General Manager, Regions

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Tēnei tūranga – About the role

The General Manager Regions is a senior management and leadership position in MBIE and is accountable for leading the Regions team within Kānoa – Regional Economic Development & Investment Unit (Kānoa-RDU) to work with people in the regions to manage the existing portfolio of $4.5billion of investments, seek out new investment opportunities for the Regional Strategic Partnership Fund (RSPF) and be the main link to other NZ Government regional teams.

As a member of the Kānoa-RDU Leadership Team, this role will actively contribute to the development of the Unit’s strategy and business plans and will provide critical leadership in the delivery of the Unit’s strategic investment programme.

Ngā herenga – Requirements of the role

Personal specifications

  • A solid understanding of the key influences of the New Zealand economy.
  • Experience of working within the regional economic environment.
  • Extensive experience and knowledge of the design and application of frameworks and business planning and forecasting in a complex business environment and effective execution.
  • Proven track record of leading a strategic function at a senior management level in a public sector or business organisation, connected and contributing to the wider organisation and ensuring the “one organisation” approach.
  • Experience in appropriately engaging with Ministers and Minister’s offices, and key central government and business stakeholders.
  • Sound working knowledge and understanding of the machinery of government and processes that apply within the state sector.
  • Able to negotiate with a wide range of people in order to align disparate perspectives and execute the integration of functions, plans and actions.
  • Demonstrated experience in developing and maintaining key networks and stakeholder relationships.
  • Competency with Te Ao Maori and Te Reo would be preferable.
  • Must have sound financial and business management experience and skills at the senior executive level.
  • Demonstrated experience in developing and maintaining an environment focused on continuous improvement to enhance organisational performance.
  • Demonstrated ability in making complex business decisions that maintain momentum on strategic goals.
  • Tertiary qualification or extensive and comparable experience in a strategic management position.
  • The ability to lead across groups and influence decision makers where there is no direct reporting relationship.
  • To be considered for this position you must have a legal right to live and work in New Zealand.
  • Must consent to and satisfactorily complete a credit check as the position holds financial delegations.
  • Required to drive.
  • Police vetting.

Takohanga tuhinga o mua – Key accountabilities and deliverables

Leadership of the Regions unit

  • Engagement with senior regional stakeholders and influencers on priorities and proposals.
  • Building capability within the regions to develop investment proposals and business cases.
  • Ensuring cross- government coordination in Wellington and within the regions to deliver the programme of work and desired outcomes.
  • Working with key stakeholders to seek out and drive investments that lift economic performance and employment.
  • Ensuring employment opportunities are optimised through working with groups such as RSLGs, as well as of the work of the Sector Workforce Engagement & TAM programmes.
  • Execution and delivery across the life of projects, including mobilising the appropriate parts of Government to assist successful delivery.
  • Unlocking the potential of Māori economic development and enhancing returns on Māori assets such as land.
  • Forming the main conduit between Kānoa and other NZ government regional teams, including REDSO’s, MSD regional commissioners, TPK regional managers and the regional NZTE investment teams.
  • Ensure the Regions branch remains a centre of coordination for regional economic development with expertise that reflects its role as the “front door” of Kānoa.
  • Developing a customer focused culture across the team.
  • Maintaining and enhancing a strong focus on client and contract management.

Collective Leadership

  • Participates collaboratively as a member of the Kānoa-RDU Leadership Team to support the integration of MBIE and ensure the development of sustainable organisational capability, and achieve expected efficiency benefits and on-going improvements in cost effectiveness.
  • Represents Senior Leadership Team views to staff.
  • Takes collective responsibility for the cohesion and performance of Kānoa-RDU/MBIE as a whole and provides peer support to other senior managers.
  • Works with the leadership team to define the outcomes and outputs expected from Kānoa-RDU to deliver on MBIE’s strategic direction.
  • Contributes beyond core functional area to enhance overall effectiveness of Kānoa-RDU and related work in MBIE.
  • Ensures consistency and alignment between different teams in Kānoa-RDU and promotes solution seeking where there are legitimate differences.

Personal Leadership

  • Models exemplary management and leadership behaviours 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, on-going learning and knowledge sharing.

General Management

  • Develops strategies, work programmes and performance targets, with supporting measurement, monitoring and reporting mechanisms.
  • Aligns work programmes with MBIE’s strategic direction and other Groups’ work programmes.
  • Monitors and adjusts work programmes through the agreed processes to enable the Unit to adapt 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 in MBIE.
  • Builds continuous review and improvement throughout all elements of the Unit’s operations.
  • Effectively and consistently identifies and manages risk.

Team Leadership

  • Establishes clear accountabilities, expectations and performance standards with direct reports and ensures regular performance management and development occurs.
  • Ensures the branch is operating with efficiency and effectiveness across Kānoa-RDU.
  • Monitors individual, team and branch performance to ensure that performance targets are met.
  • Anticipates future capability needs of their people, 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 MBIE now and in the future.
  • Identifies and develops talent for key roles in the Unit.

Relationship Management

  • Participates as an active team member and contributes knowledge and expertise needed to achieve MBIE’s outcomes.
  • Develops effective working relationships with other MBIE managers and staff in order to transfer knowledge and learning from the branch to the wider organisation.
  • Represents whole-of-MBIE views and protects its reputation in external interactions.
  • Achieve Ministerial confidence with Ministers and stakeholders actively seeking MBIE advice and support in times of difficulty.
  • Builds strategic alliances with key government and non-government representatives to ensure MBIE’s views are influential in their decision making.
  • Establishes effective relationships with local government, iwi and business leaders.
  • Builds and maintains effective relationships and partnerships with national and international organisations to identify and share best practice information and to promote MBIE, its products and services.
  • 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 General Manager, Regions position reports into the Deputy Secretary and Head of Kānoa - Regional Economic Development & Investment Unit within Kānoa - Regional Economic Development & Investment Unit.

More information about MBIE's structure

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 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).

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

MBIE value: Māia - Bold & brave, Pae Kahurangi - Build our future, Mahi Tahi - Better together, Pono Me Te Tika - Own it