Our environment and our people go hand-in-hand.
- Are you known for being calm in a high pressure environment?
- Are you looking for truly meaningful work?
- Are you equal parts creative and pragmatic?
Emergency Management Bay of Plenty is seeking an adaptable Communications Advisor to join our friendly team based in downtown Tauranga.
This important role will support communications for the Bay of Plenty Civil Defence Emergency Management Group including public information management, media management, public education, social media and marketing.
Te āhuatunga a te tūranga | About the role
There are two aspects to this role: Emergency and business-as-usual.
Emergency communications play a crucial role in keeping communities safe when disaster strikes. If you have worked in crisis communications or in fast-turnaround journalism, parts of this role will feel familiar, but there are other aspects to the role, that are unique to emergencies.
During emergencies, the Advisor, Communications will work in PIM (Public Information Management) to deliver clear, accurate, relevant, and timely information to people who need it most. If you are not already experienced in PIM, response training will be a core part of your introduction to the role.
When there is no emergency, your days will include relationship management, collaboration and planning as well as supporting a range of emergency communication and public education work. You will be part of our rostered 24/7 duty system, take the lead on planned activities like the annual ShakeOut drill, and support the broader team on projects ranging from tsunami awareness, to emergency response exercises, to caldera volcano planning.
The right person will be able to:
- Deliver operational communications from a strategic (big picture) perspective
- Share scientific and regulatory information in a way that connects with communities
- Work in conditions of uncertainty and high pressure (during emergencies)
- Work effectively in local government/public service settings
- Think logically, but communicate with heart
- Be focused but flexible
- Adapt and integrate to the world of CDEM
Ō pūmanawa | Your skills and experience
The most important thing you will bring to this role, is genuine interest in emergency management and a commitment to doing good. This is a job where we can face scrutiny and criticism, but it’s not about us - it’s about making a difference during people’s darkest days.
You will be a proven communicator, either in communications or journalism. You will also have an appropriate tertiary qualification. This is not a marketing or a crisis communications role, but if you have experience and understanding of one or both, that would be valuable.
Other desirable skills and experience
- Social media management
- Understanding of earth sciences
- Media expertise (especially broadcast/multimedia)
- Events management
- Delivering adult education
- Knowledge of CIMS and CDEM
- Experience in emergency management communications or high stress environments
- Strong interpersonal skills and an ability to engage and collaborate with a wide range of people
- Affinity with a Te Ao Māori (holistic) approach to problem solving
Ko wai mātou | Who we are
You’ll be joining a diverse and supportive team of professional emergency managers. We work with all seven councils in the Bay of Plenty region to support communities before, during and after emergencies. This includes responding to severe weather events, earthquakes, tsunami and a range of other hazards across our region.
Our day-to-day work includes training, planning and preparedness alongside other emergency managers locally, regionally and nationally. We also work with specialists in areas like hazard management, emergency recovery, geospatial mapping and tsunami modelling.
We come from backgrounds as diverse as engineering, community engagement, military, journalism and police. Many of us weren’t born and bred in the Bay of Plenty, but we are all committed to Te Moana-a-Toi: kia haumaru, kia kaha, ma tātau katoa: A safe, strong Bay of Plenty, together.
The benefits
Great things about 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.
We also have the best office location in Tauranga, with uninterrupted harbour views.
Me pēhea te tuku tono | How to Apply
Click APPLY NOW or contact Mark Crowe - Director, Emergency Management Bay of Plenty on 027 299 3845 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/2r7dyw9w
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 5pm, Thursday 11 September 2025 and will only be accepted online.
