Land Management Advisor

Environment Canterbury; Timaru; On-site; NZD 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible working

Professional development opportunities

Job summary

Environment Canterbury is seeking a Land Management Advisor to help lead place-based land and water initiatives across Canterbury. You’ll work with landowners, rūnanga, and community groups to promote sustainable land use and environmental stewardship, delivering regional programmes aligned with the Canterbury Water Management Strategy.

You’ll combine technical knowledge with relationship management and community engagement to influence positive environmental outcomes while travelling across

Qualifications

• Experience building relationships with farmers, mana whenua, and community groups.
• Ability to communicate technical information clearly to diverse audiences.
• Experience facilitating collaborative projects in environmental programs.

Responsibilities

• Support the delivery of place based collaborative implementation programmes.
• Provide technical advice to landowners on best management practices.
• Build strong relationships with rūnanga and stakeholders.
• Lead community engagement initiatives that encourage behaviour change.
• Support projects protecting land, water and biodiversity values.

Skills

Relationship-building

Stakeholder engagement

Fieldwork

Education

Tertiary qualification in agriculture

Resource management

Environmental science

Job description

Job Type: Permanent | Full Time

Location: Timaru

Job Category: Agriculture, Nature & Animal

• Support landowners to adopt sustainable land management practices
• Work alongside communities, rūnanga, other organisations and industry partners
• Flexible working and professional development opportunities

Kaunihera Taiao ki Waitaha | About Environment Canterbury

As a regional council, we are responsible for managing natural resources including air, soil, water and land. We work in partnership with mana whenua Ngāi Tahu to protect the health of our environment to ensure a sustainable and prosperous future for our region.

The region’s evolving environmental and political context means we will continue to be agile and adaptive, as we respond to regulatory and environmental changes.

Our mahi (work) is organised around the delivery of our three core services:

• Environmental Regulation and Protection
• Community Preparedness and Response to Hazards
• Public Transport

Council plays an important role in responding to national legislation and policy changes – this mahi is part of our operating environment and is embedded in our everyday mahi. The current proposals from central government are significant, and Council is working through the opportunities and implications. However, our mahi must continue to deliver our three core services for our partners, communities and te taiao (environment).

Kōrero mō te Tūranga | About the Role

Environmental change happens through people, partnerships and place, requiring behaviour change, trusted relationships, and coordinated effort. ECAN's Water and Land exists to lead design, coordination, and oversight of place-based collaborative implementation.

As a Land Management Advisor in Water and Land, you'll work closely with landowners, rūnanga, community groups, industry organisations, and government agencies to promote sustainable land use and environmental stewardship across Canterbury. You'll help deliver regional programmes that support the Canterbury Water Management Strategy and encourage the adoption of best practice land management approaches.

This is a highly collaborative role where you'll combine your technical knowledge, relationship management skills, and community engagement experience to influence positive environmental outcomes.

Key Responsibilities Include

• Support the delivery of place based collaborative implementation programmes
• Provide technical advice to farmers and landowners on good management practices
• Build strong relationships with rūnanga, industry groups and stakeholders
• Lead community engagement initiatives that encourage behaviour change
• Support the implementation of projects that protect land, water and biodiversity values

This role can be based in either Timaru or Twizel.

Mōu | About You

You'll be passionate about helping communities achieve environmental outcomes and comfortable working with a diverse range of stakeholders. You enjoy being out in the field, building relationships, and translating technical information into practical advice that landowners can easily apply.

Experience working with farmers, primary industry groups, community organisations or environmental programmes will be highly regarded, along with project delivery and facilitation experience. A current Class 1 driver's licence is required as regular travel throughout Canterbury forms part of the role.

Mātau Ā-Wheako | Experience

Ideally, you’ll have a tertiary qualification in agriculture, resource management, environmental science or a related field along with:

• Up to three years' experience in farming, sustainability, biodiversity, ecology, resource management or a similar area
• Strong relationship-building and stakeholder engagement skills
• Experience working collaboratively to solve complex challenges
• The ability to communicate technical and regulatory information clearly and effectively

If you're excited about this opportunity but your experience doesn't align perfectly with every requirement, we still encourage you to apply.

Ngā hua o te Mahi i te Kaunihera Taiao ki Waitaha | Working at Environment Canterbury

Our Mahi Is Underpinned By Our Values

• Kaitiakitanga (stewardship)
• Pononga (integrity)
• Manaakitanga (people first)
• Whanaungatanga (collaboration)
• Māiatanga (can do)

We understand and embrace a diverse workforce; this diversity will enable us to better serve our people, our community, and our greatest taonga, the environment. We value everyone’s contribution, diverse thinking, and skills.

We're on a journey to become a treaty partner of excellence, including incorporating te ao Māori into our work. We offer supportive opportunities to develop capability in this area and encourage our people to use kaupapa Māori, mātauranga Māori, and te reo Māori in our daily work. We welcome you with an open heart & mind, wherever you are on your personal te ao Māori journey.

Ko ētahi atu kōrero | Additional Information

Job Description: