Capability Lead – Quality Assurance and Testing

Tēnei tūranga – About the role

The Corporate and Digital Shared Services group leads, connects, and strengthens MBIE's core data and insights, digital and technology capabilities.

Technology has transformed our Ministry and the services we deliver to our public and our testing capability adds immeasurable value to our services. Some of the biggest gains in terms of efficiency and the actual business outcomes from the solutions we produce come from an effective testing process.

Reporting to the Manager Quality Assurance & Testing, this position will have the opportunity to improve stakeholder understanding of the value of our testing capability by working in partnership with our stakeholders, technology groups, vendors, and suppliers.

The Capability Lead makes a significant contribution to the overall effectiveness of our IT deliverables through the leadership, management, direction, and development of high calibre testing services which in turn underwrite the success of our technology programmes. We support the core IT Function as a team of specialist subject matter experts, on call to optimise delivery across the business.

Ngā herenga – Requirements of the role

Personal specifications

• You are a test management SME.
• You are comfortable working across multiple Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC) methodologies and delivery frameworks.
• You have hands-on people management experience.
• You are both a leader and a mentor.
• You can operate as a trusted advisor to a diverse stakeholder base.
• You have confidence in your decision making.
• You are well networked and respected.
• You have shown an ongoing commitment to your own professional development.
• Credit check required: Yes.
• Police vetting required: Yes.

Qualifications

• A relevant tertiary qualification, or equivalent knowledge, skills, and experience.
• Certification, or equivalent qualification or experience in modern testing practices.
• Must have the legal right to live and work in New Zealand.

Takohanga tuhinga o mua – Key accountabilities and deliverables

Critical areas of success

• You lead from the front by engaging and contributing to projects, providing advice and guidance for your team, acting as a mentor and a tutor when required.
• You are seen as a trusted advisor for your key stakeholders, and the testing function is recognised as a vital step in delivering robust solutions to our Ministry.
• The team is delivering high-quality outcomes for its stakeholders, both internal and external.

Both you and the team are adding value to the Corporate and Digital Shared Services group and the Quality Assurance & Testing team and to the wider Ministry by genuinely taking ownership of the products and systems it creates and delivers.

Personal leadership - Applies sound leadership practices

• Model exemplary management and leadership behaviours, state sector ethics, and values.
• Creates a sense of vision, engages, and motivates people to participate, and makes things happen.
• Fosters an open, collaborative environment that encourages quality, innovation, ongoing learning, and knowledge sharing.

General management - Applies sound management practices

• Develop and implement strategies, work programmes, and performance targets for Quality Assurance & Testing team, with supporting measurement, monitoring, and reporting mechanisms.
• Monitor and adjust work programmes through the agreed processes to enable the Corporate and Digital Shared Services group to adapt to changing circumstances.
• Regularly monitor and report on progress towards achievement of plans and strategies.
• Manage expenditure and resources in line with approved guidelines, budget, deadlines, and reporting requirements, with a focus on driving cost effectiveness for the Ministry.
• Identify and actively develop talent for key roles, including succession planning.
• Effectively and proactively identify and manage risks.
• Build continuous review and improvement throughout all elements of Corporate and Digital Shared Services operations.

People leadership - Provide leadership that engages and motivates others to succeed and develop

• Create a sense of vision, engages and motivates people to participate and make things happen.
• Establish clear accountabilities, expectations and performance standards with direct reports and ensure regular performance and development conversations occur.
• Anticipate future capability needs across the team, identify gaps in capability and address these through targeted recruitment, development or other actions. Identify and actively develop talent for key roles.
• Foster an open, collaborative environment that encourages quality, innovation, ongoing learning and knowledge sharing.
• Support all organisational development activities, modelling expected behaviours to managers and staff to create healthy workplace culture and engaged workforce.

Relationship Management - Work collaboratively with others to support the achievement of MBIE outcomes

• Build strategic alliances with key government and non-government representatives to ensure MBIE’s views are influential in their decision-making.
• Build and maintain effective relationships and partnerships with national and international organisations to identify and share best practice information.
• Lead any engagement programme(s) with identified influencers and key stakeholders.
• Actively look for opportunities and synergies with internal and external stakeholders that focus on and meet MBIE’s customer needs.
• Use a one organisation perspective when contributing to internal forums and governance bodies.
• Represent whole-of-Ministry views and protect its reputation in external interactions.

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 Capability Lead – Quality Assurance and Testing position reports to the Manager Quality Assurance and Testing within the Strategy, Technology and Security branch. The branch sits within the Corporate and Digital Shared Services 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 New Zealand for All.

To Grow New Zealand for All, we put people at the heart of our mahi (work). 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