Principal Advisor

Tēnei tūranga – About the role

The Principal Advisor, Ministerial Services Team, Immigration New Zealand (INZ) is a specialist position providing expert advice on Ministerial Servicing and business management within Immigration New Zealand (INZ). The Ministerial Services, INZ leads and is responsible for providing Ministers and senior officials within INZ and the Ministry with accurate, objective and timely information, analysis and advice across of INZ ministerial reporting, servicing and accountability requirements. The team oversees the centralised servicing of all INZ ministerial and machinery of government processes.

The Principal Advisor will be required to have an extensive knowledge of machinery of government practices and be able to provide a high level of technical advice in ministerial and machinery of government management processes and act as a point of escalation for the team.

The Principal Advisor will be the lead advisor to the Manager Business Management and assist them in building and enhancing the overall capability of the team to ensure quality and consistency of practices in relation to the team’s work.

Ngā herenga – Requirements of the role

Personal specifications

• Demonstrated extensive knowledge of ministerial and machinery of government management processes
• Knowledge of business planning cycles, accountability frameworks and reporting systems
• Proven experience in the implementation, delivery and continuous improvement of business and operational planning, performance and reporting systems and processes, including the capture and analysis of information
• Ability to communicate ideas, provide insightful feedback, facilitate workshops and presentations
• Ability to work effectively with both internal and external stakeholders, problem solve and work constructively in managing difficult situations.
• Excellent political awareness and sensitivity to anticipate areas of potential risk and inform decision making
• Proven ability to develop trust and integrity with managers and staff
• Understands the role within MBIE and how it contributes to MBIE’s purpose
• Proactive and action orientated with an appreciation of quality service delivery
• Ability to understand and process new information quickly
• Ability to establish sound working relationships
• Follow instructions and procedures with a minimum of direction
• Sound organisational and time management skills
• Must have the legal right to live and work in New Zealand.

Takohanga tuhinga o mua – Key accountabilities and deliverables

Critical areas of success

• Lead the development and review of INZ’s Ministerial frameworks, policies and standard operating procedures to support effective and efficient delivery and to support the strategic requirements of business groups.
• Leads and designs the implementation of continuous improvement of processes, performance targets and new initiatives for their team, together with supporting measurement, monitoring and reporting mechanisms.
• Assists the manager in developing, coaching and mentoring staff to enable them to achieve performance targets and career goals.
• Provides technical and specialist input into work programmes including providing comprehensive analysis, advice and document required.
• Assist reporting manager with establishing and maintaining key internal and external relationships and working closely with these stakeholders.
• Actively work with business groups to build the capability and quality assurance of best practice advice and products.
• Be a repository of expertise in Ministerial Servicing and business management best practice and provide expert advice on complex requests to INZ business groups and the Minister’s office.
• Work with the Manager to support regular reporting to the Immigration Leadership Team, Minister’s office and MBIE Senior Leadership Team.
• Drives improvement of quality and timeliness of business management products within INZ.

Personal Leadership

• Models positive management and leadership behaviours.
• Models the desired values and culture of the organisation and leads this across the team.
• Fosters an open, collaborative environment that encourages quality, innovation, on-going learning and knowledge sharing within the team.

Leader within a team

Delivers business and advisory services to the Manager, National Manager and wider leadership team, in order to strengthen the overall capability of branch and ensure the quality and consistency of service provision and practices across the business.

• Acts as a leader in a team of business and senior advisors to ensure tasks are assessed and resolved in a timely manner and follow process standards.
• Lead the implementation of work programmes, performance targets and new initiatives for their team, together with supporting measurement, monitoring and reporting mechanisms.
• Assists the manager in work allocation and workload monitoring across the team to achieve business objectives.
• Continuously reviews and considers improvement to all elements of the team’s operations.
• Effectively and consistently identifies and manages risk and value.
• Provides expert advice and support to the Manager, National Manager and branches.
• Acts as a point of escalation and problem solver within the team.
• Represents the branch and leads engagement with key internal and external stakeholders as required. › Represents the branch and INZ on internal or external cross-agency reference/working groups as required › Leads specific projects as required.

Relationship management

Manage constructive working relationships with work colleagues and external stakeholders to enhance understanding and cooperation needed to achieve desired results.

• Participates as an active team member and contributes knowledge and expertise needed to achieve MBIE’s outcomes.
• Develops effective working relationships with other MBIE managers and staff in order to transfer knowledge and learning from the team to the wider organisation.
• Builds and maintains effective relationships and partnerships with internal and external stakeholders, as necessary, in order to identify and share best practice information and to promote the Ministry, it products and services.
• Represents whole-of-Ministry views and protects its reputation in any external interactions.
• Participates as an active team member and contributes knowledge and expertise needed to achieve MBIE’s outcomes.

Action oriented

Takes responsibility for own work, recognises opportunities and acts with a minimum of direction

• Takes responsibility for own work.
• Self-starter.
• Seeks input if required Recognises and acts on opportunities.

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 Principal Advisor Ministerial Services position reports into the Manager Ministerial Services within the Associate Deputy Secretary Immigration branch. The branch sits within the Immigration New Zealand group.

More information about MBIE’s structure

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