Thriving together - mō te taiao, mō ngā tāngata.

Our environment and our people go hand-in-hand.

This role is full-time, but we are open to considering applicants who wish to work part-time minimum 0.8 FTE. Tauranga, Rotorua or Whakatāne based.

Water is essential for sustaining life, and in the Bay of Plenty 70% of our water resources return to aquifers as accessible ground and geothermal water resources. Are you passionate about sustaining our ground and geothermal resources and the science that explores and protects them? We're looking for such an Environmental Scientist to join our Science Team.

Join us and share your knowledge to help manage aquifers that carry water across the Bay to Plenty. Our team works alongside Environmental Information Services to collect data to understand how much water is in the region, where it’s located and what its quality is.

This is your chance to apply your knowledge, analytical skills and curiosity to meaningful work that supports sustainable water resource policy outcomes. We work in partnership with other council teams, iwi, communities and researchers to use data to support decisions about how water is used - and we’re looking for someone who shares that commitment.

Te āhuatunga a te tūranga | About the role

You’ll join the Water Quantity Team, part of the wider Science Team within the Science & Strategy group, a supportive, collaborative team of environmental professionals who take pride in the quality and usefulness of our work. We provide technical regulatory advice for consent, compliance, pollution response, catchment management and support evidence-based policy development. The team has a range of skills in management of water quality, water allocation/quantity, drinking water standards, geothermal/groundwater/springs, bores/drilling, stormwater discharges and onsite wastewater treatment systems.  

In this role, you will:

• Work collaboratively with the Senior Environmental Scientists.
• Design and implement monitoring programmes for water resources.
• Project manage existing and new water resources projects.
• Give consenting and compliance advice within statutory timeframes.
• Design and carry out field investigations and monitoring.
• Lead or contribute to technical projects and regional environmental reporting.
• Analyse water quantity data using spatial tools and statistical modelling approaches.
• Build and maintain partnerships and engagement with iwi and community groups.
• Provide science advice to support catchment planning, restoration and protection.
• Work closely with other scientists across freshwater quality, coastal/estuaries, air, land and climate domains.
• Communicate your findings through reports, maps, presentations and social media.
• Keep up with emerging research and methods and apply it to local issues.

Ō pūmanawa | Your skills and experience

• Bachelor degree in relevant science subjects such as geology, hydrology, or environmental science.
• Post-graduate specialisation in hydrology or natural resources science is highly desirable.
• A proactive, collaborative approach to problem-solving and team work.
• Experience in groundwater monitoring, analysis and reporting.
• Fieldwork experience in groundwater and geothermal environments.
• Proven science communication skills and the ability to work in partnership with others.
• Confidence in a statistical programming language (e.g. R/Python), remote sensing methods and spatial analysis (e.g. ArcPro/GIS).
• Interpretation and development of groundwater and/or geothermal models.
• Experience managing and delivering science projects.
• Knowledge of resource management policy and implementation.
• Experience or willingness to learn to manage analytical pipelines in GitHub and to build and maintain Shiny apps (interactive web applications built in R/Python).

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 Science Team in the Strategy & Science Group. You’ll work alongside a collaborative, science-led team that values curiosity, creativity and collective impact. We manage environmental challenges and opportunities with a strong focus on collaboration, science and long-term thinking. Our team specialises in coastal and freshwater science, monitoring, research and reporting. We’re known for delivering high-quality, regionally relevant science and advice, and for working in partnership with other Council teams, iwi, stakeholders and other researchers to make a difference for our environment and communities.

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.
• In-house professional development opportunities, leadership and cultural training
• Staff social clubs at each office

This role can be located from either our Tauranga, Whakatāne or Rotorua offices. 

Me pēhea te tuku tono  | How to Apply

Click APPLY NOW or contact Stacey Faire - Science Team Leader on 0800 884 880 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/3n3nj23y

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, Monday 23 February 2026 and will only be accepted online.