Environmental Monitoring Scientist - Iris Next Gen - 1025

Hamilton | Science | Full Time

76,900 - 86,000 NZD per year

Posted 7 days ago | Apply before August 30, 2026

Are you interested in a great opportunity to be monitoring the quality of our rivers, streams, lakes, and groundwater and being at the forefront of environmental monitoring? We are looking for an experienced field staff to join our Water Quality team on a two-year fixed term basis, based in Hamilton.

The role is divided equally between practical water quality monitoring and leading the implementation of IRIS Next Gen software to support environmental monitoring.

For half your time you will support the Team Leader - Water Quality to deliver freshwater monitoring programmes across the region. The remainder of your time is being the subject matter expert for IRIS Next Gen. IRIS NG is new software that will contain all site information relating to monitoring locations, staff skills and used for scheduling sampling runs. For IRIS NG you will be working across the Water Quality, Hydrology, Ecology, and Environmental Data teams.

For IRIS, the role involves:

Knowledge of monitoring approaches and field site details of monitoring locations.

Being the Environmental Monitoring lead for IRIS Next Gen and supporting its implementation across the section.

Attending IRIS NG meetings and connecting with other leads across the organisation.

Developing user guides, templates, forms, and reports to support monitoring activities.

Providing training, guidance, and support to staff using IRIS Next Gen.

Working with Water Quality, Hydrology, Aquatic Ecology, and Environmental Data teams to ensure consistent monitoring, record management, and data entry processes.

Helping identify and resolve monitoring-related issues and supporting the transition to new systems and ways of working.

For WQ following best practice, the role involves:

Sampling rivers, streams, lakes, and aquifers throughout the Waikato region.

Deploying, maintaining, calibrating, and troubleshooting continuous water quality and water level monitoring equipment.

Downloading, processing, quality checking, and storing environmental monitoring data in Council databases.

Collecting, processing, and quality assuring both discrete and continuous water quality datasets.

Driving to remote parts of the region to undertake inspections, collect samples, and carry out field measurements.

Monitoring the condition of the region's shallow lakes, including operating and skippering Council boats.

Maintaining a strong focus on health, safety, and wellbeing while working in the field, on the water, and around monitoring equipment.

Ability to deliver in a difficult physical working environment with a high level of time pressure

Skills in data processing and a high level of competence using domain specific software relevant to the data being collected, e.g. Sampler, Wiski, Located, IRIS, National Wells Database

Eye for detail - high degree of accuracy when undertaking tasks

Proficient level of computer skills including Microsoft products

Those undertaking lake and river monitoring are competent around water and at using and skippering boats.

Those undertaking lake and river monitoring are able to swim at least 25m fully clothed

Physically fit: able to work full days in challenging field work.

Be able to stay away overnight for work from time to time.

Proven experience and ability in driving Utes, including 4WD experience and knowledge

Excellent communication skills - written and verbal

A tertiary qualification or degree in natural, physical or environmental sciences or related discipline.

Minimum 2 years' experience.

Certified boat skipper - desirable but not essential.

We work hard to care for the mighty Waikato, so current and future generations will benefit from a healthy environment, strong economy, and vibrant communities.

Our mahi is as diverse as the region we care for and the people who share it. Our work helps look after our region's water, soil, air, geothermal areas and coasts - so we can all enjoy these precious resources for generations to come.

Customers sit at the heart of everything we do, and all staff have an important role to play in the delivery of exceptional customer service.

By partnering with iwi and working with many others in our communities, our collective kaitiakitanga will make the Waikato region even better.

Together, we'll create a sustainable future that will make a positive difference to people's lives.

Applications will be reviewed as they come in, and this role will close on Sunday 30th August 2026.