Principal Advisor (Technical)

Tēnei tūranga – About the role

The Principal Advisor (Technical) is a senior leadership position within Building Performance and Engineering, reporting to the Manager, Building Performance and Engineering. The role provides expert technical and regulatory leadership across the building regulatory system and contributes to MBIE's strategic objectives through the provision of high-quality advice, leadership of complex work programmes, and influence across government and the building sector.

The Principal Advisor (Technical) is expected to:

• Provide authoritative technical, regulatory and strategic advice on complex building system issues.
• Lead significant programmes of work and project teams, ensuring robust analysis, sound judgement and strong systems thinking.
• Identify emerging opportunities, risks and challenges affecting the building regulatory system and recommend effective responses.
• Represent Building Performance and Engineering in internal and external forums and maintain constructive relationships across government, industry and professional bodies.
• Support organisational and team capability through coaching, mentoring and leadership.

Ngā herenga – Requirements of the role

Personal specifications

• Extensive knowledge of building systems, construction practices, or related technical disciplines.
• Significant experience working within complex regulatory, policy, operational or technical environments.
• Strong analytical and critical-thinking skills with the ability to deal effectively with ambiguity and complexity.
• Ability to integrate technical, regulatory and strategic considerations into clear and practical advice.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Demonstrated ability to influence and build credibility with senior leaders and external stakeholders.
• Experience leading complex projects, programmes of work or multidisciplinary teams.
• A relevant tertiary qualification and/or equivalent senior professional experience.
• Legal entitlement to work in New Zealand and ability to meet MBIE security clearance requirements.

Takohanga tuhinga o mua – Key accountabilities and deliverables

Critical areas of success

Success in this role is demonstrated through:

• High-quality technical and regulatory advice that supports sound decision making.
• Effective leadership of complex programmes and projects.
• Strengthened building regulatory system outcomes through proactive identification of risks and opportunities.
• Strong stakeholder relationships and constructive sector engagement.
• A positive contribution to team capability, culture and organisational performance.

Deliver work programme outputs

• Plans systematically, regularly monitoring and reporting on progress towards achievement of plans and strategies.
• Effectively and consistently identifies and manages risk, alerting manager to potential problems/risks well in advance and proposing solutions.
• Effectively allocates tasks within portfolio area, assists others with project planning, and is able to plan and manage a range of complex issues.
• Knows when to work alone and when to seek advice and identifies resources necessary to meet objectives of self or team.
• Can manage strategically difficult projects that span a number of complex issues over an extended period of time.
• Takes a leadership role in cross-MBIE and cross-government policy projects.
• Chairs and contributes to meetings, including where matters are complex or sensitive, require negotiation or working towards solutions.

Deliver work programme outputs

• Plans systematically, regularly monitoring and reporting on progress towards achievement of plans and strategies.
• Effectively and consistently identifies and manages risk, alerting manager to potential problems/risks well in advance and proposing solutions.
• Effectively allocates tasks within portfolio area, assists others with project planning, and is able to plan and manage a range of complex issues.
• Knows when to work alone and when to seek advice and identifies resources necessary to meet objectives of self or team.
• Can manage strategically difficult projects that span a number of complex issues over an extended period of time.
• Takes a leadership role in cross-MBIE and cross-government policy projects.
• Chairs and contributes to meetings, including where matters are complex or sensitive, require negotiation or working towards solutions.

Relationship management

• Proactively develops and maintains connections with stakeholders within and outside of the Ministry, purposefully using their activities and insights to better achieve desired policy outcomes.
• Actively contributes to development and promotion of whole-of-regulatory system or whole-of-Ministry views in internal and external interactions.
• Represents whole-of-regulatory system and whole-of-Ministry views and protects its reputation in external interactions.
• Tests the effectiveness of stakeholder relationships using a range of appropriate measures and processes (including stakeholder feedback).

Coaching and mentoring

• Coaches and mentors team colleagues, supporting the manager to create and maintain a team culture that values diversity, fosters both highly creative as well as critical analytical thinking.
• Fosters a culture and behaviours that encourage discovery, innovation, cross-team collaboration and learning.
• Ensures quality and consistency of advice and practices.
• Provides constructive, timely and specific feedback to others and gives credit for tasks well done.
• Provides support and feedback to Managers in relation to a Senior Advisor or Advisor’s development.
• Motivates team members and gives them opportunities to participate.
• Develops capability of the team by sharing knowledge of regulatory systems, strategies or best practice.

Capability development

• Takes responsibility for own professional development of core, transferable policy skills and seeks opportunities to learn.

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 Principal Advisor (Technical) reports to the Manager, Building Performance and Engineering within the Building System Performance branch. The branch sits within the Building Resources and 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 New Zealand for All.

To Grow 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