Environmental Science and Protection Technician, Including Health
About usThe Horizons Region extends over 22,200km2 - from Ruapehu in the north and Horowhenua in the south, to Whanganui in the west and Tararua in the east. Our purpose is to work with and for our community in the use and protection of our environment, managing our precious resources of land, air and water; as well as public transport and a key role in emergency management. At Horizons Regional Council we work to make our region a healthy environment where people are thriving, including our staff.The roleDo you have a passion for working with Freshwater? Want to be a part of a team whose sole focus is to improve water quality, develop river management options based on river geomorphology and grow fish populations across the region? All while being part of an organisation recognised for our expertise, innovation, science and leadership? Then this could be the job for you.This full-time position, based out of our Kairanga Depot, is fixed term until June 2025. The role will work across four different projects/ work streams: Nature Based Solutions, Fish Passage and Monitoring, Stream Fencing and Riparian Planting and Contact Recreation (within the Science team). The division of work across the programme will be roughly 75% on Nature Based Solutions with the remaining work being structured seasonally across the three remaining programmes. During the warmer months (Nov - April) you will work within the Fish Passage and Contact recreation teams before spending time within the stream fencing and riparian planting team over winter.The Nature Based Solutions project work involves assisting with the development of the 'Room for the Rivers' concept and associated options in the Oroua and Pohangina catchments. This will involve working with a range of technical experts across a range of disciplines, and a heavy focus on the use of GIS software. The Fish passage and monitoring project work will involve stream walking to find and record barriers to fish migration, and delivering solutions to remediate them. There is also a monitoring component, which takes you to some beautiful spots, to determine presence and abundance of our native fish, kakahi and koura populations. The contact recreation component involves collecting, collating and managing data from our favourite swimming and recreational spots across our large and diverse region.In the cooler months, you will assist the Stream fencing and riparian planting team through the delivery of native riparian planting programme working with landowners and key stakeholders to ensure the correct placement of these plants next to waterways.This position will give you a broad understanding and exposure to the environmental services within Horizons and will offer you plenty of variation.About youYou will need to be able to work with landowners, barrier owners, iwi/hapū, agencies and community groups. Excellent communication and relationship building skills will be vital as the team works with a wide range of internal and external project partners and stakeholders to deliver projects on the ground.You will need to have a passion for working in the outdoors (in all weather conditions), be confident around waterways, are happy to be flexible and spend the occasional night away from home. Ideally you will have an interest in the regions freshwater environments and an ability to uphold the values of Te Tiriti O Waitangi. A full drivers' license, good time management, and familiarity with GIS software is essential. Good interpersonal, communication and organisational skills are also preferred.Why should you apply?When you join us, you can look forward to a rewarding career full of opportunities to develop, along with a positive and supportive work environment. We do this through:
Positive focus on employee health, wellness and wellbeing
Providing you with your birthday off
Flexible family friendly work environment
Skills and job specific development programmes across different functional jobs; and
A supportive and social work environment across the organisation.
Applications close 5pm Sunday 26 May 2024.Horizons are an equal opportunity employer and are committed to ensuring we have a diverse and inclusive workplace so our people reflect the diversity of our region.
