Senior Commercial Leader

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Tēnei tūranga – About the role

New Zealand Government Procurement (NZGP) is the system leader for procurement on behalf of the New Zealand Government.

The Advisory and Business Services is a team of highly skilled deployable commercial specialists within NZGP 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 Advisory and Business Services assists government agencies to:

  • Plan and structure commercial projects and work programmes.
  • Meaningfully engage with the market and individual suppliers.
  • Inject pace/commercial resources into projects of high priority or need.
  • Negotiate better deals.
  • Achieve higher quality commercial results.
  • Meet agency priorities and deliver broader outcomes.
  • Ensure compliance with the Government Procurement Rules.
  • Support and develop in-house commercial capability.

A Senior Commercial Leader within the Advisory and Business Services leads, manages, and supports significant commercial projects and work programmes for government agencies. 

Ngā herenga – Requirements of the role

Personal specifications

  • Extensive experience and genuine expertise in any of Commercial Strategy/Planning/Management, Procurement, Construction, Property, ICT or Health (including disability and social services).
  • Demonstrable experience leading or significantly contributing to the management of large-scale, high-profile and/or high-value commercial projects and programmes implementing best practice and innovation.
  • Exceptional skill 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.
  • Ability to manage and effectively balance multiple projects simultaneously.
  • In-depth understanding of procurement principles and processes in area of specialism.
  • Understanding of te ao Māori would be an advantage. 

Attributes

  • A self-starter, taking responsibility for own work and quickly getting up to speed.
  • A team player who willingly and proactively assists others, including coaching and mentoring of more junior team members and growing commercial capability across government.
  • Proactively grows knowledge and skills in relevant areas and shares that with others.
  • Confidence and curiosity to drive innovation challenge the status quo.

Qualifications

  • Relevant qualification or membership in area of specialism or related business discipline – for example, MCIPS.

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

Projects:

  • Engage independently with government agencies from the outset, understand their priorities and needs, and develop a plan to assist them.
  • Foster strong relationships be a trusted adviser and deliver sound commercial and procurement outcomes.
  • Develop and implement commercial and procurement strategies and planning and look for innovative solutions when necessary.
  • Lead manages and support project teams and drive 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.

Relationship management

  • Proactively establishes and maintains strong working relationships with government agencies, including senior management, project teams and public sector leaders and groups.
  • 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.
  • Identifies opportunities, commonalities, and synergies across government.
  • Transfer’s knowledge and learning to the Commercial Pool and NZGP.

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 Senior Commercial Leader position reports into the Manager Advisory Services within the New Zealand Procurement branch. The branch sits within the Building Resource 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. 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

MBIE value: Māia - Bold & brave, Pae Kahurangi - Build our future, Mahi Tahi - Better together, Pono Me Te Tika - Own it
Last updated: 13 January 2022