Business Architect

Tēnei tūranga – About the role

The Digital, Data and Insights (DDI) Group leads, connects and strengthens MBIE's core data and insights, digital and technology capabilities.

The Business Architect is a trusted advisor to their assigned Business Group(s) Senior Management Team, responsible for providing technology advice and strategy; and working with them and DDI to ensure that the strategies and roadmaps support the Business Group’s ability to deliver their goals.

The Business Architect will take an active role in the Governance of their assigned Business Group(s) technology direction and delivery programme, working alongside key business and DDI stakeholders and supporting/guiding the Domain and Solutions Architects with regards to the Business Group’s strategy and direction.

Ngā herenga – Requirements of the role

Personal specifications

• Proven experience and achievement in a senior strategic Architecture role.
• Expert knowledge of ICT environments, business practice and systems.
• Excellent interpersonal skills, with the ability to demonstrate skills in directing, developing and motivating a team of information management and technology professionals.
• Ability to lead through influence, set a clear vision, and move others toward a common vision or goal.
• Proven ability to successfully build the trust and engagement of senior leaders through personal advocacy, vision, drive and working collaboratively with colleagues.
• Proven ability to proactively lead and build a sense of common purpose across DDI, actively looking for opportunities to build engagement and commitment within the Group and across MBIE.
• Demonstrated understanding of medium to long-term technology trends and the implications for heavily digital and technology dependent organisations.
• A passion for emerging technology, and evaluating how it can benefit and enhance organisations and customers/users experience.
• Demonstrated ability to deliver multi year planning and investment cases in the ICT domain.
• Proven ability to remain up-to-date on key technical changes and opportunities in their specialist area and proactively use this to continuously improve MBIE services. 
• Strong understanding of the processes and systems that underpin operations of the public sector environment.
• Knowledge and experience of Te ao Māori and Te ao Māori practices; tikanga, te reo and a comprehensive understanding of the Treaty, Te Tiriti and the Treaty Principles.
• Demonstrated ability to develop trust and credibility with senior leaders.
• Tertiary qualification or extensive and comparable relevant experience at a senior management level in the public and private sector.
• Must have the legal right to live and work in New Zealand. 
• Credit check required (no).
• Required to drive (no).
• Police vetting (no).
• Ability to obtain / maintain a Confidential security clearance.

Takohanga tuhinga o mua – Key accountabilities and deliverables

Shaping Strategic Direction:

• Leads the creation and implementation of an enterprise digital strategy and Blueprint to support MBIE’s strategic requirements.
• Leads the creation and review of a systems capability strategy that meets the strategic requirements of the business.
• Ensures MBIE’s digital and technology strategies are integrated and aligned to and support MBIE’s overall strategic intentions and that of the Government Chief Digital Officer.
• Contributes to the development and maintenance of a multi-year investment strategy driving harmonisation of the Ministry’s technology environment and ensuring Government Chief Digital Officer engagement on large and / or high risk (digital technology) investments.
• Identifies, evaluates, and recommends strategic options for MBIE, and advises on those options, the key risks, costs versus benefits, system impacts and technology priorities.
• Captures and prioritises market and environmental trends, business strategies and objectives, and identifies the business benefits of alternative strategies.
• Provides expert strategic advice to DDI and Senior Leadership Team to maximise MBIE’s technology enablement; having the difficult conversations at a senior level to ensure the best outcomes for significant investments.
• Contributes to the application, integration and use of Te ao Māori and Te ao Māori practices in the work of the Branch and as such MBIE; tikanga, te reo and an appreciation of the Treaty of Waitangi, Te Tiriti and the Treaty Principles.

Technical Delivery:

• Develops enterprise-wide architecture and processes that ensure that the strategic application of change is embedded in the management of the organisation, ensuring the buy-in of all stakeholders.
• Leads the development of an architectural practice through the adoption of a defined standard methodology (aligned to the Government Enterprise Architecture for NZ).
• Performs to an agile set of deliverables, utilising tools and repositories, and delivers governance processes over architectural artefacts.
• Develops and maintain MBIE technology roadmaps ensuring that these meet Business Group’s digital, technology and data strategy needs while also providing strategic technological alignment with other agencies.
• Provides and maintains repeatable designs and models as a framework for understanding all domain (s) of development work, guiding what should be done within the organisation, or outside of the organisation.
• Researches, evaluates, and communicates emerging technologies or strategic / tactical system investments to help shape MBIE-wide business strategies.
• Brings about significant improvements and measurable business benefits by identifying, proposing, initiating, and leading significant architectural programmes.
• Builds centres of practice leadership for all architecture related disciplines to ensure consistency and development of best practice across DDI.
• Ensures effective governance arrangements are in place to support robust technology design.

Engaging to Meet Business Needs:

• Builds long term strategic relationships with business leaders to understand business requirements and help them understand how technology trade-offs influence strategy.
• Interfaces across the MBIE organisation acting as a visionary to proactively assist in defining the direction for the future state of MBIE. Ensures leverage opportunities are identified, using building blocks, and is a liaison between functional groups to ensure these opportunities are realised.
• Partners with business focused Heads of Digital & Programmes, and Solution Architects to provide expert leadership for selection of future state solutions and support for complex technology implementations.
• Represents the organisation’s view of the architecture by understanding all the necessary business needs. Responsible for collecting/ providing sufficient information to enable the analysis, design and development of roadmaps and blueprints based upon a current vs. future state in a cohesive architecture viewpoint.
• Establishes the contribution that technology can make to business objectives, conducting feasibility studies, producing high level business models, preparing or contributing to business cases, and identifying and managing risks.
• Develops and presents business cases for high-level initiatives, for approval, funding, and prioritisation ensuring the right financial investments in line with business needs. Provides input into the allocation of invested dollars to meet MBIE initiatives through review of development (business and technical) initiatives within the context of architecture.
• Ensures compliance between business strategies, enterprise transformation activities and technology directions, setting strategies, policies, standards and practices. This includes the support of all architectural disciplines and champions architectural initiatives.
• Engages in a systematic and integrated way and share information with sectors that share strategic interests.

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 Business Architect position reports into the Manager Architecture within the Technology and Architecture branch. The branch sits within the Digital, Data and Insights 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