Principal Ministerial Services Advisor

Tēnei tūranga – About the role

Reporting to the Manager, Strategy, Performance and Operations, the Principal Ministerial Services Advisor is a specialist position providing expert advice for pan-MBIE and complex ministerial services activities.

The role is responsible for providing expert Ministerial Servicing advice and enterprise oversight and leading MBIE’s Ministerial Servicing training framework including MBIE’s community of practice.

The Principal Ministerial Advisor role will also take a lead in prioritising work, providing quality assurance, peer support, and coaching and technical advice to colleagues.

Ngā herenga – Requirements of the role

Personal specifications

• In depth knowledge and experience in Ministerial Servicing, including a deep knowledge of the Official Information Act and Ombudsman guidelines.
• A strong understanding of the processes that underpin the operations of the public sector environment, including policy development, Cabinet and parliamentary processes, accountability, and reporting.
• A strategic and analytical thinker who can make connections between various aspects of the organisation and is able to prepare a cohesive approach across an organisation.
• Knowledge and understanding of the Treaty, Te Tiriti and the Treaty Principles, and a strong interest in developing knowledge of tikanga/kawa and Te Reo.
• Demonstrated ability to develop and operationalise policies, frameworks procedures and practice guides.
• Has experience in coaching and training practitioners in Ministerial Servicing best practice.
• Demonstrated experience in leading continuous improvement to enhance performance.
• Understanding of government operating and decision-making procedures.
• Ability to quickly establish and build strong working relationships and develop trust, credibility, buy-in and collaboration with leaders, staff, and other stakeholders.
• Demonstrated ability to influence and lead work through others to get the best outcomes where direct reporting relationships do not exist.
• Proven ability to develop trust and credibility with senior leaders and staff.
• Excellent communication skills – both verbal and written particularly business writing and reporting.

Qualifications

• A relevant tertiary qualification, or at least 5 years’ relevant experience.
• Preferably experience in a relevant Minister’s office or a central agency.
• Must have the legal right to live and work in New Zealand.

Takohanga tuhinga o mua – Key accountabilities and deliverables

Critical success factors

The Principal Ministerial Services Advisor will be required to deliver results in the following areas:

• Lead the development and review of MBIE’s Ministerial, Official Information Act (OIA) and Parliamentary Question (PQ) frameworks, policies and standard operating procedures to support effective and efficient delivery, and the strategic requirements of business groups.
• Lead the development, implementation and ongoing refinement of a fit-for-purpose training framework to build capability in Ministerial Servicing roles across MBIE, including development of an enterprise-wide training plan and continuation of MBIE’s community of practice.
• Actively work with business groups to build capability and quality assurance, promoting best practice advice and products for Ministerial Servicing.
• Act as a repository of expertise in Ministerial Services best practice, providing expert advice on complex requests and oversight of OIA complaints to the Ombudsman.
• Lead and oversee responses to pan-MBIE, enterprise-wide OIA and Privacy Act requests.
• Establish and lead the Ministerial Servicing Community of Practice in conjunction with the Principal Advisor, Parliamentary and Ministerial Services.
• Ensure visibility and oversight of OIAs of enterprise interest.

Relationship management

• Build and maintain effective relationships and partnerships with senior internal and external stakeholders.
• Build and maintain effective relationships and partnerships with internal and external stakeholders to identify and share best practice information, and to promote the Ministry, its products and services.

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 Ministerial Services Advisor position reports to the Manager Strategy, Performance and Operations within the Communications and Government Services branch. The branch sits within the Strategy & 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 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