Senior Technical Specialist

Tēnei tūranga – About the role

Occupational Regulation is a cross-sector team responsible for several different occupational licensing and registration schemes, which currently includes Electrical Workers, Licensed Building Practitioners, Immigration Advisers, Motor Vehicle Traders, Auctioneers and Pool Inspectors. Over time other licensing/registration schemes might come into or out of Occupational Regulation.

The Senior Technical Specialist is a subject matter expert in the Building Industry/Electrical Industry who proactively provides high quality and timely thought leadership as well as strategic and technical advice to the National Manager and wider Occupational Regulation team. They are responsible for providing high quality technical advisory services, in support of Occupational Licensing/Registration functions, investigations, and compliance to practitioners, regulatory Boards, stakeholders and the wider Occupational Regulation team. This position will take a lead in driving desired strategic outcomes in the Building Industry/Electrical Industry and provide support to operational policy in relation to the regulatory compliance and licensing/registration functions of the Building Industry/Electrical Industry.

By bringing deep understanding of the Building Industry/Electrical Industry, the Senior Technical Specialist will lead desired strategic outcomes in these sectors with support from Operational Policy the wider Occupational Regulation team and other internal stakeholders. The Senior Technical Specialist partners with the National Manager, Occupational Regulation and the wider team to develop, articulate and give effect to the team’s strategies, including its compliance strategies in the Building Industry/Electrical Industry. They will make decisions under delegation and/or support to the appropriate person for making statutory decisions for licensing, assessments, and examinations. They take the lead on complex technical work, industry engagement activity, providing expertise on cross-cutting policy and regulatory issues, and project leadership.

Ngā herenga – Requirements of the role

Personal specifications

• Demonstrable extensive understanding and experience in the Building or Electrical sectors, including understanding of the technical aspects of the sectors.
• A strong demonstrable understanding of regulatory compliance of the Building/Electrical industry.
• Extensive knowledge and experience applying the policies and procedures associated with the regulatory processes that are relevant to this role.
• Excellent influencing and interpersonal skills and proven ability to build relationships with both internal and external stakeholders; demonstrated by credibility, personal or collaborative influence, managing expectations and targeted persuasion.
• Works effectively without direct supervision, managing and organising fluctuating workloads in sometimes stressful situations.
• Experience undertaking projects with representatives from sector organisations and internal stakeholders,
• Ability to understand, use and explain the regulatory frameworks that are relevant to this role, including knowledge and understanding of the principles of natural justice and fairness.
• Apply critical thinking and inform decision making utilising legislation and technical experience.
• Proven ability to critically analyse complex situations and to recommend and design robust solutions.
• Ability to quickly assimilate new information or areas of work.
• Experienced in identifying relevant risks and establish recommendations for mitigation, being mindful of sensitive issues and confidentiality requirements.
• Excellent communication skills (written and oral) - including ability to explain legislation or provide technical guidance in plain English and write for a range of audiences.
• Considerable experience in dealing with ambiguity in a complex and dynamic environment.
• High degree of political nous and a strong working knowledge of the machinery of government.
• Must have the legal right to live and work in New Zealand.

Qualifications

• A relevant tertiary qualification or extensive and comparable relevant experience.

Takohanga tuhinga o mua – Key accountabilities and deliverables

Critical Areas of Success

• Leading advice and bringing specialist knowledge to the delivery of operational functions of the Building/Electrical schemes administered by Occupational Regulation.
• Partnering with the Principal Advisor, Managers, and team to develop, articulate and give effect to the team's strategy and other key priority work programmes.
• Identifying critical issues, important trends, key regulatory risks, and opportunities and recommending responses, risk mitigation and solutions to the National Manager, Occupational Regulatory Boards, and the broader team
• Maintaining a high level of technical expertise in their areas of responsibility through:
  • understanding international and national trends and how they can inform or may impact New Zealand’s consumer and regulatory environment.
  • understanding national bodies or regulatory agencies that inform or work with your team. Identify how they influence practice in New Zealand and how New Zealand contributes to international practice and decisions.
  • researching the statutory and technical frameworks and environments the team operates in and identify how that informs or impacts the team and regulatory regime.
• Monitoring, analysing and reporting on scheme issues and complaints over time to share with the branch and policy teams to inform regulatory change.
• Designing and implementing audit/assurance policies and procedures.
• Supporting decision-makers to set competency standards which achieve maximum public and worker safety through least impediment.
• Leading the development of technical content for website, newsletters, guidance documents and other initiatives. Also responsible for the ongoing maintenance of this content and ensuring alignment to legislation.
• Reviewing and assessing adequacy of competency evidence of licensed practitioners to identify individuals or collective groups who operate below industry standards.
• Provides in depth advice to investigations and prosecution processes, ensuring adherence to regulation, legal frameworks and established processes.
• Taking on projects that require working with and influencing leaders and leadership teams.
• Leading technical input to policy or process change initiatives, including service improvement initiatives with strategic management processes.
• Maintenance of commercial agreements of Building Industry/Electrical Industry

Relationship management

• Engage with key external industry stakeholders including the Electrical Workers Registration Board, Building Practitioner Board, Assessors, Competence Programme Providers and Training Providers.
• A key part of the role is to establish and maintain effective and constructive relationship with the relevant regulatory boards, engage in a timely manner and be able to convey information targeted to the audience, using excellent relationship management and influencing skills.
• Represents whole-of-Ministry views and protects its reputation in any external interactions.
• Is a subject matter expert, acts as an escalation point for complex applications and appeals, and provides expert coaching and training to the wider team.

Self-Management

• Models the desired values and culture of the organisation.
• Willingly shares knowledge and expertise within the branch and with others in the organisation.
• Acts with honesty and integrity.
• Welcomes feedback and is receptive to input from others.

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 Technical Specialist reports into the Manager Occupational Regulation Operations within the Market Integrity 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