Practice Lead Channel Development

Tēnei tūranga – About the role

The Customer Service Delivery Branch is MBIE’s front door, ensuring people and businesses can easily access the support and information they need. By integrating customer service channels, digital engagement, products and marketing channels, and frontline advisory services, the branch delivers efficient, customer-focused services that improve compliance and optimise regulatory systems.

As part of Te Whakatairanga Service Delivery, the branch enhances service delivery, leverages customer insights, and drives innovation to ensure a best practice approach to MBIE’s customer communications. Through smarter service design and engagement, it strengthens public trust and enables better regulatory outcomes.

The Online Channels team is responsible for driving positive change in how our customers experience our channels across our portfolios and works with colleagues across the Te Whakatairanga Service Delivery group and wider MBIE to ensure a future focused, integrated approach based on best practice.

The Practice Lead, Channel Development reports to the Manager, Channel Development within Online Channels. This role is responsible for leading and evolving MBIE’s approach to online channel development, championing effectiveness and efficiency by streamlining processes across channel development and stack management. It ensures a cohesive and integrated approach across MBIE’s online channels and tools.

Success in this role requires a deep understanding of the technologies and platforms that underpin online service delivery. The Practice Lead plays a critical role in aligning Online Channels’ outputs with the broader vision and purpose of Customer Service Delivery.

Ngā herenga – Requirements of the role

Personal specifications

• Solution-agnostic, with a proven track record in understanding and applying emerging technologies—including automated and augmented Machine Learning—to support customer and business partner outcomes. Demonstrates a forward-looking mindset and practical understanding of future-focused digital solutions.
• Deep knowledge of New Zealand Government standards for accessibility and usability, digital service design, the Accessibility Charter, and web best practices and trends.
• Strong understanding of UX design best practices, common research methods, and analytics metrics.
• Significant experience operating in digital project environments, with a focus on improving user experience and quickly gaining deep customer insight.
• Demonstrated ability to communicate design processes, ideas, and solutions clearly to a wide range of audiences, including internal and external stakeholders.
• Proven success in coaching and mentoring others in technical competencies and digital practices.
• Demonstrated ability to navigate complex systems, remove roadblocks, and centre the business partner experience in service design.
• Strong relationship-building skills, with experience engaging senior leaders, vendors, and cross-functional teams to deliver shared outcomes.
• Extensive experience working collaboratively and diplomatically across teams to achieve group, branch, and organisational priorities.
• Comfortable working through ambiguity and change, with a flexible, can-do attitude and the ability to manage risk and uncertainty.
• Strategic thinker with a people-centred leadership approach and a high level of self-awareness, adapting style to optimise effectiveness.
• Proven delivery focus, with a track record of achieving ambitious outcomes and driving continuous improvement.
• Experience managing vendor relationships, including contract negotiation and performance accountability.
• Commitment to continuous learning, including building cultural capability through kaupapa Māori approaches and embedding tikanga Māori in team culture and service design.
• Relevant tertiary qualification in communications, digital content, or a related field preferred.
• Must have the legal right to work in New Zealand.

Takohanga tuhinga o mua – Key accountabilities and deliverables

Channel Development Deliverables

• Lead the Technology, Platform, and Vendor Management workstreams within the Online Channels roadmap to ensure online channels and tools are designed, developed, and implemented effectively, efficiently, and consistently.
• Drive strategic improvements in online channel development, ensuring platforms and tools meet relevant standards and deliver optimal user experiences.
• Collaborate closely with Practice Leads and Principals to align goals and deliverables across Online Channels.
• Build and maintain relationships with Enterprise Architecture and Cyber Security teams to identify and address barriers to adopting necessary tools and technologies.
• Develop strong partnerships with internal and external stakeholders, including MBIE Shared Services, DIA, and vendors, to support technology-related initiatives.
• Maintain a register of technologies used across MBIE to support reuse and leverage existing platforms where appropriate.
• Lead the development and publication of a framework for assessing and rapidly testing new technologies for potential use in Online Channels.
• Stay current with emerging technology trends and share insights to build capability across Information & Engagement.
• Develop and manage a consistent approach to MBIE’s service level agreements (SLAs) for websites, ensuring vendors meet minimum standards.
• Provide guidance and mentorship to product owners to deepen their understanding of platform capabilities and responsibilities.
• Support the development, implementation, and review of MBIE digital roadmaps, standards, policies, processes, and procedures aligned with Customer Service Delivery strategies.
• Assist in developing and applying quality standards to monitor, report, and resolve issues across websites and digital tools.
• Champion the use of data, insights, and customer research to inform design decisions, using compelling customer journey narratives to demonstrate impact.
• Integrate customer data from multiple sources (including the MBIE Customer Service Centre) to identify strategic opportunities.
• Provide technical expertise to projects and initiatives impacting Online Channels, ensuring channel development is considered early and usability testing is built into project schedules.
• Represent a cross-team perspective on initiatives, identifying synergies across MBIE.
• Support the Online Channels leadership team in establishing clear expectations, strategic standards, and consistent decision-making.
• Assist with scoping, sizing, and prioritising work for the Channel Development team.
• Act as a trusted advisor and sounding board for the Online Channels leadership team and wider team members.
• Contribute actively to the successful delivery of branch and group strategic and tactical work programmes.

