Policy Analyst

Job Title: Policy Analyst

Role Type: Permanent, full-time

Location: Wellington

Salary Band & Range: General Salary Range F – $76,463 – $98,135 depending on skills and experience

About the Role - Kōrero mō te Tūranga

The Cost Recovery Directorate ensures the right people pay the right price for MPI's regulatory services by setting charges that are fair, transparent, and encourage positive behaviours across industry and the public sector. Collaboration is central to our work, and we partner across MPI to provide trusted policy advice and maintain cost recovery settings that support MPI's strategic goals, including doubling export value by 2034, reducing agricultural emissions, protecting New Zealand from pests and diseases, and backing the primary sector to succeed.

As a Policy Analyst, you will play a key role in supporting cost recovery policy development at MPI. You will contribute to developing and maintaining cost recovery frameworks, undertake reviews, and provide advice to improve regulatory performance and update cost recovery settings. You will be working closely with business units across MPI.

In this role, you will:

• Provide evidence-based cost recovery policy advice to decision makers
• Develop guidance for cost recovery reviews and innovative solutions to policy challenges
• Facilitate updates to regulatory settings aligned with state sector good practice
• Build strong relationships with internal and external stakeholders
• Deliver priority cost recovery workstreams across MPI
• Bring public sector experience or understanding of government processes (desirable)

About You - Mōu

You may bring fee-setting experience or be a policy professional with a strong interest in economics and public finance, with a curiosity for how funding systems influence behaviour and performance. You're proactive, analytical, and comfortable working across diverse teams and perspectives, bringing a balanced skill set suited to a small, high-performing policy team delivering everything from annual regulatory updates to advice on new initiatives.

You'll enjoy working across MPI, partnering with a wide range of business units to understand their work and provide cost recovery advice. This role offers exposure to all stages of the policy process, including developing guidance, supporting regulatory reviews, engaging in consultation, and contributing to Cabinet papers and regulation development process.

You'll thrive in this role if you:

• Are interested in fee-setting, regulatory environments, or government processes and systems
• Apply critical thinking and strong analytical skills to complex policy and funding problems
• Communicate clear, practical, and well-reasoned advice to a range of audiences
• Write effectively for different purposes, including guidance, consultation, and decision papers
• Build strong relationships and work collaboratively across teams and stakeholders
• Are curious, ask insightful questions, and develop innovative policy solutions
• Have relevant experience or a degree and a passion for public service

You do not need to meet all of the role requirements to apply. We offer a breadth of development and learning opportunities and will welcome an application if you think you could make a great fit.

About the Team - Mō tō mātou Rōpū

Our team is a small, resilient, and positive group of five plus a manager, forming half of the Cost Recovery Directorate alongside our costing and modelling colleagues who provide the analytical foundation for our work. We provide policy advice and oversee and update MPI's cost recovery settings, working closely with business units across the organisation, while supporting each other and building strong connections with the wider policy and trade communities to deliver high-quality, joined-up outcomes.

About MPI - Mō Te Manatū Ahu Matua

We're a large organisation with massive scope from the frontline to policy development and beyond.

Benefits of working at MPI - Ngā hua o te mahi i te Manatū Ahu Matua

• Bi-annual paid eye test and contribution to the costs of corrective lenses/frames
• Mentoring and coaching programmes
• Career development and internal opportunities across the branch and organisation

Are you ready to make a difference? - Kua rite koe mō tēnei mahi whaitake?

We are committed to being a good partner under Te Tiriti o Waitangi which includes working closely with iwi, hapū, whānau and hāpori.

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 Manatū 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 FOR THIS JOB” 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 Thursday 18 June 2026

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