Senior Adviser (Training and Capability)

Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI); Wellington; On-site; NZD 103,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Additional MPI leave days

Annual Wellness payment

Bi-annual eye test and lenses

Job summary

Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) in Wellington seeks a Senior Adviser (Training and Capability) to help Pacific partner countries build practical learning, capability, and systems to export fresh produce safely while meeting biosecurity and market-access requirements.

You'll design training, learning resources and e-learning products, translate complex scientific and regulatory concepts into usable learning, and support leadership exchanges and experiential activities.

Qualifications

• Significant experience designing learning programs.
• Experience translating complex concepts into learning products.
• Experience with subject matter experts and technical stakeholders.
• Strong facilitation and communication skills.
• Ability to influence across organisations and cultures.
• Biosecurity/regulatory environment experience is advantageous.

Responsibilities

• Design and develop training, learning resources, e-learning products, assessments, and practical tools.
• Design and support leadership learning initiatives, including exchanges, workshops, simulations.
• Translate complex information into engaging learning experiences with technical partners.
• Identify gaps and advise on learning and improvement opportunities.
• Contribute to service design and user-centred improvements.
• Create sustainable learning products adaptable by partner countries.
• Build strong relationships with Pacific partner countries and stakeholders.

Skills

Learning design

Instructional design

E-learning

Stakeholder engagement

Facilitation

Tools

Storyline

Rise

Job description

Job title: Senior Adviser (Training and Capability)

Role type: Fixed term role ending 30 June 2028

Location: Wellington

Salary band & range: $102,953 to $120,365 depending on skills and experience

About the Role - Kōrero mō te Tūranga

We're looking for a Senior Adviser (Training and Capability) to help Pacific partner countries build the skills, knowledge, and systems needed to safely export fresh produce while meeting biosecurity requirements and maintaining market access.

This is a unique opportunity to combine learning design, capability building, stakeholder engagement, and systems thinking. You'll work with technical specialists, biosecurity officials, and subject matter experts to translate complex scientific, technical, and regulatory concepts into practical learning experiences that support real-world application and sustainable improvement.

You'll lead the development of training, learning resources and experiences, and e-learning products that support both senior leaders and operational staff. A key focus will be creating practical, sustainable learning products, tools, and approaches that partner countries can continue to use, adapt, and build on over time.

You may also help design and deliver leadership exchanges and experiential learning activities, including workshops, site visits, simulations, and other approaches that support system-level learning and decision-making.

The programme is evolving and beginning to explore how service design and user-centred approaches can complement its learning and capability-building work. While the team brings strong technical expertise, this new role will provide dedicated learning and development capability to help ensure technical knowledge is translated into practical, sustainable learning and capability outcomes. You'll have the opportunity to help shape how these approaches are applied in practice to enhance learning products, strengthen capability development, and support practical improvements in systems and processes.

Some travel to Pacific partner countries will be required.

Key Responsibilities

• Design and develop training, learning resources, e-learning products, assessments, and practical tools that support stronger biosecurity and export systems across Pacific partner countries.
• Design and support leadership learning initiatives, including exchanges, workshops, simulations, scenario-based exercises, and experiential learning activities.
• Work with technical specialists and partner-country officials to translate complex scientific, technical, and regulatory information into engaging learning experiences.
• Identify skills, knowledge, and system gaps, and provide advice on learning and improvement opportunities.
• Contribute to service design and user-centred improvement activities that strengthen systems and support implementation.
• Design learning products and resources that are practical, sustainable, and able to be maintained and adapted by partner countries over time.
• Build strong relationships with Pacific partner countries and stakeholders across government agencies.

About You - Mōu

You’ll be an experienced learning and development professional who enjoys turning complex information into practical learning solutions that make a real difference.

You’ll bring:

• Significant experience designing and delivering learning and development programmes.
• Skills in instructional design and e-learning development skills (e.g. Storyline, Rise, or similar tools).
• Experience translating complex scientific, technical, regulatory, or operational concepts into engaging learning products.
• Experience working with subject matter experts and technical stakeholders.
• Strong facilitation, communication, and stakeholder engagement skills.
• The ability to influence without formal authority and build trusted relationships across organisations and cultures.
• A practical mindset with a focus on designing learning solutions that are relevant, useful, and easy to apply in real-world environments.

Experience in biosecurity, regulatory systems, assurance, science, government, or a related technical environment would be advantageous.

About the Team - Mō tō mātou Rōpū

The Pacific Partnership team delivers a programme funded by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade that supports Pacific countries to trade fresh produce safely and sustainably. This work helps strengthen livelihoods for Pacific farmers, exporters, and their communities, while ensuring exports meet New Zealand's biosecurity requirements and protect Aotearoa New Zealand.

We work directly with biosecurity agencies in four partner countries to strengthen export systems, capability, and practices. We also support the Pacific Plant Protection Organisation in its regional role to build plant health capability and coordination across the Pacific.

You’ll join a small, collaborative team with deep biosecurity expertise and extensive experience working with Pacific partners. This new role adds dedicated learning and capability development expertise to the team, helping translate technical knowledge into practical, sustainable improvements that support long-term outcomes.

About MPI - Mō Te Manatū 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.

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

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

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.

Applications close at midnight on Monday 28 September 2026.

If you have any questions about the role, please email [e-mail]