Kaitātari Kaupapa Here Matua / Senior Policy Analyst at Ministry for the Environment, Christchurch

Mō tēnei tūranga mahi | About this role

Mō tēnei tūrangi mahi | About this role

Aotearoa New Zealand is at an exciting point in our nations circular economy journey and we are currently on the lookout for amazing talent to help us through the next phase of our waste and resource recovery transformation.

Currently, Aotearoa New Zealand is one of the highest generators of waste per person in the world. In 2019, the waste sector contributed around 4 per cent of Aotearoa New Zealand's total greenhouse gas emissions and around 9 per cent of its biogenic methane emissions. With the review of the New Zealand Waste Strategy, the Waste Minimisation Act 2008, and the Litter Act 1979 the Ministry for the Environment is actively working to change this poor waste history and take more responsibility for the waste our nation generates.

We're looking for someone who demonstrates a high level of thought leadership and advanced policy making expertise to work through this program of review work as part of our passionate and enthusiastic policy team. You will be collaborative, curious and able to work constructively with colleagues and with external stakeholders.

This role will provide you with the opportunity to grow your skills and knowledge base through the development of policy and advice that will create long-term environmental change by transforming the way that waste and resources are managed in Aotearoa New Zealand.

Ngā pūkenga me ngā wheako | Skills and experience

Our ideal candidate will: 

• be passionate about viable ways of achieving environmental outcomes and have at least 2 years' experience in a senior role

• have a track record of successfully leading complex policy development and design; experience with legislative policy development would be an advantage
• have excellent written and oral communication skills
• ability to take responsibility for and lead pieces of work, to distil clarity out of ambiguity, and to manage time and competing priorities effectively
• demonstrated experience in providing intellectual and technical leadership and advice for executive decision-makers     
• the ability to apply Māori worldviews in a way that makes a meaningful difference to policy advice, partnerships, and relationships with others
• have good understanding of central government processes, including Cabinet decision-making and legislative change
• a resilient, proactive and tenacious approach that is underpinned by a respectful and collaborative nature
• have the ability to deliver quality creative work in an ambiguous fast-paced environment
• achieve results to build and maintain effective relationships with stakeholders, across diverse groups
• Ideally have experience in the Waste and Resource Efficiency space
• have strong technical and research skills
• demonstrate a willingness to act in a mentoring capacity to junior members of the team

 Salary Range

Salary range for this role is $101,802 to $124,424 pa. Appointment within this range will be based on skills and experience.

Mō mātou | About us  

The Ministry's purpose - He taiao tōnui mō ngā reanga katoa - a flourishing environment for every generation.  

We offer: 

• a flexible by default approach to support your work-life balance
• agile working, allowing you variety and challenges across the organisation as we work as ‘One MfE'
• generous leave entitlements
• training to competently and effectively engage with Māori as our Treaty Partner which includes te reo me ona tikanga
• active social club and employee networks, including a Māori staff network
• opportunities for development and education.          

A key priority for the Ministry is Te Ao Māori. This means we work with our Treaty partner to advance Māori priorities for the environment and for environmental success. We will be confident and coordinated in our ongoing engagement with Māori and lead the natural resources system in engaging for success with tangata whenua. We will grow our capability and capacity to accurately reflect Māori views in our work.  An organisational priority is that we accurately reflect Te Tiriti o Waitangi and Te Ao Maori into our everyday work, by living our Te Ao Hurihuri Strategy through capability and capacity building.

Tono ināianei | Apply Now

Apply directly by completing the online application form and submit your CV and cover letter.  Note: your cover letter will be a key part of our assessment process, so please highlight how your experience relates to the key skills required for this role.   

If you require further information about this position please contact Amanda Baldwin at Amanda.baldwin@mfe.govt.nz.  If you require a copy of the position description, please email vacancy@mfe.govt.nz

The location for this role is flexible which means you can work anywhere in New Zealand and there is an option to work from home.  As a flexible friendly employer, we are happy to discuss solutions that may work for you and the business.  We value and care about enabling our people to work in a way that means they can work at their best. 

We embrace diversity and inclusion and are committed to equal opportunities. What's important to us is ‘he rau kotahi tangata' – embracing our multiple talents – by harnessing our diversity and being inclusive. We actively encourage applications from all backgrounds.  We are proud to be Rainbow Tick certified and recognise the diversity and uniqueness of our workforce and reaffirm our commitment to create a safe and inclusive environment for everyone. 

We want to ensure accessibility needs are well supported, so the recruitment process is fair and equitable for all. Therefore, please let us know if there is any support, we can provide to ensure the recruitment process is fully accessible to you. You can contact us at vacancy@mfe.govt.nz if you would like to discuss any accessibility needs you may have.

From 18, May 2022 we have suspended our Covid-19 Vaccination Policy until further notice.  A My Vaccine Pass is no longer required by employees, visitors, suppliers and contractors.  However, the policy may be reinstated if new public health advice comes to hand or a new variant emerges.

Rā Katinga | Applications close: Sunday 3 July 2022