Canterbury Emergency Management Operational Planning Advisor

• Develop and implement multi-agency emergency management plans
• Work for a council committed to Treaty Partner Excellence
• Enjoy flexible working and a supportive team environment

Kaunihera Taiao ki Waitaha │ About Environment Canterbury

As a regional council, we are responsible for managing natural resources including air, soil, water and land. We work in partnership with mana whenua Ngāi Tahu to protect the health of our environment to ensure a sustainable and prosperous future for our region.

The region's evolving environmental and political context means we will continue to be agile and adaptive, as we respond to regulatory and environmental changes.

Our mahi (work) is organised around the delivery of our three core services:

• Environmental Regulation and Protection
• Community Preparedness and Response to Hazards
• Public Transport

Kōrero mō te Tūranga | About the Role

Based at the Justice and Emergency Services Precinct in Christchurch, this position supports the Canterbury Civil Defence Emergency Management (CDEM) Group by leading operational planning across the 4Rs framework—Reduction, Readiness, Response, and Recovery. The role involves close collaboration with local authorities, iwi partners, and emergency services to ensure effective, inclusive, and culturally responsive emergency management. It also contributes to national and regional policy development and supports the organisation's commitment to Te Tiriti o Waitangi. The Canterbury CDEM Group Office has current staffing of seventeen staff divided into four sections. The staff all work together to achieve the outcomes of the CDEM Group Plan and Group work programme.  You will report to the Team Leader – Operational Readiness along with the following Advisor positions:

• Operational Readiness
• Geospatial
• Capacity Development
• Training Development

This role requires participation in the Group Emergency Management Office "Duty Officer" role on an agreed weekly roster over a 4-6 week cycle.

Please note this role is different to the Advisor – Resilience Planning role which will also be advertised in the coming months.

For more information on this role, please refer to the job description at the bottom of the advert.

Mōu │ About You

You'll be a strategic operational thinker and skilled collaborator who thrives in complex, multi-agency environments. You'll be someone who brings strong planning and communication skills, a proactive mindset, and a passion for building community resilience. You value partnership, cultural responsiveness, and are confident navigating both operational detail and big-picture emergency management strategy. You should be able to:

• Write comprehensive operational plans with and without the aid of AI tools
• Confidence in reviewing existing plans or documents including the creation of different forms of documents suitable for the intent e.g. SOP's and Concept of Operations.
• Lead or facilitate conversations with stakeholders with an interest in operational plans
• Communicate effectively both orally and in writing
• Build and maintain effective relationships and collaborate well internally and externally
• Ability to fulfil a response role in the Canterbury CDEM Group Emergency Coordination Centre during an emergency

Mātau ā-Wheako | Experience

Ideally, you'll have a strong Emergency Management background, preferably with an Emergency Management tertiary qualification or related field. Your strengths should be in planning, technical writing, and practical but strategic operationally planning. You will need to have a track record of working collaboratively within and across teams or agencies.

Ngā hua o te Mahi i te Kaunihera Taiao ki Waitaha | Working at Environment Canterbury

Our mahi is underpinned by our values:

• Kaitiakitanga (stewardship)
• Pononga (integrity)
• Manaakitanga (people first)
• Whanaungatanga (collaboration)
• Māiatanga (can do)

We understand and embrace a diverse workforce; this diversity will enable us to better serve our people, our community, and our greatest taonga, the environment. We value everyone's contribution, diverse thinking, and skills.

We're on a journey to become a treaty partner of excellence, including incorporating te ao Māori into our work. We offer supportive opportunities to develop capability in this area and encourage our people to use kaupapa Māori, mātauranga Māori, and te reo Māori in our daily work. We welcome you with an open heart & mind, wherever you are on your personal te ao Māori journey.

Ko ētahi atu kōrero | Additional Information

For a confidential chat about this role, please contact Phill Mackay on

Applications close on Wednesday, 5 November.  Applications will be reviewed as we receive them, and interviews may take place before the close date. We reserve the right to close advertising early.

Short-listed candidates will be required to complete an interview process, reference checks, and a criminal check. Further background checking will be required when relevant to the role.

We are committed to creating a diverse, inclusive, and authentic workplace. If you're excited about this role but don't meet every qualification in the job description, we still encourage you to apply.

Me mahi tahi tātou - Together we can

Canterbury Emergency Management Operational Planning