Senior Advisor, NZBN

Tēnei tūranga – About the role

The New Zealand Business Number (NZBN) is a globally unique digital identifier available to all New Zealand businesses. It links to core business information, saving business time and money by making it easier to connect and interact with each other and with government. The NZBN provides a key digital building block, enabling businesses to take advantage of the growing digital economy.

This role requires an experienced senior advisor who can think strategically as well as work at an operational level to deliver on the NZBN work programme and work closely with other teams that are working on NZBN enabled initiatives.

Responsibilities of this position are varied, but at its core the role is about engaging with and influencing businesses, trusted advisors, and the public sector, understanding their perspectives and objectives, providing them with information and support, in order to increase the adoption and implementation of the NZBN. The role will also support the development of policy advice and Ministerial servicing for the team.

The role will contribute to, and where necessary lead NZBN projects, including providing advice and guidance on the implementation of the NZBN by the public and private sector, writing briefings for the Minister of Small Business, content creation for a range of channels, planning stakeholder engagement and providing input into policy work as required across the NZBN, programmes of work.

Key relationships

• NZBN manager and the wider team.
• Business Registries team (New Zealand Companies Office).
• Teams in NZBN enabled initiatives e.g., E-invoicing and Business Connect.
• Public and private sector stakeholders.
• Suppliers of goods and services.
• Managers and staff within Business and Consumer Branch, Te Whakatairanga Market Delivery, and wider MBIE as required.
• Ministers and staff in Ministers’ offices.

Ngā herenga – Requirements of the role

Personal specifications

• Experience in effectively managing government and/or private sector relationships and/or delivering marketing and communications initiatives.
• A tertiary qualification in a relevant discipline (e.g., social sciences, economics, public policy, law, marketing, or communications).
• Knowledge of public sector processes and procedures is desirable.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills demonstrated experience and ability in articulating.
• complex ideas clearly and confidently in easy-to-understand language with precise attention to detail.
• Ability to engage and influence stakeholders. This requires confidence in dealing face-to-face with one-on-one situations or groups, presenting to larger groups, and learning quickly about the stakeholders’ perspectives and the detail of their needs and identifying opportunities of mutual benefit.
• Strong copy writing and editing (business writing) skills, and ability to focus on key details.
• Ability to quickly establish and build strong working relationships and manage them.
• Proven ability to develop trust and credibility with stakeholders and within their own team.
• Ability to work to deadlines, report on progress and manage multiple projects efficiently and to prioritise competing commitments.
• Experience working in a project environment desirable.
• Strong work ethic and high level of self-motivation – the right attitude is key here.
• Excellent attention to detail.
• Client focused.
• Ability to relate to a wide variety of people in different situations.
• Good listening skills.
• Self-aware and focused on self-development and self-improvement.
• Experience or interest in making a difference to small businesses.
• Must have the legal right to live and work in New Zealand.

Takohanga tuhinga o mua – Key accountabilities and deliverables

Critical areas of success

• Help lead the management of NZBN relationships with the public and private sectors.
• Provide advice and guidance on the implementation of the NZBN by government agencies as per their Directions obligations (and beyond).
• Seek out opportunities to promote through a variety of channels the positive work that businesses and government agencies are doing with the NZBN.
• Lead the development of NZBN plans and projects as required including through strategy development, procurement, briefing suppliers or MBIE delivery partners, implementation, and reporting.
• Organise and participate in key stakeholder meetings and workshops or events.
• Develop content for a variety of audiences and channels including newsletters, media releases, presentations, NZBN website, briefings for the Minister of Small Business as required.
• Provide policy support and advice on NZBN implementation as needed.
• Prepare reports on progress as required.

Communication

• Uses a range of appropriate communication tools and methods to communicate effectively.
• Can write in a style that is well organised, easily understood, and relevant.
• Communicates technical information and/or complex information in an easy-to-understand manner, with precise attention to detail.
• Is adept at understanding an audience and influencing it.

Client focus

• Support the NZBN stakeholder strategy and engagement plans.
• Initiate, develop and manage effective external stakeholder relationships.
• Ensure that we hear about relevant information or content from stakeholders early enough that we are able to act on and/or celebrate it.
• Ensure that businesses, trusted advisors, and government agencies are aware of the NZBN and keep them up to date with what we are doing.
• Identifying opportunities that will increase our relevance to small and medium businesses.
• Foster and facilitate open and active collaboration between agencies.

Organisational commitment and public service

• Builds commitment to MBIE’s vision, mission, values, and services.
• Willingly undertakes any duty required within the context of the position.
• Complies with all legislative requirements.
• Adheres to the Ministry’s and State Services Commission Codes of Conduct.

