Senior Insights Analyst – Insights and Reporting

Tēnei tūranga – About the role

A CERT is an organisation that receives cyber incident reports, tracks cyber security incidents or attacks, and provides advice and alerts to its customers on how to respond and prevent further attacks. CERTs also work closely with their international counterparts to prevent and respond to cybersecurity incidents, and address cybercrime.

Establishing a national CERT means New Zealand joins an international network of CERTs, improving our access to information on potential or real-time cyber-attacks. It will help New Zealand play our part in a global effort to improve internet security. Ultimately, New Zealand will become a more trusted business and security partner

CERT NZ is staffed with passionate cyber security experts and experienced staff, providing services Monday to Friday, except when activated by the national emergency response system when staff may be required to work weekends and/or outside normal hours.

The Senior Insights Analyst is an integral role to uncovering cyber security insights by working with the relevant stakeholders and information channels to analyse, hypothesise and understand what is currently happening in the New Zealand cyber security landscape. The role is responsible for developing engaging products and services that delivery on CERT NZ’s information outcomes.

Ngā herenga – Requirements of the role

Personal specifications

• Experience in data standards, architecture processes and insight practices.
• Accessing data, data collection and set up of data, understanding and piecing data together.
• Data visualisation – being able to convey information in a meaningful way so stakeholders can make sense of it.
• Foundational knowledge in application of statistical concepts, hypothesis testing, and/or probability using statistical packages for analysing datasets (e.g. R, Python).
• Creative, curious and experimental orientation.
• Proficient in a range of tools such as PowerBI, DAX, SQL & cloud services (Azure or AWS).
• Proficient in high quality report writing for technical and non-technical audiences
• Excellent communication skills with ability to present complex issues in a way that engages the audience
• Excellent relationship management skills, with the ability to communicate appropriately and effectively with stakeholders at all levels.
• Being able to ask the right questions and find the answers that will help the business generate better business results.
• Knowledge of security and the management of classified or sensitive information.
• Strong interest in cyber security and passion for community wellbeing
• Must be a NZ citizen or hold a residence class visa.
• Able to gain and maintain a national security clearance as required.

Qualifications

• Tertiary qualification in data, economics, mathematics (or similar discipline) and/or comparable experience working within a data environment.
• Three + years’ experience delivering insights to stakeholders in a collaborative environment.
• Proven experience leading complex projects.

Takohanga tuhinga o mua – Key accountabilities and deliverables

Delivers quality results that contribute to the Ministry’s outcomes

The Senior Insights Analyst is required to deliver results in the following areas:

• Development and management of CERT NZ performance reporting framework against strategic objectives. This includes creation of metrics and dashboards that communicate operational and strategic progress.
• Quarterly and yearly reporting: Cyber content research and writing that translates technical concepts and trends to non-technical audiences, for the purposes of education or inciting action on cyber security matters.
• Work with the business to: hypothesize, identify data requirements, gather data, analyse data, compare data, comment, uncover insights and prepare recommendations.
• Produce high quality dashboards, content and reports.
• Apply critical and analytical thinking to understand and address problems and identify solutions.
• Leads development and implementation of frameworks and standards to improve data and insights quality, consistency and relevance.
• Scans the horizon for risks, relevant issues and opportunities to increase CERT NZ’s data and insights capability, and supports continuous improvement and innovation.
• Developing and reporting on impacts, costs and value derived from the Government’s investment in CERT NZ.
• Develop standards, processes and systems that will improve on team current status quo.
• Chair and contribute to meetings, including where matters are complex or sensitive, require negotiation or solutions.
• Provide briefings on insights relating to New Zealand’s cyber security to trusted partners, key stakeholders and CERT NZ.
• Identify patterns that could lead to the development of insights across the cyber security landscape of New Zealand.

Research, evaluation and analysis activities

• Source and integrate cyber data for use in macro trend analysis, scenario modelling and reporting.
• Leads, scopes, shapes, plans and manages research and analytical projects for the purpose of providing insights.
• Uses a range of evidence including data, research and other information from a range of sources to provide the foundation for evidence based analysis.
• Applies appropriate analytical and research methodologies.
• Proactively engages with clients and stakeholders to shape projects, including in development of viable options, analysis and evaluation, and monitoring and reviewing processes.
• Applies advanced frameworks and methods of analysis to identify problems, analyse the issues, and identify and assess strategies to advance knowledge and understanding.
• Applies system, strategic and critical thinking, clear and logical reasoning and sound judgement to analyse evidence and issues.
• Critically synthesises information from a wide variety of domains and uses in-depth knowledge of the subject area and advanced technical skills to draw sound conclusions.
• Develops innovative, practical, effective and durable analytical approaches and research and evaluation findings solutions that will help to achieve the desired outcomes.
• Provides clear, accurate and well-reasoned analysis products and communicates issues and concepts clearly and succinctly.

Cyber security – knowledge and incident response

• Develops a level of expertise and fluency in the cyber security field, including staying up to date with new developments and relevant international activity.
• Finds opportunities to share cyber security domain knowledge with others within the team and wider CERT NZ.

Develops and builds skills and knowledge to participate in serious cyber incident response and coordination, including, where appropriate: 

• Contributing to the unit’s response, thereby being instrumental in the coordination of New Zealand’s overall response to serious cyber incidents.
• Conducting and supporting briefings to senior executives.
• Communicating with technical and non-technical audiences.
• Able to participate in shift-based periods during activation for New Zealand’s response to serious cyber incidents.

Relationship/stakeholder management

• Preparing and participating in sector briefings and interactions with the cyber security community and data analytics community.
• Initiating and maintaining effective relationships with key data and insights teams across New Zealand to inform, shape and collaborate on work related to cyber security.
• Proactively establishing and maintaining effective working relationships with key stakeholders including other functional leaders. Actively building and managing a network of stakeholders to inform and build the role’s work.
• Leveraging relationships to identify and share best practice information.

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 Senior Insights Analyst position reports into the Manager Insights and Reporting within CERT NZ that sits within the Strategy and Enablement branch. The branch sits within the Te Whakatairanga Service Delivery 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