Senior Investment Advisor
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Tēnei tūranga – About the role
The Senior Advisor uses their expertise to lead or provide advice to design science investment policy into smart, effective investment processes and guidelines.
The Senior Investment Advisor provides leadership and expertise for the design and implementation of investment processes from pre-application through to evaluation. This role is both strategic and operational in nature.
The Senior Investment Advisor works collaboratively with science investment and science policy colleagues to design frameworks, tools, and best practice guidance particularly as they relate to enabling Māori aspirations.
Ngā herenga – Requirements of the role
Personal specifications
- Experience of funding environments in the public or philanthropic sectors.
- Ability to translate strategy and policy into effective operational practice.
- Understanding and work experience in either service design, process design or operational policy.
- An appreciation of Māori perspectives, and good skills building relationships with Māori collaborators.
- Able to influence others based on excellent interpersonal, collaboration and relationship management skills.
- Knowledge of the machinery of government, and public sector management.
- Able to demonstrate problem identification and solution skills and the ability to develop robust solutions that are viable for government, technically possible and that meet the original intent of policy.
- A tertiary qualification is preferred in a relevant discipline (e.g. social sciences, sciences, design, economics, public policy, law), and/or extensive comparable experience in operational policy.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
Takohanga tuhinga o mua – Key accountabilities and deliverables
Leadership and Influence
- Developing a deep understanding of the various types of science investments.
- Leading and building strong relationships with users of science, research providers and other key stakeholders.
- Sharing knowledge across MBIE, other government agencies, and other organisations with an interest in science investments, to influence and support wider government outcomes.
- Developing an understanding of Māori interests and how they influence selection and management of research investments, including monitoring.
- Demonstrating and building communication and negotiation skills across a range of stakeholders.
- Leading and developing best practice in the design of science investment processes in a forward looking way regularly scanning international research, linking with science organisations and key agencies.
Analysis, Ambiguity and Complexity
Thoroughly and critically thinks in the following ways:
- Developing deep expertise in research funding and being able to apply these to end to end investment processes from policy thinking through to evaluation.
- Understanding and addressing the challenges/trends/issues in Science and Innovation system.
- Identifying and managing strategic opportunities, risks, using political nous.
- Taking complex situations and developing a robust pathway to achieve a solution that is effective and able to be put into practice.
Designing, Making and Managing and Evaluating Investments
Leading and/or contributing to investments processes, including:
- Leading the design development of end to end investment process that are transparent, simple, stable and high performing.
- Bring multiple perspectives (both internal and external) into the design, execution and evaluation of investment processes.
- Knowledge of Māori research interests and applying this to investment processes.
- Contributing to the development of Investment Plans or other investment strategies, with a focus on Vision Mātauranga and wider Māori aspirations and interests.
- Contributing to science policy development.
- Leading reviews that are across investments funds and investment processes.
- Implementing performance frameworks across investment funds.
- Ensuring that process change initiatives are properly analysed and all options considered so that effective solutions are put into practice.
Branch and Team Effectiveness
Contribute to team and branch effectiveness by:
- Identifying strategic issues and risks that relate to the design and implementation of investment processes.
- Maintaining effective relationships between teams across the branch and across MBIE.
- Bringing the customer and stakeholder perspective into all aspects of the work that is completed.
- Working flexibly across work areas to contribute expertise across teams, and support to each other at times of peak workload.
- Preparing thought pieces on issues relevant to the science system.
- Providing advice to the Minister relating to Ministerial Questions, Briefings, Cabinet papers, speeches and OIA requests.
- Contributing to other work of the team as directed by the manager.
- Substituting for the team manager as required.
- Providing guidance, coaching, mentoring and on-the-job training to other team members.
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 Investment Advisor position reports into the Manager, Service Design and Reporting within the Science System Investment and Performance branch. The branch sits within the Labour, Science and Enterprise group.
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
