Practice Lead Findability

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 Findability reports to the Manager, Channel Development within Online Channels. This role is responsible for leading and evolving MBIE’s approach to digital findability, ensuring users can easily locate and access the information they need across platforms. It champions best practices in on-site search and off-site search—including Search Engine Optimisation (SEO), Generative Engine Optimisation (GEO), and citation optimisation—and plays a key role in shaping the effectiveness of MBIE’s online presence.

The Practice Lead Findability brings deep expertise in customer search behaviours and the technologies used to locate and interpret online information. The position is responsible for:

• Leading the development of MBIE’s findability strategy, including defining goals, standards, and a reporting framework.
• Ensuring content and information are findable by both people and technologies such as Artificial Intelligence.

Ngā herenga – Requirements of the role

Personal specifications

• Proven experience in leading and implementing successful findability strategies, including on-site search, SEO, GEO, and citation optimisation, aligned with organisational goals.
• Deep knowledge of search optimisation and its relationship to content strategy, information architecture, metadata, taxonomy, tagging, and emerging search technologies.
• Strong analytical mindset with the ability to translate data and insights from tools such as SEMrush, Google Analytics, CMS platforms, and tagging systems into actionable improvements.
• Demonstrated experience in writing for the web and social media using plain English, with a strong grasp of digital best practices, accessibility standards, and NZ Government requirements including the Accessibility Charter.
• Strategic thinker with significant experience shaping and maintaining search strategies, navigating ambiguity, and managing risk and uncertainty.
• Proven ability to lead teams or practices in a digital environment, fostering a collaborative, people-centred culture focused on continuous improvement and innovation.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder engagement skills, with a track record of building trusted relationships across internal teams, vendors, and external partners.
• Commitment to kaupapa Māori approaches, with the ability to embed tikanga Māori in team culture and service design.
• Significant practical and demonstrable experience in this area is required. 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

Findability Deliverables

• Lead the Findability workstream within the Online Channels roadmap, developing strategy, goals, standards, and a reporting framework.
• Ensure content and information are discoverable by both users and technologies such as Artificial Intelligence.
• Apply deep knowledge of customer search behaviours and supporting technologies to enhance information discovery.
• Collaborate with Practice Leads (Accessibility, Content Design, User Experience and Channel Development) and Principal Advisors (Channel Engagement) to align efforts and contribute to Online Channels’ roadmap and Customer Service Delivery’s vision.
• Ensure content meets NZ Government plain language requirements and web standards for accessibility and usability.
• Support the development of a MBIE-wide approach to findability, including frameworks and best practices for search across websites.
• Lead the direction of findability across Online Channels in partnership with managers, ensuring consistency and strategic alignment.
• Contribute to the development, implementation, and review of MBIE digital roadmaps, standards, policies, 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 value of data, insights, and customer research by using compelling customer journey narratives to demonstrate the impact of content design.
• Integrate customer data from multiple sources (including the MBIE Customer Service Centre) to identify strategic opportunities.
• Provide technical expertise to projects and initiatives that impact Online Channels.
• Represent a cross-team perspective on initiatives, identifying synergies across MBIE.
• Stay current with emerging search technologies and trends, sharing insights to build capability across Information & Engagement.
• Support the Online Channels leadership team in establishing clear expectations, strategic standards, and consistent decision-making.
• Assist with scoping, sizing, and prioritising findability-related work.
• Act as a trusted advisor and sounding board for Online Channels leadership team.
• 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 Findability position reports into the Manager Channel Development within the Online Channels team of the Customer Service Delivery branch. The branch sits within 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