Security checks - Nga Taki Whakahaumaru

This roles require a New Zealand national security clearance. To be considered for this role, you must meet the eligibility criteria set out below.

CONFIDENTIAL national security clearance

• You must be a New Zealand citizen, or hold a New Zealand residence-class visa (including permanent residence).
• You must have a minimum five (5)-year background history that can be verified and assessed by the New Zealand Security Intelligence Service (NZSIS) to determine your suitability for a CONFIDENTIAL national security clearance.

Find out more about the national security vetting process here and access the eligibility self-check tool here.

If you do not meet these minimum criteria, we will not be able to accept your application.

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 m11:59pm on Sunday, 24 May.

If you have any questions about the role, please email [email protected]

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