Manager Risk Rules

Tēnei tūranga – About the role

The Manager Risk Rules is a leadership position in the Immigration Risk and Border branch of Immigration New Zealand (INZ). The Immigration Risk and Border branch works to collaboratively identify and mitigate risk early and to reduce harm to the integrity of the immigration system, system users, and New Zealand.

The Joint Targeting and Analytics (JTA) team in Immigration Risk and Border offers specialist expertise in the analysis of data and information to identify and target immigration risk. Services provided by the team include the delivery and management of the visa triage process, risk identification and targeting at the NZ border, and the provision of risk models and analytics.

The Deployment team develops, deploys, monitors and manages visa triage rules, border risk targeting rules and business rules across multiple systems to support immigration decision makers. The team are also responsible for developing options and solutions for business problems and opportunities to make systematic enhancements that will improve INZ’s risk management capability and ensuring quality and consistency of practices in relation to risk rules work across Joint Targeting & Analytics.

The Deployment team support Immigration Risk and Border and wider INZ in the ‘Action to treat risk, risk monitoring and review’ stage of the Immigration System Risk Management Framework.

A key focus of the Manager Risk Rules role is to lead the coordination of rule development and deployment across INZ visa and border domains and close engagement with managers of similar functions across other NZ Border agencies and with international partners.

The Manager Risk Rules is a leader of technical specialists including a Senior Business Rules Specialist, Senior Risk Targeting Analysts, Business Rules Specialists and Business Rules Authors.

The Manager Risk Rules is expected to utilise their experience and leadership abilities to work with ICT and Future Services leaders, and across the immigration system to aid in the development of robust, sustainable rule delivery systems, services and risk targeting products.      

The Manager Risk Rules role is a system, people and functional leadership position. The role is responsible for the direct leadership of the Deployment team, customer and stakeholder relationship management, setting the strategic direction of the team, enhancing system performance and continuous improvement of the Deployment function.

Key Relationships

• Managers and staff within the wider IRB branch
• The Risk and Verification Leadership Team
• Joint Targeting and Analytics leadership team
• Other leaders across MBIE’s risk and verification, intelligence, compliance, and investigations functions
• INZ Governance groups, such as the Triage Stakeholder Group and Immigration Risk and Compliance subcommittee
• Data Science Review Board
• Third party vendors supporting core Business Rules Engines, such as Theta, Solentive and SITA
• Counterparts in MBIE and across government agencies

Ngā herenga – Requirements of the role

Personal specifications

• Proven experience leading the strategic design of risk rule development, deployment and management services and successfully delivering high quality outcomes
• Proven people leadership and management skills within a large and complex organisation including building an inclusive and engaging team culture, coaching, and enabling and guiding team members to successful outcomes
• Strong focus on the customer and proven ability to quickly establish and maintain strong working relationships with key stakeholders. Proven ability to develop trust, credibility and effective relationships with staff and a diverse range of colleagues, customers, and service providers
• Demonstrated experience in developing and maintaining an environment focused on continuous improvement to enhance organisational performance and delivery excellent customer service
• Experience leading change in a complex environment
• Proven ability to understand the wider strategic picture and operationalise strategic considerations, including monitoring performance
• Experience in the application of risk management concepts and techniques as they pertain to decision making and business operations
• Good knowledge and practical application of management tools such as financial, monitoring and reporting systems and good knowledge of security in the government sector and management of classified information
• Experience with identifying system or policy changes that could impact the risk rule applications that risk targeting systems rely upon. Ensure that the requirements of JTA are expressed to decision makers
• Good knowledge of risk rule development and deployment applications, or the ability to acquire this knowledge
• Good understanding of relevant risk rule processes and methodologies, or the ability to acquire this knowledge
• Sound experience in the application and interpretation of legislation in a risk rule context, or the ability to quickly acquire this knowledge
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills and the ability to convey complex concepts in plain English
• Personal motivation to achieve quality results which reflect attention to detail, personal discipline and adherence to policy and process
• Adaptability and an innovative thinking style to be capable of shaping and implementing continuous improvement as part of the wider Joint Targeting and Analytics, and Risk and Verification teams

Qualifications

• Tertiary qualification in a relevant field or extensive and comparable relevant experience
• Must be able to gain and maintain a national security clearance as required.
• Must be a NZ citizen or hold a permanent residence class visa.

