The Civil Aviation Authority and the Aviation Security Service offer distinctively different career opportunities and embrace diverse talent. All jobs at the Authority contribute to ensuring safe and secure skies to help New Zealand fly.
The Civil Aviation Authority is the regulatory arm of our organisation and the Aviation Security Service is the nationwide provider for aviation security.
- Lead quality assurance of regulatory policy oversight activities that drive safety and security improvements
- Enjoy our benefits including 4% KiwiSaver + discounted life, health income insurance.
- Permanent | Wellington CBD | $136,939 - $168,191 pa.
By joining us, you will be part of a team where meaningful work, collaboration and innovation come together to help keep New Zealand's skies safe and secure.
At the Civil Aviation Authority of New Zealand, we are constantly evolving to meet the demands of a changing environment and the aviation industry.
Recent legislative changes, along with an organisational realignment, have opened exciting new opportunities across the organisation. These changes are part of a broader effort to better position our teams for the future by enabling us to be more collaborative, efficient and effective in everything we do.
As we step confidently into our role as a modern regulator, we are embracing intelligence-led, risk-based approaches that help us make a real difference for our people and the communities we serve - with a strong value-for-money ethos. We're also committed to enabling aviation participants to support economic growth in New Zealand's aviation sector.
About the role
Our recently formed Quality and Assurance Oversight team is responsible for internal monitoring and assurance within the CAA. By joining us you will play a key part in delivering quality, assurance and oversight activities within a regulatory environment - an essential function that helps provide assurance to the Executive, Director, and Board that the CAA is effectively and efficiently delivering its safety and security responsibilities.
As Principal Advisor within the Quality and Assurance Oversight team, you will be providing technical and thought leadership to ensure our oversight activities align with regulatory system outcomes. It's a role where you need to be able to connect the dots.
You will apply your understanding of regulatory policy, systems, and practice to our internal audit, quality and assurance activities. This is a unique role that has scope across the entire organisation, and you'll help to identify risk areas and improvement opportunities in how CAA undertakes its safety and security regulatory role.
The salary band for the Principal Advisor, Regulatory Quality Oversight starts at $136,939 to a maximum of $168,191. Starting salaries are be based on knowledge, skills and experience the successful candidate brings to the role, as well as internal relativities.
What You'll Bring
You'll be a strategic thinker with deep expertise in regulatory policy, quality, assurance, and oversight, ideally within a dynamic or safety-critical environment. Your ability to provide thought leadership and trusted advice at a senior level will be matched by your skill in coaching and mentoring others.
It would be ideal if you have a strong understanding of aviation regulatory frameworks (including the Civil Aviation Act 2023 and ICAO obligations) but more importantly, it's about how you apply your knowledge to deliver robust assurance approaches.
You'll have a proven ability to lead projects, draw insights from data, and build trusted relationships across all levels of the organisation and with international counterparts. Integrity, sound judgement, and a keen eye for risk will underpin everything you do.
We'd love to you have some of these:
- A deep understanding and experience within a dynamic regulatory or policy environment, ideally within aviation systems.
- In-depth knowledge of legislative and regulatory frameworks (ideally the Civil Aviation Act 2023).
- A trusted advisor with the ability to influence and build credibility at senior levels.
- The ability to interpret complex information and support informed decision-making.
- Proven track record in leading and delivering projects and regulatory initiatives.
- Experienced in developing team capability through coaching and mentoring.
- Solid understanding of the machinery of government, backed by relevant qualifications and/or practical experience.
Next Steps:
Apply directly by completing the online application form and submit your CV and Cover Letter. Note: your cover letter will be a key part of our assessment process, so please highlight how your experience relates to the key skills required for this role.
We want to ensure accessibility needs are well supported, so the recruitment process is fair and equitable for all. Therefore, please let us know if there is any support, we can provide to ensure the recruitment process is fully accessible to you.
For more information on the role please view the position description or contact the Recruitment team at recruitment@caa.govt.nz
Applications Close: Wednesday 3 September 2025.