Investment Director

Tēnei tūranga – About the role

The Investment Director is a senior leadership position in the Investment Management Branch. They are responsible for the through-life management of a portfolio of investments, counterparties and potential investments across Crown-managed investment funds and programmes.

The Investment Director is responsible for the full assessment of investment opportunities, obtaining and considering all relevant information, leading commercial due diligence, and developing evidence-based risk assessments and recommendations for decision makers. They will lead or assist with commercial negotiations and the establishment of funding and contractual arrangements.

The Investment Director is responsible for the management and stewardship of investments throughout their lifecycle, including assessment, contracting, monitoring, risk management, performance oversight, restructuring, remediation and recovery activities (where required) and investment closure.

They will oversee work undertaken by their team and other staff to ensure triage, assessment, due diligence, monitoring and reporting activities are completed efficiently and to a high standard. They will also be expected to lead, with support from legal counsel and subject matter experts, the negotiation and implementation of funding arrangements, including legal documentation.

Investment Directors will be expected to lead complex, high-value or strategically significant transactions and investments, including those involving significant infrastructure, sector development, regional development initiatives, iwi and Māori organisations, local government, private sector co-investors and other Crown agencies.

At all times, Investment Directors must exercise sound judgement in relation to commercial viability, risk, public value, and the achievement of Government outcomes and investment objectives.

Ngā herenga – Requirements of the role

Personal specifications

• Proven experience at a senior leadership level in investment, commercial, banking, project finance, corporate finance, private equity, venture capital or a related field, including the assessment, management and oversight of significant investments or funding arrangements.
• Strong commercial acumen, analytical capability and judgement, including the ability to assess complex investment opportunities, risks and outcomes, and provide robust, evidence-based recommendations.
• Demonstrated experience managing investment, commercial, delivery, financial and reputational risks in complex environments.
• Proven success in leading, coaching and developing high-performing teams, and fostering a culture of collaboration, accountability and continuous improvement.
• Demonstrated ability to build and maintain effective relationships and manage competing interests across government, Ministers' offices, iwi and Māori organisations, local government and industry stakeholders.
• Excellent communication, influencing and negotiation skills, including the ability to prepare high-quality written advice and present recommendations to senior leaders, governance forums and Ministers.
• Strong organisational and project management skills, including the ability to manage multiple complex initiatives and competing priorities concurrently.
• Sound understanding of the machinery of government and the processes, accountability and operating environment of the New Zealand public sector.
• Self-motivated and proactive, with the confidence, resilience and judgement to operate effectively in complex, ambiguous and politically sensitive environments.
• Knowledge of sectors relevant to New Zealand’s regions.
• Tertiary qualification, preferably in finance, business, economics, law or a related discipline.
• Must have the legal right to live and work in New Zealand.

Takohanga tuhinga o mua – Key accountabilities and deliverables

Lead and manage a portfolio of investments, counterparties and potential investments. This includes:

Leadership and organisational contribution

• Participate as a member of the Branch Leadership Team, as well as providing leadership to your own portfolio team.
• Providing coaching, mentoring and technical leadership to colleagues. 
• Contribute to a culture of collaboration, high performance and continuous improvement. 
• Build and maintain effective relationships across government, regional stakeholders, iwi and Māori organisations, industry and investment partners. 
• Act as a senior representative of the Investment Management Branch as required.
• Contribute to continuous improvement of investment frameworks, methodologies and practices.

Portfolio management and stewardship

• Monitor the performance of investments and funding arrangements against agreed objectives and outcomes. 
• Identify emerging commercial, delivery, financial and reputational risks and develop appropriate mitigation or intervention strategies. 
• Ensure effective contract management and stewardship of investments throughout their lifecycle. 
• Provide timely and accurate portfolio reporting, analysis and advice. 
• Support decision making on investment variations, restructures, interventions and exits where required. 

Investment decision support and structuring

• Undertaking a full and detailed assessment of investment opportunities against relevant investment, policy and programme criteria.
• Ensuring due diligence on organisations, projects and counterparties is completed to a high standard.
• Ensuring financial, commercial and other relevant information is available to support investment decision making.
• Undertaking or overseeing financial analysis, modelling and forecasting where required.
• Ensuring summaries of research, investment opportunities, key risks, market developments and strategic issues are available for consideration.
• Ensuring all legislative, policy, contractual and compliance obligations are met.
• Liaising with Regional Leads, counterparties, delivery partners and stakeholders as necessary to obtain all information required to support investment decisions.
• Structuring deals to manage for constraints, risks and outcomes.
• Preparing high quality reports, briefings, risk assessments and recommendations for Ministers, governance forums and senior decision makers as required.

Contract development

• Leading or assisting with commercial negotiations and the establishment of funding arrangements.

Wellbeing, health and 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 Investment Director position reports into the General Manager Investment Management within the Investment Management branch. The branch sits within the Regional Development and Commercial Services 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 New Zealand for All.

To Grow New Zealand for All, we put people at the heart of our mahi (work). 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