Compliance Officer

About our group | Mō te roopu

Compliance, monitoring and enforcement (CME) 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 have a number of Compliance Officer roles across our three of our CME teams – Compliance, Monitoring and Proactive Campaigns.  

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 EPA’s legislative mandate. This includes the delivery of our CME functions as well as providing quality technical and procedural advice, and maintaining professional relationships with regulated parties. 

You will be responsible for conducting and assisting with compliance activities 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.    

• In the Compliance team you will be acting on notifications of non-compliance from the public and from your colleagues, triaging and looking in this information, and taking the appropriate response to resolve any non-compliances identified. This is a fast paced team dealing with a particularly broad range of environmental challenges.  

• In the Monitoring team you will be ensuring compliance across a range of approved activities and ensuring that duty holders are meeting the obligations of those approvals. This team is particularly focused on the higher risk activities and the minimising the potential environmental harm from them.  

• In the Proactive Campaigns team you will be tasked with finding innovative solutions to fix environmental issues at a system level. This team utilises project management frameworks and regulatory behaviour change techniques to deliver on an agreed programme of work.  

• Our compliance officers are responsible for their own work packet of compliance activities, but this will often include working with others in the team – this could include supporting inspections on offshore oil platforms, conducting a search under a search warrant, or working as part of a project team to improve industry compliance.  

This role is based in our Wellington office. While we're happy to consider work-from-home arrangements, this role is not designed for full-time remote working.  

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. 

• Experience in regulatory compliance, monitoring and/or enforcement, ideally within central or local government. 

• Demonstrated ability to communicate complex information in a clear and logical manner ensuring key messages are clear for the audience. 

• Ability to analyse complex technical and scientific data and an ability to identify non-compliance with legislation.   

• Applied knowledge of regulatory compliance approaches, principles and processes.  

• Sound judgement, common sense, and a calmness under pressure.  

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

There are extra benefits to working at the EPA: 

• flexible working culture 

• three additional paid leave days between Christmas and New Years in addition to four weeks’ annual leave 

• $400 non-taxable payment to help you set up working at home 

• an annual paid EPA Environment Day to support the community with environmental initiatives 

• in-house Māori cultural capability building programme  

• learning opportunities, including the annual EPA 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 

$87,702 - $131,554 annum (midpoint $109,628).  

This is the full salary range of the band, from 80% - 120%. Appointments will generally be made at or below the midpoint of this 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 recruit@epa.govt.nz or check out the careers section of our website www.epa.govt.nz/careers. 

Applications close | Rā Katinga  

5pm, 21 June 2026 

We will review applications as they are submitted and may begin our selection process prior to the end of the application stage