Senior Advisor, Business Management

Tēnei tūranga – About the role

The Senior Advisor, Business Management Team (BMT) is a specialist position providing expert advice on Ministerial Servicing and business management within Immigration New Zealand (INZ).

The BMT leads and is responsible for providing Ministers and senior officials within INZ and the Ministry with accurate, objective and timely information, analysis and advice across of INZ ministerial reporting, servicing and accountability requirements.  The team oversees the centralised servicing of all INZ ministerial and machinery of government processes.

The Senior Advisor will be required to have an extensive knowledge of machinery of government practices and be able to provide a high level of technical advice in ministerial and machinery of government management processes and act as a point of escalation for the team.

The Senior Advisor will assist the Manager Business Management and assist them in building and enhancing the overall capability of the team to ensure quality and consistency of practices in relation to the team’s work.

Ngā herenga – Requirements of the role

Personal specifications

• A strong understanding of the processes that underpin the operations of the public sector environment, including policy development, Cabinet and parliamentary processes, and machinery of government.
• Proven experience in delivering outstanding quality service to internal and external customers.
• Ability to quickly assimilate new information at a high level and come to an understanding of unfamiliar and complex issues.
• Innovation and keenness to explore and evaluate new operational delivery practices and approaches.
• Proven ability to think strategically, develop frameworks and manage organisation wide systems and processes, in the context of the operational business of Immigration New Zealand and relevant legislation (e.g. the Immigration Act 2009, Official Information Act and Privacy Act).
• Is able to quickly identify ways of thinking about risks and issues and possible pathways forward. Ability to focus on both strategic and operational issues.
• Proactively identifies key relationships and possesses an ability to quickly establish and build strong Page 5 of 5 working relationships.
• Good communication skills and a can-do attitude.
• Proven ability to develop trust and credibility with managers and staff, including an ability to work with senior managers on contentious, difficult and urgent issues.
• High integrity and ability in handling sensitive and confidential information.
• Demonstrated commitment to effective client servicing and the ability to liaise with all levels of staff within the ministry and with external agencies.
• Understanding of MBIE and where the team fits in delivering outcomes for the Ministry.
• The ability to gain and maintain a national security clearance as required.
• Must be a NZ citizen or hold a residence class visa (if the role is located in New Zealand).
• Must have the legal right to live and work in the country in which this position resides (if the role is located outside of New Zealand).

Takohanga tuhinga o mua – Key accountabilities and deliverables

• Coordinates and advises on Official Information Act requests (and Ministerial correspondence, as required) through Immigration New Zealand, in line with Ministry guidelines and statutory obligations.
• Monitors INZ's progress against performance measures to achieve goals regularly.
• Provides guidance and support to MBIE and INZ as required.
• Negotiates situations where required to ensure work is actioned in a timely manner.
• Leads Immigration’s relationship with the Ministry’s Ministerial Services team on content, timeliness, quality and consistency of ministerial servicing.
• Contributes to the development of other Advisors through mentoring and other support.
• Co-ordinates weekly register of risks and issues.
• Identifies issues that may impact on the Deputy Secretary -Immigration, INZ, the Minister or the Ministry.
• Escalates matters as appropriate and in a timely manner to INZ managers and the Minister's Office(s).
• Provides advice and support as required.
• Produces high-quality and accurate documentation in agreed timeframes to meet customer requirements.
• Effectively uses relationships to develop advice, manage issues as and when appropriate.

Personal leadership

• Models positive management and leadership behaviours.
• Models the desired values and culture of the organisation and leads this across the team.
• Fosters an open, collaborative environment that encourages quality, innovation, and on-going learning and knowledge sharing within the team.

Relationship Management

Manage constructive working relationships with work colleagues and external stakeholders to enhance understanding and cooperation needed to achieve desired results.

› Participates as an active team member and contributes knowledge and expertise needed to achieve MBIE’s outcomes.

• Develops effective working relationships with other MBIE managers and staff in order to transfer knowledge and learning from the team to the wider organisation.
• Builds and maintains effective relationships and partnerships with internal and external stakeholders, as necessary, in order to identify and share best practice information and to promote the Ministry, it products and services.
• Represents whole-of-Ministry views and protects its reputation in any external interactions.
• Participates as an active team member and contributes knowledge and expertise needed to achieve MBIE’s outcomes.

Action oriented

Takes responsibility for own work, recognises opportunities and acts with a minimum of direction

• Takes responsibility for own work.
• Self-starter.
• Seeks input if required.
• Recognises and acts on opportunities.

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 Senior Advisor position reports into the Manager Business Management within the Enablement branch. The branch sits within the Immigration New Zealand group.

More information about MBIE’s structure(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 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