Policy Team Leader

Tēnei tūranga – About the role

The Policy Team Leader is a management position in MBIE and is responsible for:

• Providing day to day operational management for a policy team.
• Supporting the Policy Manager to drive the strategic policy agenda and set the direction for the team’s policy domain.
• Providing authoritative policy advice and leading programmes of work and project teams on complex and sensitive areas.
• Effectively influencing on domain topics through engagement and communication with senior stakeholders.
• Maintaining a high-performing policy team, developing and maintaining a culture of learning and development, safety and wellbeing within the team.

Ngā herenga – Requirements of the role

Personal specifications

• Understands the strategic context, current policy agenda and priorities; is able to see policy issues in the wider context and applies foresight and judgement to identify what is important for the policy area in the medium and long term.
• Is able to build requisite knowledge for different policy issues quickly.
• Is able to draw on expert knowledge of the policy area as well as broad knowledge from other policy domains to critically assess information from a wide variety of sources and identify implications for policy analysis and advice.
• Has the ability to use effective commissioning and policy management techniques including to identify and manage risks.
• Ability to communicate and persuade using a range of oral, written and visual mediums in diverse situations.
• Has the ability to establish connections with stakeholders within short periods of time, and maintain and deepen those relationships over time even in the face of differences.
• Is a user of policy project management processes, has skill and experience to manage policy conflicts and understands how to assess risk and develop risk mitigation strategies.
• Is sensitive to how people and organisations function, deals comfortably with organisation politics and anticipates land mines and plans approach accordingly.
• Is skilled at drawing on experience, evidence, wisdom, judgement and expertise to build policy capability of staff.
• Is able to apply sound general management practices so that the team operates effectively and efficiently, and delivers agreed outputs to support achievement of MBIE outcomes.
• Is able to build teams with strong identity that apply their diverse skills and perspectives to achieve common goals.
• Is able to create a climate where people are motivated to do their best to help the organisation achieve its objectives.
• Has excellent communication and coaching skills to embed a culture of policy excellence in the team.
• A relevant tertiary qualification.
• Must be eligible to legally work in New Zealand.
• Credit check required.

Takohanga tuhinga o mua – Key accountabilities and deliverables

Policy activities and tasks

Shapes domain/team strategic direction, leads programmes, guides and mentors, develops professionally:

• Supports the Policy Manager to drive the strategic policy agenda and the direction of team’s policy domain.
• Drives the delivery of high quality policy advice and results for the team.
• Applies advanced frameworks and methods of analysis to identify policy problems, analyse the issues, and identify and assess the policy options.
• Applies advanced system, strategic and critical thinking, clear and logical reasoning and sound judgement to analyse policy issues.
• Critically synthesises information from a wide variety of domains, uses expert knowledge of the policy area and applies sound judgement to draw conclusions.
• Leads engagement with delivery agencies, stakeholders and government agencies on complex/sensitive policy issues and manages the landing of advice/proposals.
• Communicates complex issues and concepts clearly and succinctly.
• Provides policy advice that recognises the choices and constraints Ministers face, anticipates needs, predicts and plans for potentially controversial or politically sensitive issues, and presents frank advice even if that tests Ministers views and preferences.

Work management

Plans and manages work, for staff, develops and maintains relationships with colleagues and stakeholders

• Manages staff in the team on a day to day basis to deliver teams work programme, priorities and domain strategy.
• Uses project planning and management techniques to effectively carry out the agreed policy work, within the resources available and provides timely reports on progress.
• Works will little guidance - identifies the overall policy objectives and seeks guidance where required and uses initiative to resolve conflicts, manage risks and coordinate work with others.
• Manages multiple pieces of work concurrently and actively and independently plans and manages work load.
• Participates and contributes to meetings, including where matters are complex or sensitive, require negotiation or solutions.
• Assists the Policy Manager in managing expenditure and resources in line with approved guidelines, budget, deadlines and reporting requirements, with a focus on driving cost effectiveness in the Ministry.
• Assists the Policy Manager with recruitment as required.

People leadership

Manages, coaches and mentors, drives a high performance culture and supports team capability development

• Leads the team and understands and utilises the capability of team members to deliver high quality policy outputs.
• Provides team leadership that engages and motivates others to succeed and develop, and proactively share knowledge and ideas.
• With the Policy Manager establishes clear accountabilities, expectations and performance standards for direct reports, and ensures regular performance feedback and development occurs.
• Coaches, mentors and develops staff to meet the needs of MBIE now and in the future.
• Monitors individual and team performance to ensure that performance targets are met (including pro-actively identifying and addressing any issues in a timely manner, informing/escalating to the Policy Manager).
• Works with the Policy Manager to anticipate future capability needs in resources and identify gaps in capability.

Relationship Management

• Maintains relationships across a variety of functions and locations. Draws upon multiple relationships to exchange ideas, resources, and know how. Actively seeks to build and maintain a network of contacts.
• Effectively influences through engagement and communication with senior stakeholders on domain topic.

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 Policy Team Leader position reports into the Manager Building Policy within the Building System Performance branch. The branch sits within the Building, Resources and Markets group.

More information about MBIE's structure

Matatautanga – Competencies (Leadership Success Profile)

The Leadership Success Profile (LSP) is a leadership capability framework, developed by the New Zealand public sector for the New Zealand public sector. It creates a common language for leadership and establishes what great leadership looks like. You can look at the twelve underpinning capabilities and four leadership characters here: Leadership Success Profile | Te Kawa Mataaho Public Service Commission(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).

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