Specialist Systems Auditor

Nz Ministry For Primary Industries; Christchurch; Hybrid; NZD 122,000 - 142,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Extra leave days

Eye test subsidy

Leave purchase option

Job summary

The Nz Ministry For Primary Industries is seeking a Specialist Systems Auditor, Dairy on a fixed-term/secondment basis. The role involves regulatory assurance and audits across New Zealand’s dairy sector, with travel nationwide and a focus on maintaining market access for dairy products.

The ideal candidate has a tertiary qualification in food safety or related discipline, strong auditing and regulatory knowledge, and excellent stakeholder engagement skills.

Qualifications

• Relevant tertiary qualification in food safety or related discipline.
• Auditing experience and regulatory knowledge in dairy systems.
• Strong stakeholder engagement and communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Undertake regulatory assurance and systems audits in New Zealand's dairy production sector.
• Assess the effectiveness of regulatory frameworks, verification systems and assurance arrangements for dairy products.
• Facilitate and host overseas competent authority audits.
• Provide technical expertise to accreditation bodies, including IANZ and JASANZ.
• Identify risks, system weaknesses and opportunities for continuous improvement.
• Support the development of assurance systems that maintain domestic and international confidence.
• Contribute to the team's Quality Management System and Health, Safety and Wellbeing programmes.

Skills

Auditing experience

Regulatory knowledge

Stakeholder management

Dairy processing knowledge

Communication skills

Education

Tertiary qualification in food safety, science, food technology or related discipline

Job description

Specialist Systems Auditor, Dairy – Role type: Fixed-term/Secondment, full-time until November2027. Location: Preferably Auckland, PalmerstonNorth, Wellington, Nelson, Christchurch or Dunedin. Other locations may be considered for the right candidate. Salary band & range: General Salary RangeC: $121,764 to $142,494 depending on skills and experience.

About the Role – Kōrero mō te Tūranga

The Systems Audit Team delivers an audit programme that supports food safety, assurance and market access outcomes, helping underpin NewZealand's $50billion food and primary industries export sector. As part of NewZealand Food Safety's Assurance Directorate, the team provides independent assurance that NewZealand's regulatory systems are working as intended and delivering trusted outcomes both domestically and internationally. As a Systems Auditor, you will work where NewZealand's regulatory systems are tested, demonstrated and improved. You'll undertake diverse audits across sectors including meat, dairy, seafood, laboratories, animal welfare and biosecurity, gaining a unique system-wide perspective of NewZealand's primary industries. NewZealand becomes your workplace. You'll travel throughout the country, engaging with industry leaders, regulators, technical specialists and international authorities while contributing directly to confidence in NewZealand's food safety system and global market access.

Key Responsibilities

• Undertake regulatory assurance and systems audits across NewZealand's dairy production sector.
• Assess the effectiveness of regulatory frameworks, verification systems and assurance arrangements for dairy products.
• Facilitate and host overseas competent authority audits.
• Provide technical expertise to accreditation bodies, including IANZ and JASANZ.
• Identify risks, system weaknesses and opportunities for continuous improvement.
• Support the development of assurance systems that maintain domestic and international confidence.
• Contribute to the team's Quality Management System and Health, Safety and Wellbeing programmes.

Why this role is different

• Travel throughout NewZealand and see assurance systems in action.
• Work alongside recognised experts in food safety, science, regulation and industry.
• Help maintain market access and confidence in NewZealand exports.
• Gain exposure across multiple sectors and regulatory systems.
• Enjoy varied, technically challenging work with national impact.
• Continuously learn, develop and expand your professional expertise.

About You – Mōu

We are looking for a technically strong and naturally curious dairy professional who enjoys understanding complex systems and how they deliver outcomes. You will be an excellent communicator with significant auditing, verification or regulatory experience, strong stakeholder engagement skills, and the ability to apply sound judgement in complex environments. This role offers a unique opportunity to apply your expertise beyond individual operations and contribute to the performance and credibility of NewZealand's regulatory system for dairy. It is particularly suited to technical experts in food production, including dairy processing, who want to expand their knowledge beyond manufacturing environments. Our ideal candidate will have and/or demonstrate: We also offer extensive opportunities for learning, development and exposure across NewZealand's primary industries.

Our ideal candidate will have and/or demonstrate

• A relevant tertiary qualification in food safety, science, food technology or a related discipline.
• Technical capability in dairy production and processing
• Professional auditing qualifications or equivalent auditing experience.
• Strong stakeholder and relationship management skills.
• The ability to analyse systems and identify risks, trends and improvement opportunities.
• Knowledge of international trade arrangements and MPI's role as a Competent Authority.
• Strong knowledge of the Animal Products Act and/or Food Act.
• Awareness of related legislation including ACVM, Animal Welfare, Organic Products and Production, and Biosecurity Acts.

About the Team – Mō tō mātou Rōpū

The Systems Audit Team plays a critical role in maintaining confidence in NewZealand's food safety and primary production systems. Our auditors are recognised technical experts who work across regulatory, industry and international environments, helping support market access, consumer confidence and NewZealand's reputation for safe, trusted food. Our team brings together expertise from scientific, veterinary, regulatory and industry backgrounds. Although geographically dispersed, we maintain a highly collaborative culture focused on technical excellence, knowledge sharing and continuous development. No two audits are the same, providing ongoing variety, challenge and opportunity to learn.

About MPI – Mō te Manatū Ahu Matua

We are passionate about growing prosperity in NewZealand's primary sectors while ensuring respect for Kaitiaki – guardianship of our natural resources.

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

• Additional MPI leave days
• Ability to purchase extra annual leave
• 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.

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.

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

Applications close at 11.59pm on Thursday 22nd October 2026