Principal Advisor – RDTI Operations Lead

Tēnei tūranga – About the role

The RDTI Operations Lead will be critical to delivery of the R&D Tax Incentive – a major programme for MBIE and our ministers which is already boosting the level of business investment in R&D in New Zealand. This position will provide the key interface between MBIE and colleagues in Inland Revenue and Callaghan Innovation, ensuring we maintain collective alignment and a clear focus on the policy aims for the programme. They will work closely with DCEs/CEs and senior management of the relevant business groups across MBIE/IR/Callaghan and advise on potential cross-system issues and opportunities.

The Principal Advisor - RDTI Operations Lead is an operational role in the Innovation Policy team. It will be responsible for providing MBIE operational management of the Research and Development Tax Incentive (RDTI). It will work with Innovation Policy advisors to develop management and ministerial updates as well as policy advice and will effectively influence system performance and development through engagement and communication with stakeholders across MBIE.

Ngā herenga – Requirements of the role

Personal specifications

The role requires the following capabilities and skills:

• Proven ability to think strategically and manage systems and processes.
• Ability to quickly assimilate new information or areas of work and come to an understanding of unfamiliar and complex issues.
• Strong financial literacy, commercial experience, and strong business acumen with experience managing contracts with external partners.
• Experience and interest in leading, coaching and developing staff.
• A strong understanding of, and demonstrated experience with managing, processes that underpin the operations of the public sector environment, including policy development, accountability, and reporting.
• Proven leadership and planning skills to manage projects to deliver quality results that meet public sector accountability requirements (including performance and reporting activities).
• Excellent communication skills.
• Proven ability to develop trust and credibility with senior leaders, managers, and staff (internally and externally)
• Demonstrated leadership for 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.

Qualifications

• A relevant tertiary qualification is required along with demonstrated experience in public sector management within the public sector.
• Must have the legal right to live and work in New Zealand.
• Any other relevant background requirements.

Takohanga tuhinga o mua – Key accountabilities and deliverables

Ongoing Operational Activities

• Manage MBIE process for reviewing in-year payment applications.
• Manage MBIE processes for generating, reviewing and approving in-year payment requests, and for bulk funding payment by MBIE Finance to Guardian Trust.
• Work with MBIE Evidence and Insights team to produce and enhance the RDTI operational performance dashboard.
• Work with MBIE Innovation Policy advisors to develop RDTI Ministerial updates.
• Support Innovation Policy Manager in engaging with RDTI senior stakeholders within and outside MBIE.

Periodic Operational Activities

• Work closely with MBIE Finance to manage loan default and debt-collection activities if they occur.

Ongoing Management Activities

• Day-to-day management of the relationship with the private provider TMNZ. 
• Lead regular management meetings with TMNZ to manage In Year Payments performance, and identify, resolve or escalate issues. 
• Manage TMNZ contract and supplier performance.
• Work with Callaghan Innovation and Inland Revenue RDTI managers to drive RDTI operational performance and improvements.

Periodic Management and Reporting Activities

• Manage RDTI Steering Group meetings, developing forward agenda with SG members, managing development of agenda inputs, reporting operational performance and progress of improvement initiatives, managing SG.
• Manage legal issues with support of MBIE Legal Services.

Periodic Reporting Activities

• Request ad hoc reporting when required from TMNZ following review of ongoing activities.
• Report on In Year Payments take-up and operational performance to RDTI Steering Group and Minister for Research, Science and Innovation.

Ongoing Improvement Activities

• Lead regular review of RDTI processes and managing change or issue resolution with internal and external stakeholders.
• Work with TMNZ on designing, developing and testing in-year payment solution improvement initiatives.
• Liaise with Callaghan Innovation RDTI and communications teams to keep published RDTI guidance up to date.
• Work with Inland Revenue on developing the longer-term tax-based in-year payments solution and the transition to Inland Revenue.
• Monitor and provide advice on medium to long-term strategic risks and issues.

Relationship Management

• Build and maintain effective relationships and partnerships with internal and external stakeholders in order to deliver the programme outcomes, improve programme implementation, and promote cross agency collaboration.
• 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 to transfer knowledge and learning from the team to the wider organisation.
• Builds and maintains effective relationships and partnerships with internal and external stakeholders, as necessary, to identify and share best practice information and to promote the Ministry, its products, and services.
• Represents whole-of-Ministry views and protects its reputation in any external interactions.

Customer focus

• Identifies the needs or expectations of customers.
• Treats internal customers with the same courtesies they would extend to external customers.
• Works hard to meet customer deadlines.
• Always looks to improve service.
• Maintains professionalism.

Wellbeing, health and 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 – RDTI Operations Lead position reports into the Manager, Innovation Policy within the Science, Innovation and International branch. The branch sits within the Labour, Science and Enterprise 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