Commercial Advisor – Commercial Pool
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Tēnei tūranga – About the role
New Zealand Government Procurement (NZGP) managed the procurement functional leadership for government.
The Commercial Pool (within NZGP) is a team of highly skilled, deployable commercial specialists responsible for providing quality advice and support to government agencies on their significant commercial projects and work programmes. It operates on a user pays, cost recovery basis.
The Commercial Pool assists government agencies to:
- Plan, structure and deliver commercial projects and work programmes.
- Meaningfully engage with the market and individual suppliers.
- Inject pace/commercial resources into projects and initiatives of high priority or need.
- Negotiate better deals.
- Solve commercial challenges.
- Achieve higher quality commercial results.
- Meet agency priorities and deliver broader outcomes.
- Support and develop in-house commercial/procurement capability.
A Commercial Advisor within the Commercial Pool supports and/or leads the delivery of commercial projects and work programmes for government agencies.
Ngā herenga – Requirements of the role
Personal specifications
- Strong ‘commercial nous’ with a principled, pragmatic and solutions-focused approach to challenges.
- A high level of experience in commercial project or procurement Strategy/Planning/Management.
- Ability to work on a range of projects, with differing agencies and effectively balance priorities.
- Demonstrable aptitude/experience in contributing to the management of strategic, 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 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.
- In-depth understanding of procurement principles and processes in area of specialism.
- A strong understanding of te ao Māori would be an advantage.
Attributes
- A driven self-starter, taking responsibility for own work and quickly able to get up to speed.
- Delivery focussed individual, striving for high quality outcomes.
- A team player who quickly works effectively with a range of stakeholders and more senior team members, and who willingly and proactively assists others, including growing commercial capability across Government.
- Proactively grows knowledge and skills in relevant areas and shares that with others.
Qualifications
- Relevant qualification or membership in area of specialism or related business discipline – for example, MCIPS and/or World Commerce and Contracting certifications (or studying towards), would be beneficial.
Security clearance
- Must have the legal right to live and work in New Zealand.
- Must be able to gain and maintain a confidential security clearance.
Takohanga tuhinga o mua – Key accountabilities and deliverables
Critical areas of success
A Commercial Advisor will be required to:
Projects:
- Engage and work closely with government agencies, understand their priorities and needs to develop plans to assist them in delivering commercial outcomes.
- Foster strong relationships and be a trusted adviser who delivers sound commercial and procurement outcomes.
- Develop and implement commercial strategies, seeking innovative solutions when appropriate.
- Manage and support project teams; driving projects to meet deliverables in line with strategies, priorities and needs.
- ‘Test the thinking’ and add value by applying a commercial lens and specialist know-how and offering alternative solutions.
- At times, deliver ‘hard messages’ to ensure projects stay on track, adopt best practice and innovation, and remain compliant.
- Leverage own networks and identify project opportunities.
Capability building:
- Work alongside government agencies to deliver commercial capability-building for staff and functions.
- Coach and lead individuals through projects, support growth of others.
- Feedback back learnings and experience to build system wide capability.
Relationship management
- Proactively establishes and maintains strong working relationships with government agencies, including management and project teams.
- Is client-focused and quickly earns respect, trust, and confidence in project relationships.
- Represents NZGP and whole-of-Ministry views and protect NZGP’s and the Ministry’s reputation in all external interactions.
- Transfer’s knowledge and learning.
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 Commercial Advisor position reports into the Manager, Commercial Pool within the New Zealand Government Procurement branch. The branch sits within the Building Resources and Markets group.
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
