Principal Assurance Advisor

Tēnei Tūranga – About the role

The Internal Assurance team provides independent and objective assurance and advisory services to enable MBIE to deliver on its strategic objectives and meets its obligations. The Principal Assurance Advisor is a senior level role responsible for providing high quality advice to the Senior Leadership Team (SLT), managers and staff on all aspects of MBIE’s assurance activities.

The Principal Assurance Advisor, with the support of the Internal Assurance Practice Lead and Head of Internal Assurance, is responsible for building and enhancing the overall capability of the team to ensure the quality and consistency of advice and practices in relation to its work.

In this role, a key expectation is to find opportunities to co-create and innovate across MBIE’s internal assurance frameworks, practices and processes by using their influence to get buy in through communities of practice, steering groups, senior managers, SLT and the Chief Executive. The role also builds networks externally to ensure MBIE’s internal assurance practices continue to be relevant and informed by good practice.

Ngā Herenga – Requirements of the role

Personal specifications

• A strategic thinker who is able to make the connections between various aspects of the organisation and the implications for their function
• Demonstrated ability to quickly assimilate new information or areas of work and come to an understanding of unfamiliar and complex concepts and environments
• Knowledge and understanding of the Public Finance Act (and Government operating mechanisms) and the Institute of Internal Auditor’s Professional Standards
• Excellent understanding of and expertise in leading the development of best practice internal assurance frameworks and processes
• Proven experience in providing high quality, innovative and expert technical audit-related advice to senior managers, leadership teams and audit committees
• Ability to produce and recognise high quality work and provide peer support and coaching to colleagues
• Excellent communication skills, both written and oral, demonstrated through experience at a senior level in successfully leading internal assurance reviews and producing high quality reports
• Proven ability to develop trust and credibility with senior managers and staff at all levels and build strong working relationships
• Welcomes and values diversity, and contributes to an inclusive working environment where differences are acknowledged and respected
• Proven ability to think independently and influence others by expressing ideas clearly and succinctly
• Can-do attitude and a high level of initiative, sound judgement and discretion
• Well organised with the ability to multitask and manage time effectively

Qualifications

• Chartered Accountant or Certified Internal Auditor preferred or a relevant tertiary qualification and/or comparable relevant experience in internal auditing

Other

• Must have the legal right to live and work in New Zealand

Takohanga Tuhinga o mua – Key accountabilities and deliverables

• Delivers quality results which contribute to the Ministry’s outcomes
• Supports the development, implementation and maturing of Internal Assurance services utilising the ‘Three Lines’ risk management model, including embedding a single integrated view of assurance across MBIE
• Provides assurance over the design and operating effectiveness of MBIE’s Risk, Internal Policy and Compliance frameworks
• Contributes to the development of an annual, dynamic and flexible Internal Assurance plan that is aligned to MBIE’s strategic direction in consultation with Internal Assurance’s key stakeholders, including the Chief Executive, SLT and MBIE’s Risk and Advisory Committee
• Leads end to end delivery of medium to high complexity internal assurance reviews ensuring they are risk based; create value and insights; provide appropriate levels of assurance to our stakeholders; and present balanced and pragmatic views
• Ensures recommendations identified through internal assurance activities are pragmatic and actionable and are supported by monitoring activities to ensure action taken effectively addresses the associated risk
• Reviews others work constructively and helps to ensure files and reviews are of a high quality standard and champions these standards as well as continuous improvement
• Takes responsibility for providing information, support, and feedback to other staff, to enable team members to perform to their maximum potential, and undertakes coaching and mentoring of others in the team
• Enhances assurance capabilities across MBIE by providing advice, guidance and tools to other assurance and monitoring functions
• Builds organisation awareness, understanding and maturity of what good internal control looks like and supports the business to develop and implement self-assurance approaches
• Builds effective relationships with the Enterprise Risk, Compliance and Insurance Team, ensuring risk, compliance and assurance frameworks are aligned and collaborates on shared deliverables as required
• Leads / facilitates / actively supports relevant communities of practice and other forums both internally and externally

Customer focus

• Identifies the needs or expectations of customers
• Treats internal customers with the same courtesies they would extend to external customers
• Works hard to meet customer deadlines
• Always looks to improve service
• Maintains professionalism

Relationship management

• 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
• Represents whole-of-Ministry views and protects its reputation in any external interactions

Action oriented

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

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

Key relationships

• Audit New Zealand, the Office of the Auditor General and other key government agencies
• Consultants and suppliers of goods and services in affiliated areas
• Stakeholders across the public and private sector
• Chief Executive
• Deputy Secretaries and General Managers
• Head of Internal Assurance
• Practice Lead Internal Assurance
• Risk and Advisory Committee
• Managers and Staff across MBIE

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 Assurance Advisor position reports into the Head of Internal Assurance within the Internal Assurance Branch. The branch sits within the Strategy and Assurance 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