Business Relationship Advisor

Tēnei tūranga – About the role

The Business Relationship Advisor is a team member in the Business Relationships team in the Advisory and Business Services unit of the New Zealand Government Procurement (NZGP) branch. Each year, the New Zealand Government spends more than $50 billion on goods and services that are essential for the delivery of public services and infrastructure, economic growth, and the wellbeing of New Zealanders. The Government and the New Zealand public expect this spend to deliver value. NZGP is tasked with leading the settings, outcomes and performance of the procurement system managing this expenditure.

The purpose of this role is to employ best-practice Supplier Relationship Management (SRM) to drive innovation and deliver added value from suppliers by taking a long-term view of commercial relationships and the way in which NZGP engages with the market. Working with senior members of the team, the Business Relationship Advisor taps into suppliers’ expertise and capabilities to maximise value for agencies from both a commercial perspective and in terms of broader strategic outcomes. 

The Business Relationship Advisor continuously develops subject matter expertise and discovers market/industry trends, the insights of which inform a future-focused approach to category management. 

The Business Relationship Advisor is responsible for contributing to tasks and projects to solve NZGP-wide challenges, providing advice and guidance to teams and stakeholders, and supporting cross-agency work and partnerships. 

Ngā herenga – Requirements of the role

Personal specifications

• Demonstrable experience contributing to the management of large-scale, high-profile and/or high-value commercial projects, implementing best practice and innovation.
• Ability and drive to deliver successful outcomes in demanding, fast-paced environments.
• A principled, yet pragmatic and solutions-focused, approach to commercial issues.
• A strong client service ethic and good relationship management skills.
• Effective oral and written communication skills for a variety of audiences, and ability to produce high quality commercial documentation clearly, articulately and succinctly.
• A self-starter, taking responsibility for own work and quickly getting up to speed.
• Ability to work on and effectively balance multiple projects simultaneously.
• Ability to introduce new ways of looking at problems and adopt creative new approaches.
• Ability to develop strong working relationships and to foster trust and credibility with diverse stakeholders.
• A proactive, can-do attitude with a high level of initiative and sound judgement and discretion.
• Exceptional teamwork and collaborative abilities and a willingness to share knowledge and expertise with others including growing commercial capability across Government.
• Must have the legal right to live and work in New Zealand. 

Takohanga tuhinga o mua – Key accountabilities and deliverables

Core activities and tasks

• Provides support for solutions to MBIE-wide challenges, including supporting the implementation of strategies and governance for data and insights across MBIE.
• Contributes to or supports initiatives and programmes of work that enhance NZGP’s insights capability.
• Contributes to development and implementation of frameworks and standards to improve data and insights quality, consistency, and relevance across NZGP.
• Provides critical and analytical thinking to understand and address problems and identify solutions.

Work management

• Works with direction and guidance on what is required and with supervision on new, difficult, or unusual assignments.
• Actively and independently plans and managers own projects and workload.
• Takes responsibility for own professional development, working with manager, to seek opportunities to learn. 

Relationship Management

• Participates as an active team member and contributes knowledge and expertise needed to achieve MBIE’s outcomes.
• Builds and maintains effective relationships and partnerships with internal and external stakeholders, as necessary to identify and share best practice information and to promote the Ministry, its products, and services.
• Develops effective working relationships with other MBIE Managers and staff to transfer knowledge and learnings from team to the wider organisation. 

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 Business Relationship Advisor reports to the Manager Business Relationships within the Advisory and Business Services unit of the NZGP branch. The branch sits within the Building Resources and Markets 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 (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