Senior Governance Advisor

Tēnei tūranga – About the role

The Senior Advisor Governance will work to support the Immigration New Zealand (INZ) Manager, Strategy and Governance to build and maintain a fit for purpose governance system for INZ and the wider immigration system, to ensure that strategic objectives are met. The Senior Advisor Governance is part of a small team advisors who ensure appropriate governance arrangements are in place to support and advise immigration senior leaders, including providing secretariat support as well as regular follow up and status updates as events occur.

The Senior Advisor Governance will provide professional board governance support through the provision of effective information management support and systems, working with the leaders across the Group in the preparation of papers, minute taking in board meetings, using networks and organisational knowledge to ensure connections are made and outcomes are informed and aligned.

They will facilitate communication between the Office of the Deputy Secretary of INZ, Managers, and staff across INZ and the wider immigration system.

Ngā herenga – Requirements of the role

Personal specifications

• Proven ability and experience in working with boards across range of board and governance support services, including the development of processes and guidelines to support meetings.
• Ability to develop bespoke, high quality, fit for purpose governance tools, templates, reports and processes needed to achieve desired goals and objectives, and achieve expected efficiency benefits and on-going improvements in effectiveness of INZ governance.
• Ability to assess, review, analyse and challenge the content and quality of information provided for meetings, and then negotiate with senior leaders to redraft as required.
• Strong stakeholder relationship building and engagement skills to effectively bring about solutions to challenges by gaining the cooperation and commitment of others
• The ability to influence others to achieve the required outcomes through their sound evidence-based knowledge and professional credibility
• A demonstrated ability to deal with complex and emerging issues.
• The ability to actively manage multiple work streams at the same time within tight time constraints
• 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
• An understanding of MBIE and INZ and where the team fits in delivering outcomes for the Ministry is preferred.
• A relevant tertiary qualification or equivalent experience in a relevant discipline
• Must be a NZ Citizen or hold a permanent residence class visa.

Takohanga tuhinga o mua – Key accountabilities and deliverables

The Responsibilities of this position are expected to change over time as the Ministry responds to changing needs. The incumbent will need the flexibility to adapt and develop as the environment evolves. The Senior Advisor Governance will be required to deliver results in the following areas:

• Implement and contribute to the further development of a fit for purpose governance model that is consistent with best practice to increase the quality and effectiveness of the ILT’s governance system, including:
• develop processes to implement policy and governance model;
• guide managers and staff to ensure that high quality advice is presented to ILT;
• develop and apply quality assurance frameworks to ILT
• develop viable options and support ILT as decision-makers; and
• establish areas of subject matter expertise.
• Develop, plan and manage ILT and the wider immigration system’s forward agendas, schedule of actions and information requests, minutes of meetings, a schedule of decisions and all information management processes (including templates) for ILT’s governance meetings.
• Build and maintain highly effective working relationships with staff across the immigration system that allow them to deliver high quality input into material going to immigration governance groups.
• Build highly effective management relationships across the INZ and the wider system to ensure the needs of governance groups are met in a timely way.
• Provide strategic assessment of all material going to ILT and governance groups and have frank and courageous conversations with authors/sponsors when reviewing content to ensure fit for purpose advice is presented.
• Collaborate with Branch staff to develop policies and systems to provide clarity on actions and the responses, providing transparency of decision-making.
• Develop and manage six- and twelve-month reviews of the governance model and report back on progress, measuring the efficiency, benefits and ongoing improvements in effectiveness and identify any areas for improvement.
• Develop innovative, practical, effective and durable governance support options that will help to achieve the desired outcomes.
• Provide effective, timely and high-quality advice that supports the Ministry’s governance reporting as required.
• Lead engagement with colleagues across INZ and MBIE to ensure ILT and the wider system is meeting its legislative, organisational and operational obligations as a result of exercising their governance model effectively.
• Understand the current government context and priorities and demonstrate flexibility, adaptability and strategic agility as the needs and priorities of the ILT and senior leaders change.

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 Senior Advisor Governance position reports into the Manager, Strategy and Governance within the Office of the Deputy Secretary branch. The branch sits within the Immigration New Zealand 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