Manager Assessments Agricultural Chemicals

Manager Assessments Agriculture Chemicals

Role type: Wellington

Location: Permanent, full-time

Salary band & range: General Salary Range B: $138,938 to $162,71 depending on skills and experience

About the Role - Korero mo te Turanga

An exciting leadership opportunity for an experienced and influential manager to lead the assessment of agricultural chemicals within New Zealand's robust regulatory system. As Manager Assessments - Agriculture Chemicals, you will guide a high-performing team delivering robust, science-based assessments that enable safe, effective, and timely access to agrichemicals, including innovative solutions such as greenhouse gas inhibitors.

As part of the ACVM leadership team, you will influence regulatory strategy, strengthen capability, and work closely with stakeholders across government and industry. Your leadership will support public and animal health, environmental sustainability, and the growth of New Zealand's primary industries.

Key responsibilities:

• Lead and develop a team of technical specialists, driving high performance and quality outcomes
• Provide strategic and technical leadership for regulatory decision-making, including acting as a decision delegate
• Shape and maintain regulatory frameworks, guidance, and assurance programmes
• Oversee complex assessments, including approvals, reassessments, and regulatory actions
• Monitor international trends and integrate emerging science into regulatory practice
• Build strong relationships across government, regulators, and industry
• Contribute to ACVM leadership, strategy, and organisational delivery
• Ensure effective team management, resource planning, and operational performance

About You - Mou

To be successful in this role, you are an experienced and credible leader with a strong understanding of New Zealand's primary production sectors and the regulatory environments that support them. Comfortable navigating complexity, you can interpret technical information and translate it into clear, evidence-based decisions that balance regulatory integrity with enabling innovation and market access.

You bring:

• Proven people leadership experience, with a track record of building and developing high-performing teams
• A relevant tertiary qualification (or equivalent experience) in agriculture, horticulture, biological sciences, or a related field
• Strong knowledge of regulatory frameworks, ideally including the ACVM Act or similar environments (e.g. biosecurity, food safety, or agricultural chemicals)
• Experience in technical appraisal, risk assessment, or compliance decision-making
• The ability to interpret complex information and provide clear, practical advice
• Experience working with a wide range of stakeholders across government, industry, and partners

You are a collaborative, pragmatic leader who builds trust quickly and leads with integrity. You bring sound judgement, clear communication, and a calm, solutions-focused approach - supporting your team to succeed while navigating competing priorities and delivering results.

About the Team - Mo to matou Ropu

You will lead a team of skilled technical assessors, bringing together diverse expertise across agricultural chemicals, science, and regulation. The team is highly engaged and committed to delivering robust, evidence-based assessments that underpin confident regulatory decision-making. Their work is central to managing risks under the ACVM Act-ensuring that agricultural compounds do not pose unacceptable risks to food safety, animal welfare and agricultural security, while also supporting the integrity of New Zealand's trade and export systems.

The team also plays a key role in enabling innovation and market access, helping New Zealand's primary industries remain competitive in global markets while meeting evolving regulatory and sustainability expectations. Through your leadership, you will further strengthen the team's impact, capability, and contribution to outcomes for MPI and New Zealand.

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.

Credit check - Tirotiro nama

Please note, given this position is identified as carrying financial risk, the preferred candidate(s) will be required to satisfactorily pass a credit check.

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 11:59pm on 3 June.

If you have any questions about the role, please email ***email_hidden***

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