Environmental Protection Authority NZ Looking for Compliance Officer CME1 at Wellington, Wellington Region, New Zealand Full Time

As New Zealand’s environmental regulator, the work we do today helps shape the future of our tomorrow.

Our purpose | To tatou kaupapa

We are the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA), Aotearoa New Zealand’s independent environmental regulator. Our role is important: to help protect our country’s unique way of life by looking out for the health of its environment, its economy and its people.

Our kaupapa is about making the right decisions based on evidence, mātauranga, and science. At the EPA, we encourage big ideas and bold goals.

What we achieve today helps shape the future of New Zealand for generations to come.

Come join us

We welcome you to join us on our journey to a healthy environment that benefits us all.

Jump in the waka – make history with us.

About our group | Mō te roopu

Compliance, monitoring and enforcement is an integral part of the EPA’s work to protect the environment and the health outcomes of New Zealanders. Activities undertaken by the CME Group sit alongside decision-making and engagement and are fundamental to the overall strategic direction of the EPA.  

The Compliance, Monitoring and Enforcement Group helps everyone – from small businesses to big organisations – understand and comply with environmental regulations to help protect communities, the environment and people. 

We do this through educating, engaging, monitoring and investigating, and taking enforcement action when necessary. This approach benefits the environment, the economy and communities, and means we can focus our resources (including our enforcement powers) on tackling the most important environmental issues.  

Our multi-disciplinary team of compliance, monitoring and enforcement officers work together, supporting each other to carry out this essential role in maintaining and upholding New Zealand’s environmental regulatory regime for the good of all of Aotearoa today, and for future generations. 

About the role | Mō te tūnga

We are looking for multiple Compliance Officers to lead and contribute to the best practice delivery of regulatory compliance, monitoring and enforcement functions and decision making by the EPA. This includes supporting the compliance monitoring, inspection and investigation activities across a wide range of environmental legislation.  

We are looking for regulatory practitioners with experience in carrying out a range of compliance, monitoring and enforcement activities and initiatives to ensure compliance across the EPAs legislative mandate. This includes providing quality technical and procedural advice, support for compliance and monitoring activities internally and maintaining professional relationships with regulated parties.

You will be responsible for conducting and assisting with inspections and investigations within technically complex facilities whilst adhering to health and safety policies and procedures to mitigate risk.

You will be solution focused, able to identify system improvements and support the delivery of training within CME whilst adhering to organisational values and behaviours.   

About you | Mōhou ake 

We are looking for someone with a range of skills and experience – if you have some or all of the below, we would love to hear from you.

• Applied knowledge of compliance approaches, principles and processes. 
• An understanding of the methods and techniques for the assessment and management of risk and assessing effects in a regulatory environment.  
• Proven ability to make robust decisions based on fact that are defensible.  
• Demonstrates ability to communicate complex information in a clear and logical manner ensuring key messages are clear for the audience.  
• Demonstrates good risk-based prioritisation of workflow including adapting to emerging.
• Experience in regulatory compliance and enforcement, ideally within central or local government .
• Experience of applying legislation to unique and dynamic situations to identify non-compliance. 
• Experience in analysing complex technical and scientific data and an ability to identify non-compliance with legislation.  
• Experience of triaging and responding to incidents, complaints and enquiries to achieve positive outcomes, reducing risk and harm to people or the environment.  
• Experience in conducting and leading investigations and physical inspections in varied and dynamic environments.  
• Proven ability to take enforcement action including issuing infringement notices, abatement notices and initiating prosecutions based on functions, powers and evidence collected. 

What’s in it for you | Ngā āhuatanga kei a mātou

There Are Extra Benefits To Working At The EPA

• flexible working culture
• three paid ‘Board holidays’ in addition to four weeks’ annual leave
• $400 gross payment to help you set up working at home
• an annual paid EPA Environment Day to support the community with environmental initiatives
• in-house te reo and tikanga Māori workshops
• learning opportunities, including the annual Science Symposium
• active and lively social club, and diverse groups and support networks
• EPA awards recognising individual and team effort
• relocation help for those moving to New Zealand from overseas.

Salary range

$79,498 – $119,248 per annum (midpoint $99,373).

This is the full salary range. Appointments are made within the range depending on skills and experience.

How to apply | Me pēhea te tuku tono

Complete the online application form and submit your CV and a covering letter.

Please note: your covering letter is an important part of our assessment process. Please highlight how your experience relates to this role, and why you applied. Tell us about you, your values and/or whakapapa.

View the Position description

For more information, please contact [email protected] or check out the careers section of our website www.epa.govt.nz/careers.

We are open to supporting inter agency secondments. If possible, please discuss the prospect of joining us with your current manager, before submitting your application.

Applications close | Rā Katinga

5pm, 25 May 2023