Principal Advisor

Tēnei tūranga – About the role

The Principal Advisor (Business) is a senior position within the Immigration New Zealand (INZ) Strategy and Governance team in the Office of the Deputy Secretary, Immigration. The role supports strategic planning and leads the annual business planning cycle, including development of planning methodologies and incorporation of INZ business planning into INZ strategic planning and wider MBIE enterprise planning initiatives. The Principal Advisor (Business) leads the annual development of branch business plans to enable the successful delivery of the immigration system strategy and government policy directives. The role undertakes and directs planning of large upcoming branch business planning activities, which include day to day business operations and aligning INZ’s collective areas of focus.

A key part of the role includes working alongside the Manager Strategy and Governance to deliver and maintain the Immigration system strategy. The Principal Advisor will align INZ business planning processes to our strategy, actively promote the strategy, and work directly on the delivery of key artefacts that ensure our strategic direction is front of mind for our people and decision makers.

The role builds and maintains relationships with key internal stakeholders, to ensure the team has cross-system representation for any long-term planning within INZ and wider MBIE.

Ngā herenga – Requirements of the role

Personal specifications

• A strategic thinker with proven strategic and business planning experience and the ability to turn complex conceptual strategies into high level artifacts for senior management.
• Leads and/or supports planning activities which includes undertaking or directing other INZ kaimahi in the development of strategic and annual business planning.
• The ability to effectively direct and coordinate documented planning in a timely way, sometimes with incomplete information. This includes assumption-based planning and presenting options and contingencies at a senior leader level.
• Knowledge of SharePoint/Power BI functionality and ability to continue to enhance and maintain the dedicated Strategic and Business Planning sites.
• Strong analytical skills and proven capability in research and evaluation methodologies, design and reporting.
• Strong stakeholder relationship building and engagement skills to effectively gain cooperation and commitment from others.
• The ability to influence others to achieve the required outcomes through sound evidence-based knowledge and professional credibility.
• A demonstrated ability to deal with complex and emerging issues.
• Excellent communication skills, both written and oral, and the ability to present information and ideas in a way that is effective and engaging to a wide range of audiences.
• Proven ability to deliver results and to extract meaningful information from lead kaimahi to effectively report on progress to ILT and MBIE Enterprise Planning.
• A relevant tertiary qualification or equivalent experience in a relevant discipline.
• Knowledge of the core functions of INZ and the various roles and responsibilities of Branches would be an advantage, but is not essential.
• Must be a NZ citizen or hold a residence class visa.

Takohanga tuhinga o mua – Key accountabilities and deliverables

Lead the ongoing development of time-bound business plans and other business planning resources.

• Leads development of annual business plans and other business planning resources in response to, policy directives, and priority focus areas for INZ.
• Improve governance and accountability processes in business planning.
• Lead the development and monitoring of effective stakeholder management and communications to support the execution of business planning.
• Design, lead and manage the process that defines INZ’s top operational priorities.
• Contribute to the leadership of a high-performing team that delivers innovative advice, which supports INZ and MBIE’s strategic direction.

Supports the ongoing development and review of the INZ Strategic Plan.

• Design and deliver strategy development workshops and products.
• Uplift strategic planning capability across the group.
• Support the ongoing development of the strategic framework
• Provide effective and timely advice to our stakeholders
• Keep up-to-date on strategy development across MBIE and be able to assess implications for the delivery of the immigration strategy

Manage constructive working relationships with work colleagues and stakeholders to enhance understanding and co-operation needed to achieve desired results.

• Comfortably engages, builds and maintains enduring relationships with senior stakeholders.
• 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 Principal Advisor Strategic Planning position reports into the Manager Strategy and Governance within the Office of the Deputy Secretary, Immigration branch. The branch sits within the Immigration NZ 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 (work). 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