Head of the Office of the Deputy Secretary Immigration New Zealand

Tēnei tūranga – About the role

The Head of the Office of the Deputy Secretary INZ supports the Deputy Secretary Immigration and the Immigration Leadership Team (ILT) in leading the strategic performance of Immigration New Zealand (INZ).

The role does this through:

• Providing assurance about INZ’s performance to the Deputy Secretary - Immigration New Zealand, Chief Executive of MBIE and Minister of Immigration
• Overseeing the monitoring of INZ’s “Striking the Balance” strategy and its effective operationalisation
• Support and improve the Immigration governance system, to ensure that business and performance objectives are met
• Directing special projects, reviews or inquiries as instructed by the Deputy Secretary Immigration and coordinating ongoing system improvements work
• Managing the Office of the Deputy Secretary

The role is responsible for the the Immigration private secretaries; the governance team; and the Deputy Secretary’s administrative and support team.

Ngā herenga – Requirements of the role

Personal specifications

• Demonstrated experience at senior/executive management level with a track record of delivering high quality strategic advice.
• Excellent political awareness and sensitivity to anticipate areas of potential risk and inform decision making.
• Experience in building and maintaining the trust and confidence of ministers, senior colleagues and other important stakeholders.
• Experience designing and leading reviews of complex matters, requiring navigation between operational, policy and corporate issues.
• A sound understanding of machinery of government principles and public sector governance.
• Demonstrates a leadership style which is people centred, collaborative, supportive and authentic.
• Leads with a customer-centric mindset, is respectful, puts things right, acts with integrity, is responsive and people centered.
• Flexible and agile, and able to respond swiftly and effectively to changing imperatives.
• Knowledge of Te Tiriti o Waitangi and proven ability to incorporate into mahi, including appropriately and consistently using Te Reo and Tikanga.
• Must currently hold and be able maintain a national security clearance to Top Secret level.
• Must be a New Zealand citizen or permanent resident.
• Must consent to and satisfactorily complete a credit check, as the role holds financial delegations.

Takohanga tuhinga o mua – Key accountabilities and deliverables

Support for the Deputy Secretary

• Support the Deputy Secretary in developing the Immigration Leadership Team (ILT) as a high-performing team.
• Act as point of escalation for issues which may need to be brought to the Deputy Secretary’s attention, or where accountabilities are unclear, help to resolve these.
• Ensure that the Deputy Secretary is receiving the right information, at the right time.
• Act as “trouble-shooter” for the Deputy Secretary on any matters which require increased attention and as required manage any internal or external reviews.
• Work with ILT members and other MBIE GMs to ensure that briefings and advice to the Deputy Secretary are high quality, timely and reflect a connected approach to delivering immigration services.
• Oversee the delivery of INZ’s corporate and government accountability functions.
• Act as a sounding board Chief Advisor for the Deputy Secretary on the identification, prioritisation and response to sensitive or critical matters.
• Manage the functions of the Office of the Deputy Secretary.

Strategy: “Striking the Balance”

• Work with senior officials across MBIE’s immigration system to deliver INZ’s strategic objectives through the operationalisation of “Striking the Balance”.
• Ensure the monitoring and as required updating of INZ’s “Striking the Balance” strategy.
• Develop mechanisms to monitor progress against INZ’s strategic direction.

INZ governance

• Ensure effective governance processes for INZ; and shape agendas so that business and performance objectives are met and the ILT is having the right balance of strategic and operational conversations.
• Strategic oversight of all INZ's corporate and government accountability functions including but not limited to SOI, Estimates, Annual Report, Financial Review, business planning and reporting.
• Drive the ILT’s oversight of delivery against its priority work programme/s.
• Ensure the effectiveness of INZ’s integration into the MBIE immigration system.
• Represent INZ at relevant cross-MBIE forums.

Immigration regulatory system governance

• Responsible for the ongoing delivery of the immigration system governance function.
• Maintain oversight of the governance, monitoring and overall care of the regulatory system as it related to immigration within MBIE.
• Provide leadership to ensure all the different parts of the regulatory system work well together to achieve its goals and keep the system fit for purpose over the long term.

