Senior Advisor – Toso Vaka o Manū

Tēnei tūranga – About the role

The Senior Advisor, Toso Vaka o Manū, is responsible for supporting and maintaining the Toso Vaka o Manū Team’s overall performance by leading the delivery of key reporting and monitoring requirements, and through the operational engagement with internal stakeholders and external contractual relationships, alongside the Programme Manager of the team. The Senior Advisor, is specifically responsible for:

• Working as part of the Toso Vaka o Manū team to support the integrity and performance of the Ministry’s Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade who fund the Toso Vaka o Manū programme.
• Maintaining effective Pacific relationships and being a point of contact for Pacific labour mobility countries.
• Supporting Policy development that relates to the labour mobility programme, alongside the Immigration Policy team.
• Coordinating and preparing subject matter briefings for the Minister or senior leadership when required.
• Developing contracts, Terms of Reference, and other formal engagements to support the activities of the programme.

The key function of the Strategy, Engagement and Education group is to encourage a responsive labour market where people make best use of skills and to foster a dynamic business environment through innovation and international connections. The TVOM programme supports both skills placement and innovation utilising our relationship with Pacific countries.

Ngā herenga – Requirements of the role

Personal specifications

• All employees are required to comply with MBIE’s vaccination policy which seeks to protect the wellbeing, health and safety of our people, their whānau and the community. You are required to hold a valid vaccination pass to be employed at MBIE.
• An understanding of the New Zealand Government’s Pacific Strategy (known as the Pacific Reset) is preferred.
• Strong writing, editing and oral communication skills is a must.
• Experience in project planning, monitoring, and reporting.
• Experience in design or delivery of development or technical assistance activities.
• A demonstrated ability to take a strategic, proactive approach to project management, internal communications, and stakeholder engagement – with particular emphasis on international relationships with Pacific.
• Understanding of Government decision-making and operating procedures.
• Demonstrated ability to build and maintain constructive and effective relationships at all levels
• Ability to set priorities and manage time effectively
• Excellent time management and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to develop others and work collaboratively.
• Cultural agility and high levels of self-awareness.
• A willingness to undertake administrative tasks associated with delivery of activities, where required.
• Must be able to travel overseas (primarily Pacific) for periods of up to two weeks and hold a current New Zealand driver’s license and passport.

Qualifications

• Tertiary qualification, preferably in a related area (Public Policy, International Relations, Pacific Studies, Development Studies, Communications) and/or comparable relevant experience.

Other

• The ability to gain and maintain a national security clearance as required.
• Must be a NZ citizen or hold a residence class visa (if the role is in New Zealand).
• Must have the legal right to live and work in the country in which this position resides (if the role is located outside of New Zealand).

Takohanga tuhinga o mua – Key accountabilities and deliverables

Delivers quality results which contribute to the Ministry’s outcomes

The Senior Advisor will be required to deliver results in the following areas:

• Working as part of the Immigration Group of the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) to meet Ministry goals and objectives and uphold the Ministry policies and accountabilities, as agreed.
• Contribute to the development and delivery of the TVOM work programme in line with Immigration’s Pacific Strategy and the intended outcomes of the MOU with MFAT.
• Monitor and deliver the outcomes of the programmes in line with the programme’s results framework.
• Success in establishing positive external relationships, consistently seeking to develop and leverage networks, resources, and relationships to support the effective delivery of the TVOM programme for the benefit of New Zealand and Pacific states.
• Success in establishing working relationships across the Sector Strategy team, with Pacific Migration and other branches of Immigration New Zealand to identify opportunities and ensure effective collaboration.
• Deliver high quality work and advice in support of the programme and to raise the awareness or escalate matters with senior leadership.
• Collaborating with key stakeholders, particularly with MFAT, to achieve positive results and programme deliverables.

Working as part of the Toso Vaka o Manū team to support the integrity of the TVOM work programme                                                  

• Contribute to the unit, Division and Group strategic direction(s) to enable the Team to progress towards goals and priorities outlined in the business plan.
• Planning and developing programmes to host Pacific officials in New Zealand or subject matter workshops.
• Support the Programme Manager to drive priorities and leverage opportunities.
• Building strong and effective relationships with all team members.
• Support the collection and monitoring of team outputs by collating high quality information on work activities.
• Workstream leads are supported with planning, monitoring, and reporting.

Policy development and delivering on government priorities

• Any policy reviews, or policy development that relates to the work of the programme are developed with consideration of the programme’s purpose and where relevant the appropriate level of engagement is provided to any policy work streams in a meaningful way.
• Policy is not developed that undermines the work of the programme or puts at risk the programme’s objectives.
• Ensuring the teams work programme reflects the overall objectives and intent of the New Zealand Government’s Pacific strategy.

Maintaining effective Pacific relationships and other key stakeholder relationships – including Australia

• Create and maintain productive working relationships with all key stakeholders.
• Contribute to the TVOM programme’s relationships with: New Zealand industry and sector leads, officials, and Ministers of other Governments (where appropriate); international agencies such as the World Bank; other New Zealand government agencies; community groups; academic community.
• Stakeholders are kept up to date with the programme work and where relevant the principles of New Zealand’s Pacific Strategy (formally the Pacific Reset) are reflected in the relationships.
• Demonstrate cross-cultural agility and sensitivity, in Pacific contexts.
• Demonstrate understanding of international development principles and labour mobility best practice to ensure relationships are effective and mutually beneficial.

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 Advisor position reports into the Strategy, Engagement and Education branch. The branch sits within the Immigration New Zealand 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