Director – Strategy and Planning

Tēnei tūranga – About the role

The Strategy, Performance and Design (SPD) branch enables and empowers the functions of Te Whakatairanga Service Delivery (TWSD) to ensure that work is planned and prioritised in a way that will deliver on our strategic outcomes and in alignment to financial obligations. The SPD Branch is centre of expertise, delivering a variety of specialised functions across TWSD. It brings clarity and robust advice to the way work is commissioned and governed.

The Director Strategy and Planning is responsible for the ongoing development and refinement of TWSDs strategy, as well as ensuring alignment with MBIE’s strategy and supports business units with their strategy where required. They provide high quality specialist leadership and advice on TWSD’s strategic direction. The role is accountable for supporting Senior Management Team (SMT) to design, develop and implement planning of the strategic regulation of the TWSD system design which has 10 key priorities to deliver over the next three years.

The role provides a vital link between several complex agendas to secure the right level of funding to bring these programmes of work to life and is responsible for the development of an overarching delivery methodology to support existing strategic priority initiatives.

The role leads the SPD Strategy and Planning team who work closely with the TWSD business owners to help them accurately define the outcomes they require to ensure their projects and programmes are well aligned to the TWSD and MBIE strategies.

Ngā herenga – Requirements of the role

Personal specifications

• Extensive experience and knowledge of business strategy including 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 in a medium to large public sector or business organisation, connected and contributing to the wider organisation and ensuring a consistent approach.
• Experience in appropriately engaging with Ministers and Minister’s offices, and key central government and business stakeholders.
• Experience in supporting major change across a distributive business to achieve a measurable lift in service delivery performance.
• Demonstrates excellence in communication including the ability to translate complex issues from one level to another.
• Proven ability to manage external relationships and use negotiation and influence to deliver strategic outcomes.
• An active participant at expert advisory and influencing level for investment and planning.
• Sound working knowledge and understanding of the machinery of government and processes that apply within the state sector would be preferable.
• Able to negotiate with peers to align disparate perspectives and execute the integration of functions, plans and actions.
• A strong comprehension of the Treaty of Waitangi and how the work we do in Te Whakatairanga Service Delivery intersects with te ao Māori.
• Must have the legal right to live and work in New Zealand.

Takohanga tuhinga o mua – Key accountabilities and deliverables

Business Outcomes

• Partners with responsible leads across TWSD to translate strategy development and ensure alignment to strategic priorities for business units or division.
• Apply sound project and programme management principles to the ongoing reporting of the programme as well as communication of risks, dependencies, benefits, and constraints.
• Ensures that strategy design methodologies and implantation frameworks are operationally sound, compliant to the wider investment guidelines, and are proportionate and appropriate to enable success from the outset.
• Leads the development and maintenance of high-quality artefacts that help build the strategy, build capability, drive performance and bring cohesion and direction to business plans.
• Be recognised as a trusted advisor of business owners, challenging perspectives so they think through the implications of their decisions and advising them where necessary to assure impactful outcomes.
• Focus on the improvement of the group, both its strategic and technical capabilities, thus ensuring Te Whakatairanga Service Delivery maintains its reputation as a high performing team.

Strategy Development and Management

• Ensures alignment and integration of TWSD’s strategy with the activities of TWSD and MBIE.
• Supports the governance of the TWSD business strategy to support SMT achieving their strategic outcomes.
• Leads the review of TWSD priorities and strategies, with the aim to obtain alignment and clarity across the Group.
• Maintains a strategic financial overview to inform investment decisions, resource allocation and priority setting.
• Ensures a thorough understanding of Treasury bidding process, being able to align projects and programmes of work with key priorities.
• Works closely with key stakeholders to understand challenges, opportunities and developments to better position advice, recommendations and develop solutions.
• Works closely with responsible senior owners to ensure that strategic implications are fully understood, scoped and developed into recommendations for decision making, aligning key initiatives and interventions at an operational level.

Team Leadership

• Manages expenditure and resources in line with approved delegations, guidelines, budget, deadlines and reporting requirements, with a focus on cost effectiveness in the Ministry
• Establishes clear accountabilities, expectations and performance standards with direct reports and ensures regular performance management and development occurs.
• Monitors individual, team and business unit performance to ensure that performance targets are met.
• Coaches, mentors and develops the team to meet the needs of the organisation now and in the future.
• Anticipates future capability needs across the team and Branch, identifies gaps in capability and addresses these gaps through targeted recruitment and development or other actions.

Relationship Management

• Builds and maintains constructive working relationships with work colleagues and external stakeholders to enhance understanding and co-operation needed to achieve desired results.
• Effectively influences, and contributes to an authorising environment, through building and maintaining enduring relationships with senior stakeholders.
• Represents whole-of-Ministry views and protects its reputation in external interactions.
• Builds strategic alliances with key government and non-government representatives to ensure MBIE’s views are influential in their decision-making.
• Builds and maintains effective relationships and partnerships to identify and share best practice information and to promote the Ministry, its products, and services.
• Tests the effectiveness of stakeholder relationships using a range of appropriate measures and processes (including stakeholder feedback).
• Maintains relationships with peers, stakeholders and leaders so they are productive, communication is professional, clear, and timely. Conversations are robust, and trust is created.

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 Director Strategy and Planning position reports into the General Manager, Strategy, Performance and Design within the Strategy, Performance and Design branch. The branch sits within the Te Whakatairanga Service Delivery group.

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