Self-Management

• Models’ positive behaviours.
• Models the desired values and culture of the organisation.
• Willingly shares knowledge, expertise and within the team and with others in the organisation.
• Acts with honesty and integrity.
• Welcomes feedback and is receptive to input from others.

Wellbeing, health & safety

• Displays commitment through actively supporting all safety and wellbeing initiatives.
• Ensures own and others safety at all times.
• Complies with relevant safety and wellbeing policies, procedures, safe systems of work and event reporting.
• Reports all incidents/accidents, including near misses in a timely fashion.
• Is involved in health and safety through participation and consultation.

Tō tūranga i roto i te Manatū – Your place in the Ministry

The Senior Advisor position reports into the Manager NZBN within the Business and Consumer branch. The branch sits within the Te Whakatairanga Service Delivery group.

More information about MBIE’s structure(external link)

To mātou aronga – What we do for Aotearoa New Zealand

Hīkina Whakatutuki is the te reo Māori name for the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment. Hīkina means to uplift. Whakatutuki means to move forward, to make successful. Our name speaks to our purpose, Grow Aotearoa New Zealand for All.

To Grow Aotearoa New Zealand for All, we put people at the heart of our mahi. Based on the principles of Te Tiriti o Waitangi / The Treaty of Waitangi, we are committed to upholding authentic partnerships with Māori.

As agile public service leaders, we use our breadth and experience to navigate the ever-changing world. We are service providers, policy makers, investors and regulators. We engage with diverse communities, businesses and regions. Our work touches on the daily lives of New Zealanders. We grow opportunities (Puāwai), guard and protect (Kaihāpai) and innovate and navigate towards a better future (Auaha).

Ngā matatau – Our competencies

Cultivates innovation We create new and better ways for the organisation to be successful by challenging the status quo generating new and creative ideas and translating them into workable solutions.

Nimble learning We are curious and actively learn through experimentation when tackling new problems by learning as we go when facing new situations and challenges.

Customer focus We build strong customer relationships and deliver customer-centric solutions by listening and gaining insights into the needs of the communities we serve and actively seeking and responding to feedback.

Decision quality We make quality and timely decisions that shape the future for our communities and keep the organisation moving forward by relying on an appropriate mix of analysis, wisdom, experience, and judgement to make valid and reliable decisions.

Action oriented We step up, taking on new opportunities and tough challenges with purpose, urgency and discipline by taking responsibility, ownership and action on challenges, and being accountable for the results.

Collaborates We connect, working together to build partnerships with our communities, working collaboratively to meet shared objectives by gaining trust and support of others; actively seeking the views, experiences, and opinions of others and by working co-operatively with others across MBIE, the public sector and external stakeholder groups.

Te Tiriti o Waitangi

As an agency of the public service, MBIE has a responsibility to contribute to the Crown meeting its obligations under Te Tiriti o Waitangi (Te Tiriti). Meeting our commitment to Te Tiriti will contribute towards us realising the overall aims of Te Ara Amiorangi – Our Path, Our Direction, and achieve the outcome of Growing New Zealand for All. The principles of Te Tiriti - including partnership, good faith, and active protection – are at the core of our work. MBIE is committed to delivering on our obligations as a Treaty partner with authenticity and integrity and to enable Māori interests. We are committed to ensuring that MBIE is well placed to meet our obligations under the Public Service Act 2020 (Te Ao Tūmatanui) to support the Crown in strengthening the Māori/Crown Relationship under the Treaty and to build MBIE’s capability, capacity and cultural intelligence to deliver this.

Mahi i roto i te Ratonga Tūmatanui – Working in the public service

Ka mahitahi mātou o te ratonga tūmatanui kia hei painga mō ngā tāngata o Aotearoa i āianei, ā, hei ngā rā ki tua hoki. He kawenga tino whaitake tā mātou hei tautoko i te Karauna i runga i āna hononga ki a ngāi Māori i raro i te Tiriti o Waitangi. Ka tautoko mātou i te kāwanatanga manapori. Ka whakakotahingia mātou e te wairua whakarato ki ō mātou hapori, ā, e arahina ana mātou e ngā mātāpono me ngā tikanga matua o te ratonga tūmatanui i roto i ā mātou mahi.

In the public service we work collectively to make a meaningful difference for New Zealanders now and in the future. We have an important role in supporting the Crown in its relationships with Māori under the Treaty of Waitangi. We support democratic government. We are unified by a spirit of service to our communities and guided by the core principles and values of the public service in our work.

What does it mean to work in Aotearoa New Zealand’s Public Service?(external link) — Te Kawa Mataaho The Public Service Commission