Chief Knowledge Officer

Tēnei tūranga – About the role

The Chief Knowledge Officer (CKO) is a senior executive leadership position within MBIE and a member of the Corporate and Digital Shared Services Leadership Team. The role has enterprise-wide accountability for maximising the strategic value of MBIE's information, data and analytical assets to strengthen organisational performance, improve decision-making, support stewardship responsibilities and enhance outcomes for New Zealand.

Leading an integrated enterprise capability, the role brings together data strategy, architecture, platforms, governance, knowledge management, analytics and economic insight into a single organisational function. Through this integration, the CKO provides clear enterprise ownership across the knowledge value chain and ensures MBIE's information, data and insight assets are managed as strategic organisational resources.

The role provides leadership for the creation, management, protection, sharing and application of MBIE's knowledge assets, transforming information into trusted knowledge and actionable insight. This enables MBIE to identify opportunities, manage risk, understand complex economic and regulatory systems, and make evidence-informed decisions.

As steward of MBIE's knowledge ecosystem, the CKO is accountable for the organisation's enterprise data and insight capability, including data strategy, architecture, platforms, governance, analytics and economic insight. The role builds organisational capability, maturity and culture so that knowledge is effectively governed, shared and leveraged to support strategic planning, innovation, performance and long-term public value.

MBIE is a key player in the wider public sector system and must leverage the experience and capability of others, partner where appropriate, and lead where required. The CKO works collaboratively across government, academia, industry and with Māori to strengthen system-wide knowledge, evidence and analytical capability, share best practice and contribute to improved public sector outcomes for New Zealand.

Ngā herenga – Requirements of the role

Personal specifications

• Expert knowledge and executive leadership experience across enterprise data, analytics, evaluation, information and knowledge management disciplines, with a strong understanding of contemporary best practice, governance frameworks and emerging trends.
• Proven experience leading large-scale, multidisciplinary functions within complex organisations, with accountability for enterprise-wide data, knowledge, intelligence and insights capabilities.
• Demonstrated success developing and implementing enterprise strategies and capabilities that leverage data, information, intelligence and organisational knowledge to improve decision-making, organisational performance, innovation and public value. This includes leadership of governance, architecture, platforms, analytics, information management and stewardship functions.
• Highly strategic and systems-oriented thinker with the ability to connect government priorities, economic and societal trends, organisational objectives and the external environment to identify opportunities, risks and future capability requirements.
• Proven ability to lead across organisational boundaries, building collaborative relationships and working effectively with diverse stakeholders to achieve shared outcomes.
• Strong influencing and communication skills, with the ability to engage senior leaders, provide constructive challenge and drive organisational change.
• Passion for innovation and emerging technologies, including AI, automation and advanced analytics, combined with sound judgement to ensure their responsible and ethical application for organisational and customer benefit.

Qualifications

• Tertiary qualification or extensive and comparable relevant experience at a senior management level in the public and private sector.

Pre-requisites for the position

• To be considered for this position you must have a legal right to live and work in New Zealand.
• Must consent to and satisfactorily complete a credit check as the position holds financial delegations.

Takohanga tuhinga o mua – Key accountabilities and deliverables

Critical areas of success

• Provide expert strategic advice to MBIE’s Senior Leadership Team to maximise MBIE’s use of data through the ongoing development and implementation of MBIE’s Empowered by Data strategic roadmap.
• Establish MBIE as a knowledge-led organisation by ensuring information, data and insight are effectively governed, integrated and leveraged as strategic assets that support organisational performance, innovation and public value.
• Lead the development and implementation of MBIE's enterprise data, knowledge and insight ensuring alignment with organisational priorities and long-term stewardship responsibilities.
• Build and maintain a mature enterprise knowledge management framework that strengthens institutional memory, organisational learning, information accessibility and compliance with legislative and regulatory obligations.
• Drive continuous improvement in MBIE's capability and maturity across data, analytics  and knowledge management disciplines, fostering a culture of evidence-informed decision-making.
• Establish and maintain enterprise-wide governance, standards and communities of practice that promote consistency, quality and professional excellence across knowledge, data and insight functions.
• Build strategic partnerships across government and other external international agencies and engage with them in a systematic and integrated way and share information with sectors that share strategic interests to enhance MBIE's knowledge and analytical capability.
• Position MBIE as a recognised public sector leader in knowledge stewardship, data governance and evidence-informed decision-making through active engagement in all-of-government initiatives and forums.
• Engage in a systematic and integrated way and share information with sectors that share strategic interests.
• Represent the views and aspirations of MBIE in national forums.
• Foster a customer-focused culture across the Branch.