Collective Leadership

• Develops collaborative, collegial relationships with Online Channels Practice Leads and Principal Advisors to effectively implement the Online Channels work programme.
• Contributes to overarching Online Channels strategies and frameworks, ensuring alignment of business plans, activities, and key messaging.
• Works collaboratively with members of the Online Channels leadership team to support the achievement of MBIE outcomes and strategic priorities.
• Participates actively as a member of Online Channels to ensure the successful delivery of team, branch, and group priorities.
• Supports the design, maintenance, and compliance with agreed processes and standards for triaging work requests and managing sensitive or embargoed content.
• Actively contributes to the principals and practice leads forum that collaborates on current projects, latest trends and opportunities with a view to share knowledge, advice and expertise.

Personal Leadership

• Proactively identifies areas for improvement in personal approach and adapts to strengthen performance, modelling exemplary behaviour for others.
• Effectively manages up by building strong relationships with senior leaders, providing proactive support and communication, and taking a “no surprises” approach.
• Demonstrates initiative by anticipating leadership needs and taking action without waiting for direction.
• Models exemplary leadership behaviours and consistently upholds MBIE values.
• Creates a compelling vision, engages and motivates others to participate, and drives action.
• Fosters an open, collaborative environment that encourages quality, innovation, continuous learning, and knowledge sharing.
• Exercises sound judgement, integrity, and discretion, particularly in managing strategic risks.
• Shows self-motivation and persistence in challenging frameworks and addressing difficult issues, while applying good judgement in knowing when to escalate or step back.

General Management

• Develops strategies, work programmes, and performance targets, supported by effective measurement, monitoring, and reporting mechanisms.
• Monitors and adjusts work programmes through agreed processes to ensure adaptability to changing circumstances.
• Manages expenditure and resources in line with approved guidelines, budgets, deadlines, and reporting requirements, with a strong focus on cost-effectiveness.
• Identifies and manages risk effectively and consistently, balancing risk with opportunity and innovation.
• Leads strategically complex projects that span multiple issues over extended timeframes.
• Maintains an integrated view of team performance, ensuring a cohesive approach across Online Channels and Regulatory Systems.

Relationship management including Māori Crown relations

• Works collaboratively as a member of the Channel Projects team and with the Channel Development team to ensure consistency in UX, accessibility, content, stack management, and other digital services across MBIE.
• Partners with MBIE business groups to deliver accessible digital services, content, and advice.
• Collaborates across the Online Channels team to support the development and maintenance of online and offline channels, ensuring a multi-channel, customer-centred, cross-regulatory system approach to public information programmes.
• Develops effective working relationships with other managers and staff to facilitate knowledge transfer and learning across the organisation.
• Demonstrates political savvy and builds trusted, influential relationships with key internal and external business partners, delivery partners, and stakeholders.
• Commits to learning and continuous improvement in partnering with Māori and strengthening cross-cultural capability.
• Represents Online Channels, the Customer Service Delivery branch, and whole-of-Ministry perspectives, safeguarding their reputation in external interactions.
• Builds strategic alliances with key government and non-government representatives and influencers to ensure MBIE’s views are considered in their decision-making.

Coaching and Mentoring

• Supports managers in developing Senior Advisors and Advisors across the wider Online Channels team.
• Provides intellectual support and coaches others to build expertise and deepen knowledge of institutional practice.
• Actively seeks opportunities to grow the capability of others within the team.
• Proactively explores opportunities to develop personal professional capability and increase self-awareness for future growth.
• Demonstrates excellent communication and coaching skills to embed a culture of excellence within the team.

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 Practice Lead Channel Development position reports into the Manager Channel Development within the Online Channels team, of the Customer Service Delivery branch. The branch sits within the Te Whakatairanga Service Delivery 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. 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