Te āhuatunga a te tūranga | About the role

Based in Whakatāne and reporting to the Eastern Coastal Catchments Team Leader, you will be part of a dedicated and hardworking team.

Your work will include:

• Partnering with community members, landowners and iwi on projects that support biodiversity and sustainable land management outcomes.
• Protecting, restoring and enhancing a range of biodiversity sites across the Eastern Bay of Plenty.
• Supporting inspiring community groups and volunteers to protect local ecosystems that matter most to them.
• Promoting strategies to improve water quality and soil conservation.
• Preparing contract specifications and overseeing the delivery of on-the-ground works.
• Developing Environmental Programmes with landowners/occupiers and tangata whenua.
• Providing timely, accurate advice to our community and other stakeholders.

This role encourages you to be out on the ground collaborating with our communities and provides a mix of field and office-based work to keep your days varied and engaging.

Ō pūmanawa | Your skills and experience

We are preferably seeking candidates with a degree in science, natural resource management, agriculture, or a related field. Ideally you will have a background in biodiversity and experience in ecosystem management however experience in sustainable land management, including farming practices, and soil and water conservation, is highly valued.

You will bring:

• Experience working with rural communities
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills
• The ability to build relationships and negotiate win-win outcomes

If you believe your practical experience and engagement skills make you a strong fit, we’d love to hear from you.

If you don’t quite have all these skills or experience, we would still consider you for a Land Management Officer II role (training and development role)

Ko wai mātou | Who we are

Toi Moana Bay of Plenty Regional Council is responsible for land, air and water as well as public transport and economic development. A major focus of our work involves looking after the environment. We manage the effects of people's use of freshwater, land, air and coastal water. However, we also have a broader responsibility with others for the economic, social and cultural well-being of the regional community.

We are a values-driven organisation, that really cares about our people. Who you are is important to us and we welcome diversity as an opportunity to grow our teams and are keen to support people of all gender identities, ages, ethnicities, sexual orientations, religions and abilities. We want Toi Moana to be a place where you bring your whole self to work.

You’ll be joining the Coastal Catchments team. We work closely with farmers, tangata whenua, consultants and the wider community across the coastal catchments of the Bay of Plenty to progress a range of challenging but rewarding environmental projects. You can expect to be involved in a diverse range of work – covering biodiversity, water quality, land management practices, soils, erosion and community engagement.

Highlights of working with us include:

• Varied and challenging work.
• A supportive and collaborative work environment.
• Flexibility with the way you work.
• A competitive remuneration and leave package, including additional paid leave over Christmas/New Year, employer paid insurance, well-being initiatives.
• A commitment to supporting you grow and develop.

Me pēhea te tuku tono | How to Apply

Click APPLY NOW or contact Kendall Smith - Team Leader, Eastern Coastal Catchments on (phone number) 029 368 9597 for a confidential discussion.

To access a copy of Te Tūranga Mahi (Job Description) please click on the following link or copy and paste it into your web browser: https://tinyurl.com/2zrvmrxs

NB: To apply for this job, you must have the legal right to be able to work in New Zealand and also a current, valid driver's licence. As this position is designated as being "safety sensitive", the successful candidate will be asked to undergo a pre-employment drug and alcohol check as part of the recruitment.

Applications close 11pm, Sunday 10 May 2026 and will only be accepted online.