Takohanga tuhinga o mua – Key accountabilities and deliverables

Delivery management

• Provide expert advice and support to JTA, R&V and Immigration Risk and Border Operations Leadership Teams
• Engage across the system including ICT, the Principal Advisor – JTA and the Future Services programme to lead the strategic development and coordination of technologies to deliver visa triage and border risk targeting rules
• Collaborate with the Manager Risk Targeting and Analysis, and present rule deployment recommendations to relevant stakeholders and governance groups, including the Triage Stakeholder Group, Data Science Review Board (where required) and Immigration Risk and Compliance sub-committee
• Collaborate with the Manager Data Science to ensure visa triage and border risk targeting rules work in concert with any relevant analytical models, to maximise risk targeting effectiveness and efficiency
• Develop and manage projects (where appropriate), for risk rule solutions to operational challenges alongside relevant MBIE and INZ colleagues
• Develop work programmes and performance targets, with supporting measurement, monitoring and reporting mechanisms
• Monitor and adjust work programmes through the agreed processes to enable adaptation to changing circumstances
• Be accountable for the performance of visa triage and border risk rules, monitoring and reporting on testing, reviewing and refining of rules and progress on plans and strategies to optimise effectiveness and efficiency
• Manage compliance with relevant legislation and process requirements, including the Algorithm Charter for Aotearoa New Zealand (where relevant)
• Work across boundaries to identify data sources capable of adding value or being integrated into risk rules and for use in immigration risk management tools
• Be accountable for the delivery of services that actively support and contribute to the achievement of the Ministry’s outcomes, and that deliver to the needs of internal and external stakeholders.
• Collaborate with other JTA managers to develop and continuously improve the visa triage and border risk targeting rules, systems and feedback mechanisms, ensuring they are underpinned by robust statistical analysis and modelling
• Influence and improve INZ risk management systems, processes and targeting
• Be accountable for the quality of authoring and administration of rules in the visa and border risk rule deployment systems
• Ensure the deployment of rules in a timely and consistent fashion
• Work closely with ICT and external vendors to ensure the INZ Business Rules Engines are robust and working effectively and efficiently. Regularly report on issues and their status
• Translate technical issues with key systems (eg Business Rules Engines) into business impact and areas of risk and provide clear and timely communication to senior leadership

Relationship management

• Build and maintain effective working relationships with within MBIE, INZ and key external stakeholders to ensure consistent and integrated approaches to risk rule deployment across the immigration system
• Lead engagement with stakeholders to understand needs and interpret and validate results
• Ensure Deployment team members build relationships with key staff and are equipped with the knowledge to conduct and contribute to team outputs
• Actively participate in the Joint Targeting and Analytics Leadership Team
• Manage the delivery of services that actively support and contribute to the achievement of the Ministry’s outcomes, and that deliver to the needs of internal and external stakeholders
• Act as a conduit between the rule deployment function and the business

Team leadership

• Lead, direct, support and performance manage direct reports; measuring and reporting on delivery and quality of performance against agreed plans or standards, and ensuring their time is being used effectively and efficiently, in alignment with agreed strategy and plans. Actively manage poor performance.
• Prioritise work and support the team in a high-pressure environment with continuous conflicting priorities
• Ensure the development, maintenance, and integrity of high-quality risk rule development, deployment, monitoring and management processes and capabilities
• Ensure Deployment team members are up to date with new developments in the field and share this knowledge with relevant SMEs and leaders
• Support team members to develop the capability and standards required to achieve and exceed results
• Continually review and consider improvement to all elements of the team’s operations
• Delegate tasks and responsibilities in a manner that maximises the efficiency and effectiveness of team outputs, while also developing the capabilities of team members
• Model positive management and leadership behaviours and lead a customer focused culture across the team
• Model the desired values and culture of the organisation and lead this across the team
• Foster an open, collaborative environment that encourages quality, innovation, ongoing learning, and knowledge sharing within the team
• Manage expenditure and resources in line with approved delegations, guidelines, budget, deadlines, and reporting requirements, with a focus on cost effectiveness in the Ministry.

Strategic and system leadership

• Support the Manager Joint Targeting & Analytics to communicate risk rule deployment concepts, strategic advice and proposed innovations and solutions to senior leadership teams
• Think broadly about wider strategic issues and translate the R&V and JTA strategic direction to develop and lead the strategic direction for the Deployment team
• Understand the team’s function as part of the wider immigration system and engage with stakeholders across INZ, wider MBIE, and the public sector to ensure a consistent system view of risk rule capability and look to continuously improve this system
• Promote Deployment team services, ensuring they are well understood and visible to customers so that they feel supported in achieving their respective operational and Ministry strategies and goals
• Review and reshape how Deployment team services are provided in a way that best supports customer needs e.g., pace of rule deployment, pace and content of monitoring reports to leadership and governance groups
• Actively engage with other border agency risk rule deployment teams to share knowledge and implement best practice methodologies
• Actively contribute to INZ projects to enhance immigration system performance

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 Manager Risk Rules reports into the Manager Joint Targeting and Analytics within the Immigration Risk and Border branch. The branch sits within the Immigration New Zealand group.

More information about MBIE's structure

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 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).

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