Head of the Office of the Deputy Secretary, BRM

Tēnei tūranga – About the role

The Head of the Office of the Deputy Secretary is a senior management and leadership position in the Building, Resources and Markets (BRM) Group and is a member of the Group’s Leadership team. The key purpose of the role is to provide strategic and operational leadership and advice to the BRM Deputy Secretary, Leadership Team and group, to ensure the effective functioning of the group.

The Head of the Office of the Deputy Secretary will use their strategic abilities, operational understanding, and ability to work in partnership with a wide range of stakeholders to assist the Deputy Secretary and the Leadership Team to effectively and efficiently manage the Group and implement government policy and priorities.

The position will provide high quality strategic, business and organisational development advice, support and programme delivery. The position has functional oversight of all BRM Ministerial Services.

The Head of the Office of the Deputy Secretary is the key relationship manager between BRM and the corporate support functions, responsible for high quality and effective relationships with business partners, and the corporate groups.

This position is also responsible for leading and managing the Group’s Private Secretaries and maintaining effective relationships with the relevant ministers’ offices. The position partners with the Business Management functions to ensure consistency of approach across the group.

Ngā herenga – Requirements of the role

Personal specifications

• Proven experience leading and providing strategic advice to ministers and senior leaders in a medium-large organisation
• Demonstrated political nous, sound judgement and ability to operate in a high-performing policy environment
• Strong knowledge of the Government’s direction and policy priorities
• Proven record of working in a complex environment with multiple objectives running simultaneously
• Proven ability to build and maintain a wide range of positive and effective relationships at a senior level, including with Ministers and their offices
• Excellent communication skills
• Experience working with senior management, processes and systems
• Demonstrated financial acumen and understanding of public sector planning and budgeting processes
• Demonstrated ability to deliver high-quality work, including under tight time constraints
• Strong understanding of the machinery of government
• Experience with business continuity planning and execution within a medium – large organisation
• Understanding of and experience leading a ministerial services function
• Knowledge of business improvement and organisational effectiveness models
• Proven senior leadership and people management experience, and ability to lead a high-performing multi-functional team
• Must have the legal right to live and work in New Zealand
• Must consent to and satisfactorily complete a credit check as the role holds financial delegations

Takohanga tuhinga o mua – Key accountabilities and deliverables

Support to the Deputy Secretary

• Support the Deputy Secretary to execute their responsibilities in leading MBIE and in their wider system leadership role through the provision of high quality strategic and business advice and support
• Managing selected key projects (either Group specific or MBIE-wide) for which the Deputy Secretary has responsibility
• Provide a sounding board, insight, judgement and/or advice where appropriate to enable the Deputy Secretary to successfully deal with critical issues as they arise
• Lead special projects as required
• Provide thought leadership and assurance to the Deputy Secretary in relation to the functional responsibilities of the Office of the Deputy Secretary
• Work with the BRM Leadership Team (LT) and Wider Leadership Team and to provide the Deputy Secretary with high quality and timely briefings and advice as needed
• As required, participate in and lead BRM’s input into wider MBIE leadership matters on behalf of the Deputy Secretary
• Provide strategic review, assessment and advice against material provided to MBIE’s Senior Leadership Team and the Chief Executive
• Manage the Deputy Secretary cost centre

Provide strategic and operational leadership to the Group

• Responsible for the strategic oversight, design and delivery of the Group’s organisational work programme, including capability development, change programmes, business planning and maintaining oversight of group financial performance
• Provide leadership and oversight of all aspects of BRM business management and ministerial servicing for the Group through the Business Management team and BRM Ministerial Services team
• Provide leadership and oversight of the Policy Capability team that supports policy professionals across MBIE
• Lead the Group’s input to cross-MBIE reporting and planning, including policy, performance, reporting, risk management and business continuity
• Lead the Group’s accountability and budgeting activities alongside Finance and Performance
• Lead and manage all BRM Private Secretaries ensuring effective and high-quality support for BRM’s ministers
• Leadership and/or oversight of organisational and operational change programmes across the Group
• Leadership and/or oversight of evaluation and provision of advice to assess and lift Group performance, for example advising on the development and maintenance of governance frameworks, people engagement and cross-branch projects
• Lead BRM’s business continuity planning, incident management and emergency preparedness, including acting as the BRM business liaison on MBIE’s Incident Management Team
• Responsible for leading BRM LT organisational and development direction alongside the Deputy Secretary
• Maintain a high-level oversight of the Group’s ministerial services performance, and support GMs to address systemic issues
• Stay up to date of relevant issues, emerging trends, risks and developments which may impact the Ministry and Group; alerting and advising the Deputy Secretary on responses and what and when to escalate issues

General management

• Develops strategies, team-work programmes, performance targets and priorities, with supporting measurement, monitoring and reporting mechanisms
• Manages multiple complex projects concurrently using planning and management techniques to effectively carry out the agreed secretariat work, within the resources available
• Manages expenditure and resources in line with approved guidelines, budget, deadlines and reporting requirements, with a focus on driving cost effectiveness in the Ministry
• Regularly monitors and reports on progress towards achievement of plans and strategies
• Effectively and consistently identifies and manages risk
• Manages people in the team including recruitment, performance, development, safety and wellbeing

Team leadership

• Leads the team and understands and utilises the capability of team members to deliver high-quality outputs
• Provides a sense of vision and leadership that engages and motivates others to participate and make things happen
• Establishes clear accountabilities, expectations and performance standards with direct reports and ensures regular performance management and development occurs
• Monitors individual and team performance to ensure that performance targets are met (including pro-actively identifying and addressing any issues in a timely manner)
• Anticipates future capability needs in the business unit, identifies gaps in capability and addresses these gaps through targeted recruitment and development or other actions
• Coaches, mentors and develops staff to meet the needs of MBIE now and in the future
• Fosters an open, collaborative environment that encourages quality, innovation, on-going learning and knowledge sharing

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 Head of the Office of the Deputy Secretary position reports to the Deputy Secretary for the BRM group.

More information about MBIE's structure

Ngā Kawenga Ārahitanga – Leadership Expectations

At MBIE our leadership expectations provide consistent language for how we expect our leaders to lead at MBIE. They are supported by our values, and the Public Sector leadership capabilities as described in the Leadership Success Profile (LSP).

Leadership Expectations - Ngā Kawenga Ārahitanga (MBIE)

Lead by example - Whakatinana hei tauira
Enable our people - Whakaāhei ō tātou tangata
Deliver what matters - Whakatutuki ngā manako

Matatautanga – Competencies (Leadership Success Profile)

The Leadership Success Profile (LSP) is a leadership capability framework, developed by the New Zealand public sector for the New Zealand public sector. It creates a common language for leadership and establishes what great leadership looks like. You can look at the twelve underpinning capabilities and four leadership characters here: Leadership Success Profile | Te Kawa Mataaho Public Service Commission(external link)

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 New Zealand for All.

To Grow 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).

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