Dispute Resolution Manager, Housing and Tenancy

Tēnei tūranga – About the role

The Dispute Resolution Manager, Housing and Tenancy is a leadership and management position in MBIE. The Manager will bring their business understanding and perspective to work in partnership with other managers and team members.

The role is responsible for managing a tenancy dispute resolution team to support MBIE’s strategic direction.

The role is responsible for building and enhancing the overall capability of the team to ensure quality and consistency of practices in relation to its work.

Ngā herenga – Requirements of the role

Personal specifications

• Proven leadership skills including demonstrated ability to engage and motivate staff
• Proven ability to develop trust and credibility with senior managers
• Sound appreciation of corporate management disciplines and techniques
• Understanding of Government decision-making and operating procedures
• Demonstrated experience in developing and maintaining an environment focused on continuous improvement to enhance organisational performance
• A proven track record of experience and achievement in managing, developing and operating service delivery functions in a large organisation
• A proven track record of experience and achievement in managing teams working within a legislative framework
• Ability to quickly establish and build strong working relationships
• Knowledge of the residential tenancies market and the wider housing sector, or the ability to quickly develop that knowledge
• Understanding of public sector service delivery and alternative dispute resolution, or the ability to quickly develop this.
• Post-graduate qualification in a relevant field or extensive and comparable experience
• Must have the legal right to live and work in New Zealand

Takohanga tuhinga o mua – Key accountabilities and deliverables

Responsibilities of this position are expected to change over time as the Ministry responds to changing needs. The incumbent will need the flexibility to adapt and develop as the environment evolves.

The key responsibilities of the Dispute Resolution Manager are:

• Provide strong leadership and effective management of the team of Tenancy mediators ensuring they work effectively as a team to develop and deliver dispute resolution mediation services
• Manage the delivery of housing/tenancy mediation services consistent with relevant statues and best practice standards
• Manage housing and tenancy mediation teams in compliance with MBIE’s HR and financial policies, processes, and procedures
• Ensure strategies are in place to develop and sustain the capability required to deliver the service to the standards required
• Working with the National Manager Dispute Resolution, fellow managers, mediations and dispute resolution coordination staff in a connected, nationally focussed way to ensure high level of service delivery

Critical areas of success

• Maximising synergies of dispute resolution services (in MBIE and across government)
• Deliver tenancy dispute resolution services consistently and seamlessly nationwide
• Integrating service delivery with practice leadership
• Working with the Manager Case Management, Housing and Tenancy, Principal Mediator (Tenancy) and other Dispute Resolution Managers to realise potential efficiencies in case management, mediation and support resources
• Build, monitor and maintain fit for purpose Ministry capability (people and structures) needed to achieve desired goals and objectives, and achieve expected efficiency benefits and ongoing improvements in cost effectiveness
• Contribute to the dispute resolution services function as a centre of excellence and expertise for the Ministry, and an exemplar of best practice for both the public service and the wider New Zealand labour and business markets
• Delivering services to actively support and contribute to the achievement of the Ministry’s outcomes and that deliver to the needs of internal and external stakeholders
• Ensuring a customer-focused culture across the business unit

Personal Leadership

• Models’ positive management and leaderships 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, ongoing learning and knowledge sharing within the team

Team Management

• Implements strategies, work programmes and performance targets for the team with supporting measurement, monitoring and reporting mechanisms
• Regularly monitors and reports on progress towards achievement of plans and strategies
• Continually reviews and considers improvement to all elements of the team’s operations
• Effectively and consistently identifies and manages risk
• Manages expenditure and resources in line with approved delegations, guidelines, budget, deadlines and reporting requirements, with a focus on cost effectiveness in the Ministry
• Strong financial management and compliance with Ministry and branch business rules and expenditure

Team Leadership

• Establishes clear accountabilities, expectations and performance standards with direct reports and ensures regular performance management and development occurs
• Monitors individual and team performance to ensure that performance targets are met
• Provides feedback to staff on team and individual performance
• Motivates team members and given them opportunities to participate
• Motivates team members and gives them opportunities to participate
• Coaches and develops staff to meet the needs of MBIE now and in the future

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 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, to identify and share best practice information and to promote the Ministry, it’s products and services
• Represents whole-of-Ministry views and protects its reputation in any external interactions

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 Dispute Resolution Manager, Housing and Tenancy position reports into the National Manager, Dispute Resolution within the Building and Tenancy branch. The branch sits within the Te Whakatairanga Service Delivery 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