Senior Advisor Planning & Performance

Tēnei tūranga – About the role

The Senior Advisor Planning & Performance is responsible for leading initiatives and engagement to inform the strategic direction and contribute to the objectives of the Planning & Performance Team and the wider Planning, Risk & Assurance branch. This role brings business understanding, relationship management skills and perspective to work across the wider Corporate and Digital Shared Services (CDSS) and Strategy and Assurance (S&A) group systems and MBIE. 

The role is also responsible for leading and delivering a range of business advisory services representing and supporting the branch or wider CDSS. This includes on key projects and initiatives, which work across the wider CDSS system.

The Senior Advisor will be required to lead and deliver to the day-to-day work of the branch and ensure quality and consistency of advice and practices:

• Planning, performance and reporting, continuous improvement and assurance processes.
• Building and maintaining a series of constructive stakeholder relationships across CDSS, S&A, MBIE and with Government and non-Government bodies.
• Plan for the implementation of branch transformational strategies
• Develop Group policy, plans and reports
• Monitor performance and contribute to the operations of the branch
• Providing accurate and timely advice to the Manager Group Planning & Performance and the branch leadership team concerning different operational aspects of our business.
• Maintaining awareness of the work of other Groups and branches to be able to deliver a system wide approach to issues.

The role may also include input into Branch, Unit or Group strategy, and the maintenance of various systems and tools.

Ngā herenga – Requirements of the role

Personal specifications

• Excellent communication skills, written and oral
• Good knowledge of project methodologies and experience working in project environments
• Proven experience in the development of business planning, and managing and monitoring programmes or work within a complex environment
• Excellent political awareness and sensitivity to anticipate areas of potential risk and inform decision-making.
• Proven experience in delivering outstanding quality service to internal and external stakeholders.
• Ability to quickly assimilate new information at a high level and come to an understanding of unfamiliar and complex issues.
• Proven ability to think strategically, develop frameworks and manage organisation wide systems and processes
• Ability to quickly identify ways of thinking about risks and issues and possible pathways forward. Ability to focus on both strategic and operational issues.
• Ability to quickly establish and build strong working relationships.
• Strong communication skills, both written and verbal.
• Proven ability to develop trust and credibility with managers and staff, including an ability to work with senior managers on contentious, difficult and urgent issues.
• High integrity and ability in handling sensitive and confidential information.
• Demonstrated commitment to effective client servicing and the ability to liaise with all levels of staff within the ministry and with external agencies.
• Understanding of MBIE and where the team fits in delivering outcomes for the Ministry.
• A strategic and analytical thinker who can connect strategy, planning and performance information and identify implications for the branch
• Experience in developing and maintaining an environment focussed on continuous improvement to enhance performance
• Experienced in working with and applying legislation to an operational context (e.g. the Official Information Act and Privacy Act).
• A strong understanding of the processes that underpin the operations of the public sector environment, including Cabinet and parliamentary processes, and machinery of government.

Prerequisites

• Must have the legal right to live and work in New Zealand
• Must consent to and satisfactorily complete a credit check
• Not required to drive.
• Police vetting required.

Qualification

• Tertiary qualification in a relevant field (desirable) or comparable experience working in business advisory and support role.

Takohanga tuhinga o mua – Key accountabilities and deliverables

Role specific competencies

Professionally expert in one or more of the following professional areas:

• Planning, performance and reporting, risk management, business continuity planning, and continuous improvement processes.
• Provide analytical and strategic support for the branch leadership team.
• Deliver and provide quality advice and support to teams within the branch to contribute to the continuous improvement of services, systems and processes.
• Provide quality services to external clients through accurate and prompt advice about branch related matters.
• Maintain a well-developed awareness of branch issues, and provide, wherever appropriate, a branch perspective through support and advice, for inclusion into CDSS and MBIE projects, policies and procedures.
• Identify ways of thinking about risks and issues including options to resolve these.
• Escalates issues and risks appropriately.
• Delivery of services, products and programmes that actively support and contribute to the achievement of the Ministry’s outcomes and that deliver to the needs of internal and external stakeholders.

Deliver coordinated planning, reporting and monitoring

• Provide quality and timely advice to the Manager Group planning & performance, the branch leadership team, the Corporate Shared Services Unit, CDSS and S&A
• Manage the preparation of regular reports and special reporting assignments effectively.
• Has significant input into the development, implementation and maintenance of the frameworks related to the planning and performance functions within the branch
• Works collaboratively across CDSS and S&A to embed frameworks into the daily practices delivering integrated plans, strategies, policies, and standards meeting business needs
• Leads and coordinates activities related to branch planning, reporting and monitoring including business plans, KPIs, and service levels with business groups
• Contributes to projects that deliver branch input into central planning, policy, performance reporting and continuous improvement processes
• Develops input for annual investment planning and branch budgeting activities where appropriate
• Prepares briefs for the DCE attending stakeholder meetings and responds to stakeholder enquiries that creates cost and usage transparency as well as resolves customer specific problems

Communication

• Leads development and delivery of advice and guidance on specialist topics, and work with a wide range of people to help build a shared strategic vision for the future and respond to immediate challenges.

Work management

• Leads multiple pieces of work concurrently and actively and independently plans and manages workload
• Is well organised, plans systematically, regularly monitors and reports on progress towards achievement of plans and strategies
• Uses project planning and management techniques to effectively to carry out the agreed work using initiative to resolve most conflicts, manage risks and coordinate work with others
• Takes a leadership role in cross-MBIE and cross-government projects

Relationship Management

• Plans, develops, and maintains strategic relationships with stakeholders and with a variety of MBIE functions and teams
• Provides support, guidance, coaching and mentoring, and on-the-job training to team members
• Builds immediate rapport with stakeholders and balances different stakeholders’ needs in work program
• Lives the MBIE values through embracing diversity and supporting others

Emerging Leadership

• Keeps updated at all times with relevant best practices
• Provides intellectual leadership by bringing new ideas, techniques, and knowledge to discussions, and lead strategic conversations across the organisation
• Provides supervision, guidance, coaching and mentoring and on-the-job training to team members
• Fosters an open, collaborative environment that encourages quality, innovation, on-going learning, and knowledge sharing within the team
• Contributes to the performance of the team by providing peer review and quality control for projects and tasks

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 Planning and Performance position reports into the Manager Group - Planning and Performance within the Planning, Risk and Performance branch. The branch sits within the Corporate Shared Services Unit and the Corporate and Digital Shared Services 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