Senior Advisor Programme and Branch Services

Tēnei tūranga – About the role

The Senior Advisor Programme and Branch Services sits within the Programme Management and Branch Services team, supporting the delivery of consistent, timely and efficient cross-branch programme management, governance, ministerial servicing and quality and risk management functions.

The Senior Advisor Programme and Branch Services also supports the administration of the branch’s regulatory regimes to make sure that they are connected with other parts of government including WorkSafe, regional and district councils, the Department of Conservation, and the Environmental Protection Authority and to ensure that the regulated parties are able to navigate the regimes efficiently and effectively.

The Senior Advisor Programme and Branch Services is responsible for:

• Supporting branch business planning and monitoring, reporting on performance, risk and quality.
• Supporting the delivery of Governance and Quality Management functions (including ISO processes) for the branch.
• Supporting the development of Official Information Act, Parliamentary questions and other information requests, working to support the Minister for Resources, and other core public service activities.
• Maintaining regulatory system, corporate and branch level risk registers and supporting risk leads to meet any obligations identified in those.
• Contributing to the Branch / MBIE liabilities and litigation registers.
• Supporting procurement activities across the Branch.
• Engaging with and influencing external stakeholders, including other regulators, policy agencies, Ministerial offices and stakeholders, to support successful development and delivery of programmes and projects, and relevant business management activities.

Ngā herenga – Requirements of the role

Personal specifications

• A good understanding of one or more of our regulated sectors, and the ability to come quickly up to speed on our other regulated sectors.
• A strong interest in the regulation of all stages in the regulatory life cycle, and commitment to ensure that regulation of these sectors is effective, efficient and risk based.
• The ability to work well as part of a team, including playing both a lead and support role at different times.
• The ability to understand a complex new situation, identify risks, design solutions and delivery practical outcomes within required timeframes.
• Excellent written and verbal communication and presentation skills, with the proven ability to influence stakeholders.
• Expertly applying advanced system, strategic and critical thinking, clear and logical reasoning and sound judgement to analyse issues.
• Connecting with people to understand their world, synthesising what has been heard and help reflecting that back to shape how the branch thinks about what it does and how it does it.
• Excellent relationship management and communication skills, able to engage successfully and credibly at multiple organisational levels.
• Proven ability to build strong relationships with both external and internal stakeholders, and iwi.
• Demonstrated understanding of government processes, including decision-making and operating procedures, public sector performance measures and accountability frameworks.
• Knowledge of effective service delivery of governance, risk and quality management.
• Diligence and attention to detail.
• Must be eligible to legally work in New Zealand.

Desirable

• A tertiary qualification in a relevant discipline.
• Knowledge of the machinery of government. 

Takohanga tuhinga o mua – Key accountabilities and deliverables

Critical areas of success

• Supporting branch business planning considering both strategic and operational needs against objectives and priorities.
• Coordinating and developing branch responses to regular MBIE reporting and assurance activities and Official Information Act, Parliamentary questions and other information requests.
• Supporting requests from the Minister’s offices and ensuring timely delivery of Ministerial items, such as weekly reports and proactive releases.
• Coordinating relationships with other regulatory agencies and stakeholders.
• Coordinating and providing secretariat support for Annual Review Meetings with Tier 1 permit holders each year and iwi as requested.
• Advising on the application of appropriate risk and quality management practices, reviewing performance against those, and revising practices as required.
• Effectively and consistently identifying, managing and reporting on risk and quality for the branch.
• Managing multiple pieces of work concurrently and actively and independently planning and managing workload.
• Participating and contributing to meetings, including where matters are complex or sensitive, require negotiation or solutions.
• Undertaking complex work without guidance.
• Clearly communicating technical information to a non-technical audience. 
• Writing clearly and succinctly in a variety of communication settings and styles. 
• Tailoring messages for the appropriate audience.
• Adapting information appropriately depending on the audience.
• Applying an outward-looking approach to building relationships with external stakeholders, delivery agencies and government agencies; understanding their different perspectives, and being able to manage differences of views and reflect them in advice.
• Understanding the wider environment in which MBIE operates and understanding the origin and reasoning behind key policies, practices and procedures.

Analysis and Evaluating

• Analysing complex information to inform and advise.
• Providing problem solving decisions on a thorough assessment of circumstances, relationships, resources and risk.
• Using a range of assessment and evaluation techniques to provide an evaluation of a project or application.
• Developing concepts and recommendations to inform solutions that consider relevant project criteria.
• Working with stakeholders to develop criteria for project decision making and evaluation of project outcomes.

Organisational Agility

• Knowing how to get things done both through formal channels and informal networks. 
• Understanding the origin and reasoning behind key policies, practices and procedures.

Delivery

• Planning and managing work, develops and maintains relationships with colleagues and stakeholders.
• Working with minimal direction and guidance on what is required and being confident working on new, difficult or unusual assignments.
• Using project planning and management techniques to effectively carry out the agreed work, using initiative to resolve most conflicts, manage risks and coordinate work with others.
• Working with some guidance on the overall technical objectives, within the resources available and providing timely reports on progress.
• Leading multiple pieces of work concurrently and actively and independently planning and managing workloads.
• Taking a leadership role in cross-MBIE and cross-government projects.
• Chairing and contributing to meetings, including where matters are complex or sensitive or require negotiation or solutions.

Relationship management

• Actively seeking to build and maintain strong, professional relationships and networks.
• Drawing upon multiple relationships to exchange ideas, resources, and know how.
• Effectively influencing through engagement and communication with senior stakeholders.
• Effectively collaborating and communicating with managers within the branch as appropriate.
• Participating as an active team member and contributes knowledge and expertise needed to achieve the outcomes.
• Being able to apply an outward-looking approach to building relationships with external stakeholders, delivery agencies and government agencies, understanding their different perspectives, and reflecting them in advice.

Wellbeing, health and 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 Programme and Branch Services position reports into the Manager Programme and Branch Services Resource Markets. The branch sits within the Building and Resource Markets 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 (work). 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