Strategic Leadership and Direction - Applies sound strategic management practices

• Contribute to the leadership of the Corporate and Digital Shared Services (CDSS) group as a member of the CDSS leadership team and the wider MBIE extended leadership team.
• Provide organisational leadership and stewardship through participation in CDSS strategic development and Governance processes.
• Lead the strategic development of CDSS work programme to align with and support the MBIE’s strategic direction and adopt a business-like and customer centric culture.
• Set the strategic purpose for MBIE and establish and socialise the purpose and character with staff, and set expectations for MBIE to ensure it meets its objectives.
• Guide, challenge and consult the organisation towards both economic decision making, value generation, a common understanding of business opportunities and their consequences.
• Work collaboratively with other Tier 3 Managers across the MBIE and CDSS to drive coherent system wide outcomes.

Collective Leadership - Work collaboratively with other members of the Corporate and Digital Shared Services Leadership Team to support achievement of MBIE outcomes

• Participate collaboratively as a member of the CDSS Leadership Team to ensure the development of sustainable organisational capability and achieve expected efficiency benefits and ongoing improvements in cost effectiveness.
• Take collective responsibility for the cohesion and performance of MBIE as a whole and provides peer support to other senior managers, managers, stakeholders and practitioners.
• Work collaboratively with the CDSS Leadership Team to define the outcomes and outputs expected to deliver on MBIE’s strategic direction.
• Contribute beyond the core functional area to enhance the overall effectiveness and impact of the CDSS Group.
• Ensure consistency and alignment between different teams in MBIE and promote solution seeking where there are legitimate differences.
• Represents Senior Leadership Team views to staff.

People Leadership - Provide leadership that engages and motivates others to succeed and develop

• Create a sense of vision, engages and motivates people to participate and make things happen.
• Establish clear accountabilities, expectations and performance standards with direct reports and ensure regular performance and development conversations occur.
• Anticipate future capability needs across the team, identify gaps in capability and address these through targeted recruitment, development or other actions. Identify and actively develop talent for key roles.
• Foster an open, collaborative environment that encourages quality, innovation, ongoing learning and knowledge sharing.
• Support all organisational development activities, modelling expected behaviours to managers and staff to create healthy workplace culture and engaged workforce.

General Management - Apply sound management practices

• Develop and implement strategies, work programmes and performance targets for Technology, IT, Strategy, Architecture, Security and Delivery and with supporting measurement, monitoring and reporting mechanisms.
• Aligns Technology and Security work programmes with MBIE’s strategic direction and other groups’ work programmes.
• Monitor and adjust work programmes through the agreed processes to enable Technology, IT, Strategy, Architecture, Security and Delivery to adapt to changing circumstances.
• Regularly monitor and report on progress towards achievement of plans and strategies.
• Manage expenditure and resources in line with approved guidelines, budget, deadlines and reporting requirements, with a focus on driving cost effectiveness for MBIE.
• Effectively and proactively identify and manage risks; build continuous review and improvement throughout all elements of Technology, IT, Strategy, Architecture, Security and Delivery operations.

Relationship Management – Working collaboratively with others to support the achievement of MBIE outcomes

• Build strategic alliances with key government and non-government representatives to ensure MBIE’s views are influential in their decision-making.
• Build and maintain effective relationships and partnerships with national and international organisations to identify and share best practice information and to promote the Ministry, its products and services.
• Lead any engagement programme(s) with identified influencers and key stakeholders.
• Actively look for opportunities and synergies with internal and external stakeholders that focus on and meet customer needs.
• Use a one organisation perspective when contributing to internal forums and governance bodies.
• Represent whole-of-Ministry views and protect its reputation in 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 Chief Knowledge Officer position reports into the Deputy Secretary Corporate and Digital Shared Services within the Data, Knowledge and Analysis branch. The branch sits within the Corporate and Digital Shared Services group.

More information about MBIE's structure

Ngā Kawenga Ārahitanga – Leadership Expectations

At MBIE our leadership expectations provide consistent language for how we expect our leaders to lead at MBIE. They are supported by our values, and the Public Sector leadership capabilities as described in the Leadership Success Profile (LSP).

Leadership Expectations - Ngā Kawenga Ārahitanga (MBIE)

Lead by example - Whakatinana hei tauira
Enable our people - Whakaāhei ō tātou tangata
Deliver what matters - Whakatutuki ngā manako

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 New Zealand for All.

To Grow 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