Principal Advisor – Online Services

Tēnei tūranga – About the role

The Principal Advisor Online Services is responsible for providing high-quality specialist, strategic and operational advice to support the responsibilities of the Director Online Services. As a leader within Immigration New Zealand (INZ), you will engage and collaborate with key stakeholders across the organisation and the wider Ministry to identify and address gaps in processes that impact the delivery of priorities for Online Services.

This role will support strategic decision-making and lead ongoing development of a fit for purpose product that leverages automation to provide an end-to-end business solution that meets the needs of customers and operational teams. The role will maintain awareness of emerging trends, events (domestic and international), internal initiatives to identify opportunities for improvement and ensure that all operational units of INZ are aligned in the delivery of initiatives for Online Services.

The Principal Advisor Online Services will be a subject matter expert responsible for initiating and ensuring the implementation of the strategic direction for the ADEPT product, including the embedding of ADEPT into the business to ensure INZ is utilising the full opportunities that the online product offers.  

This role will establish key internal and external relationships and will partner with Enablement, Verification & Compliance, Assurance and Digital, Data & Insights to ensure operational efficiencies of the ADEPT business product and technology platform.

Ngā herenga – Requirements of the role

Personal specifications

• Proven experience in system change and implementation, including operating connections between various aspects of the organisation and implications for their business unit.
• Proven experience working with senior leadership teams and providing high-level strategic and operational advice.
• Strong interpersonal skills, with clear evidence of influencing skills and facilitation capability and the ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships across all levels of management within the Ministry.
• Comfortable developing and maintaining effective working relationships with Ministers, other officials and external stakeholders.
• Experience in the systems development life cycle (SDLC) and system requirements analysis.
• Experience in strategy design, change leadership approaches and the ability to design fit for purpose change plans.
• Demonstrated ability to quickly understand the business context, functional requirements and nuances for projects operating within a similar environment.
• In-depth knowledge and understanding of the machinery of government as well as wider governmental processes and protocols.
• Demonstrates excellence in communication including the ability to translate complex issues and requirements from one level to another.
• Strategic thinking; including the ability to identify and assess organisational risk, long-term potential outcomes and anticipate consequences and trends.
• Strong decision-making skills, using sound, well-rounded, informed and inclusive approaches.
• Must be a NZ citizen or hold a permanent resident visa.

Key relationships

• INZ Immigration Enablement.
• INZ Border and Visa Operations.
• INZ Director Border and Visa Products.
• INZ Immigration Improvements.
• INZ Planning.
• INZ Joint Targeting and Analytics.
• Digital Data and Intelligence (DDI), including ADEPT Operations team.
• DDI System Product Owner(s).
• MBIE Data Science Review Board.
• Key leaders across MBIE and within Immigration New Zealand (INZ).
• Key governance forums and working groups across MBIE and within Immigration New Zealand.
• External agencies and sectors.

Takohanga tuhinga o mua – Key accountabilities and deliverables

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. This includes performing any other reasonable duties as required.

ADEPT business knowledge and advice

• Delivers business and advisory services to the Director Online Services, Chief Operating Officer and wider leadership, to build and strengthen the capability to drive quality and consistency of service provision and practices across the business.
• Delivers support to the Director Online Services to develop a strategy for the ADEPT product, including automation, so INZ can achieve system efficiency and risk management gains in a safe and credible manner.
• Assesses, evaluates and advises on recommendations for the automation of processing activities without exposure to risks beyond INZ’s appetite.
• Initiates the enabling of automation of processing activities so staff can focus on managing the most high-risk applications and utilise their skills and experience where it is most needed.
• Draws on a range of sources to inform the direction of automation for processing, decision-making and continuous improvement, primarily frontline visa processing, ADEPT Operations and the MBIE Data Science Review Board.
• Oversees and provides quality assurance for responses in relation to operational, environmental, strategic, and ministerial demands, including development of appropriate responses to high-profile Official Information Act and media requests.
• Conducts trend analysis and monitors task volumes to inform continuous improvement opportunities.
• Observance of INZs obligations to the Algorithm Charter of Aotearoa and the MBIE Algorithm Use Policy.
• Leverages data-based intelligence and insights to support decision-makers on the prioritisation of operational responses and activities that are aligned to INZs overall strategy.
• Provides support to the branch leadership team on operational matters and assists in the development of advice or ministerial briefings as required.

Personal leadership

Provide leadership that engages and motivates others to succeed and develop, and proactively share experiences, knowledge and ideas

• Leads initiatives to support the execution of Striking the Balance or other strategic or organisational change initiatives and continuous improvement focus across the business.
• Represents the branch and leads engagement with key internal and external stakeholders as required.
• Represents the branch and INZ on internal or external cross-agency reference/working groups as required
• Leads specific projects as required.

Relationship Management

• Manages 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 in order 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).
• Represents whole-of-Ministry views and protects its reputation in any external interactions.

Action oriented

• Takes responsibility for own work.
• Self-starter who takes initiatives to establish projects on their own.
• Seeks input or help when required.
• Recognises and acts on opportunities with minimum of direction.

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 Online Services position reports into the Director Online Services within the Operations, Tasking and Improvement 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