Supplier Relationship Manager All-of-Government

Tēnei tūranga – About the role

The Supplier Relationship Manager All of Government (AoG) is a specialist position within the New Zealand Government Procurement (NZGP) branch reporting to the AoG Portfolio Manager. 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 role holder ensures that NZGP takes a holistic and informed approach to supplier relationship management and procurement capability development and achieves the best possible commercial outcomes for government while enhancing the implementation of procurement functional leadership.

The Supplier Relationship Manager is part of the Collaborative Procurement team, which focuses on maximising the public value of government collaborative contracts, while ensuring that suppliers’ and agencies’ needs are met. The team is broken into delegated portfolios/categories of government expenditure, encompassing the likes of professional services, products, finance, energy and travel.

The Supplier Relationship Manager works in collaboration with the portfolio and category teams to achieve the best possible commercial and broader outcomes for government procurement.

The Supplier Relationship Manager focuses on driving innovation and adding value from suppliers. They take a long-term view of supplier relationships and improving the way NZGP engages with the market. Working with senior members of the Collaborative Procurement team, the Supplier Relationship Manager taps into suppliers’ expertise and capabilities to improve contract performance and value, to exchange insights about market trends, and to instil a future focused, systematic approach to supplier relationship management. The Supplier Relationship Manager will:

• maintain ongoing engagement with providers supplying services to NZGP-managed collaborative contracts;
• keep abreast of market developments in relevant sectors, ensuring the supplier market is informed of NZGP’s plans for different categories, contracts and panels; and
• manage supplier performance, expectations and standards to maximise value for agencies.

Ngā herenga – Requirements of the role

Personal specifications

• Commercial experience within government, a regulatory environment, or the private sector.
• Effective management of issues, customer insight and communications in a complex political environment.
• Demonstrated ability to critically analyse complex commercial and procurement situations.
• Demonstrated ability to develop stakeholder engagement plans, and to implement strategic plans, approaches-to-market and procurement plans.
• A proven record of proactive stakeholder engagement, employing innovative solutions to achieve better commercial outcomes.
• Experience in delivering projects to scope, time and budget.
• Excellent interpersonal skills; demonstrated by credibility, personal or collaborative influence, managing expectations and persuasion. 
• Considerable experience in cooperative, partnering relationships with key stakeholders and suppliers driving innovation, added value and benefit realisation.
• Demonstrated ability to build and maintain constructive and effective relationships at all levels, internally and externally.
• Experienced at influencing and negotiating with stakeholders, suppliers, and colleagues.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills, with the ability to tailor messages to different stakeholders.
• Political nous and a working knowledge of the machinery of government.
• Experience in dealing with change in a complex and dynamic environment.
• Commercial or technical experience in relevant government procurement categories or sectors (desirable).
• A laser focus on customer needs and customer service.

Qualifications 

Tertiary qualification (Business, Law, Accounting, Commerce) or related procurement/commercial experience in the public or private sectors.

Takohanga tuhinga o mua – Key accountabilities and deliverable

Drives Innovation and public value with a focus on excellence in delivery

• Supports active and regular engagement with agencies and suppliers to achieve the best possible commercial outcome for government and suppliers.
• Supports and drives best-in-class Supplier Relationship Management of All-of-Government (AoG) contracts, with a focus on driving innovation, adding value and realising benefits for government collaborative procurement.
• Ensures the contractual obligations of NZGP and AoG panel suppliers are met.
• Maximises the uplift and usage of AoG contracts and other collaborative procurement arrangements by eligible government agencies.
• Co-ordinates the running of supplier segmentation exercises every two years to ensure strategic suppliers are identified, and effective supplier management and risk mitigation plans are put in place.
• Provides support to senior team members to deliver considered procurement advice on significant business cases, syndicated contract initiatives, and other requests for procurement advice, in person or in writing.

Effective stakeholder and relationship management

• Develops and maintains cooperative, partnering relationships with NZGP’s key stakeholders using highly developed influencing, negotiation and collaboration skills and experience.
• Manages strategic supplier meetings with Tier 1 suppliers to ensure a consistent approach across NZGP to driving added-value.
• Works with Senior Commercial Specialists to ensure category review activities are completed as appropriate.
• Works with Senior Commercial Specialists to ensure supplier management plans for Tier 1 and Tier 2 suppliers are maintained, updated and actions completed.
• Co-ordinates an audit programme for Tier 1 suppliers.
• Connects government stakeholders and suppliers on multiple levels to ensure a holistic approach to supplier relationships, promoting mutually-beneficial outcomes.
• Effectively manages conflicts by focusing on customers’ needs and identifying opportunities for resolution.
• Maintains relationships across a variety of functions and locations. Draws upon multiple relationships to exchange ideas, resources and know-how. Actively seeks to build and maintain a network of contacts.
• Meets customers’ needs, and identifies opportunities to deliver a high-quality service.
• Engages stakeholders in a professional manner that provides a strong level of confidence.
• Represents NZGP’s views and protects its reputation in external interactions.

Communication

• Communicates information clearly, adjusting communication style and tools to suit the intended audience.
• Attends account manager meetings with a selection of Tier 1 agencies
• Can write in a style that is well organised, easily understood and relevant.
• Communicates complex technical and/or legislative-type information in an easy-to-understand manner.

Delivery of innovative and quality outcomes

• Engages appropriately with the market, agencies and suppliers to deliver the best possible commercial outcomes.
• Manage innovation logs for assigned categories and prepares annual report on value-add’s.
• Procurement activity aligns with the Government Rules of Procurement, procurement principles and frameworks.
• Advice is provided that is considered, pragmatic and consistent, which meets or exceeds agency requirements.

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 Supplier Relationship Manager AoG reports into the AOG Portfolio Manager within the Collaborative Procurement 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. 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