Relationship with the Minister and Chief Executive

• As required, oversee INZ’s relationship with immigration ministers and their offices, including managing the Immigration Private Secretaries.
• Ensure the quality of material to support the Deputy Secretary’s engagements with the Minister and Chief Executive – including weekly or monthly report and agendas for face-to-face meetings – so that the Deputy Secretary is well positioned to provide assurance about performance and delivery.
• Maintain excellent relationships with key staff within the Public Service Commission and the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet to ensure that they are kept well informed about matters related to INZ’s performance and any related context.

Special projects

• Direct or lead special projects, reviews or inquiries as instructed by the Deputy Secretary.

Māori cultural capability

• Demonstrates leadership in Māori cultural capability and is assessed as “comfortable” or “confident” in accordance with Whāinga Amorangi (MBIE’s Organisational Plan) and the Māori Crown relations capability framework for the public service, specifically:
• Te Reo Māori – comfortable
• Te Tiriti o Waitangi/The Treaty of Waitangi and New Zealand history worldview knowledge – confident
• Tikanga-kawa – confident
• Engagement with Māori – confident
• Understanding racial equity and institutional racism – confident
• World view knowledge – confident

Collective leadership

• Work collaboratively with other members of the Immigration Leadership Team to support achievement of INZ outcomes
  • Takes collective responsibility for the cohesion and performance of INZ as a whole and provides peer support to other senior managers.
  • Works as part of the Immigration Leadership Team to define the outcomes and outputs expected from the Group to deliver on the Ministry’s and INZ’s strategic direction.
  • Contributes beyond functional area to enhance overall effectiveness of the group.
  • Ensures consistency and alignment between different teams in INZ and across the Ministry and promotes solution-seeking where there are legitimate differences.
  • Represents collective Immigration Leadership Team views and decisions to staff.

Personal leadership

• Provide leadership that engages and motivates others to succeed and develop, and proactively share experiences, knowledge and ideas
  • Models exemplary management and leadership behaviours, MBIE values and State sector ethics and values.
  • Creates a sense of vision, engages, and motivates people to participate, and makes things happen.
  • Fosters an open, collaborative environment that encourages quality, innovation, ongoing learning and knowledge sharing.

General management

• Apply sound general management practices so that the Branch operates effectively and efficiently, and delivers agreed output to support achievement of agreed outcomes.
  • Demonstrates continuous improvement capability through having a growth mindset, being agile, a focus on innovation, and creating a learning culture.
  • Develops strategies, work programmes and performance targets, with supporting measurement, monitoring and reporting mechanisms.
  • Monitors and adjusts work programmes through the agreed processes to enable adaptation to changing circumstances.
  • Regularly monitors and reports on progress towards achievement of plans and strategies.
  • Manages expenditure and resources in line with approved guidelines, budget, deadlines and reporting requirements, with a focus on driving cost effectiveness.
  • Effectively and consistently identifies and manages risk.

Team leadership

• Build and maintain a high-performing team that is capable of developing and delivering innovative advice, products and services to support strategic direction.
  • Establishes clear accountabilities, expectations and performance standards with direct reports and ensures regular performance management and development occurs.
  • Monitors individual, team and business unit performance to ensure that performance targets are met.
  • Anticipates future capability needs across the branch, 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 the organisation now and in the future.
  • Identifies and develops talent for key roles.
  • Manages staff where they work. This role will manage staff in a variety of locations and as such will need to be able to manage and support staff remotely.

Relationship management

• Manage constructive working relationships with work colleagues and external stakeholders to enhance understanding and cooperation needed to achieve desired results.
  • Participates as an active team member and contributes knowledge and expertise needed to achieve desired outcomes.
  • Develops effective working relationships with other managers and staff to transfer knowledge and learning to the wider organisation.
  • Builds strategic alliances with key government and non-government representatives to ensure MBIE’s views are influential in their decision-making.
  • Tests the effectiveness of stakeholder relationships using a range of appropriate measures and processes (including stakeholder feedback).

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 Head of the Office of the Deputy Secretary INZ position reports directly to the Deputy Secretary Immigration within the Immigration New Zealand 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