Dog Care Specialist

Ministry for Primary Industries; Auckland; Sur place; NZD 55 000 - 67 000; Plein temps

Avantages offerts par ce poste

Additional MPI leave days

Annual Wellness payment

Bi-annual paid eye test and costs of

Résumé du poste

Ministry for Primary Industries – Border Clearance Services is recruiting a Dog Care Specialist in Auckland (Māngere) to support the health and wellbeing of detector dogs. This role includes canine healthcare, development, and liaising with volunteer puppy walkers.

You will be active, work 4 days on, 2 days off, with weekend shifts and early starts. The successful candidate will handle canines across ages, maintain kennelling routines, and contribute to a clean, safe transport and working

Qualifications

• Experience handling canines in kennelling environments.
• Knowledge of canine healthcare and behaviour management.
• Good oral and written communication skills.
• Physically fit and able to be on your feet for most of the 8.5 hour day.
• Full clean driver’s license.

Responsabilités

• Oversee the healthcare and wellbeing of detector dogs and support their development.
• Liaise with volunteer puppy walkers and maintain canine welfare.
• Assist with canine development and healthcare management.
• Assist the Border Clearance Services team and cleaners; weekend rosters and overtime as required.

Connaissances

Canine handling

Kennelling experience

Communication skills

Physically fit

Driver's license

Description du poste

COPS Border Clearance Services DCS: $60,882

Location: Auckland (Māngere - just north of the airport)

Starting salary: COPS Border Clearance Services DCS: $60,882

As a Dog Care Specialist, your primarily responsibility is the healthcare and wellbeing of our detector dogs. You will love keeping our dogs in peak physical condition and taking care of their mental wellbeing while ensuring their environment and transportation is clean. You will also assist with canine development including liaising with our volunteer puppy walkers.

We are looking for people who enjoy running around, not being tied to a desk and will love and care for the puppies who will be around you all the time!

Please note that this position works 4 days on, 2 days off, meaning you will be required to work weekends. The hours are 6:30am - 3:30pm with occasional 9am - 6pm shifts.

You will be experienced in handling canines. This will include handling adult canines through to pregnancy and puppies. You will also have good experience and knowledge of canine healthcare & behaviour management.

Our ideal candidate will also bring;

• Proven work experience with dogs in a kennelling environment
• Good oral and written communication skills
• Physically fit & able to be on your feet for most of the 8.5 hour day
• Team player
• A full clean driver's licence

The successful candidate will help to oversee the commercial cleaners and will be required to work weekends on a rostered basis and do overtime when required.

Applicants must be available to attend practical assessments as part of the recruitment process in Auckland - on 22 and 27 October 2026.

The Border Clearance Services directorate of the Ministry for Primary Industries is responsible for providing frontline clearance services at the border for imported goods, arriving international vessels and aircraft, international mail, international passengers and crew, and detection technology including X-Ray and detector dogs.

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

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

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.

You must hold the right to work in New Zealand or be eligible to obtain it.

Applications close at 11:59pm on Sunday 11 October 2026.