Principal Advisor at NZ Ministry of Education, Wellington

Mō tēnei tūranga mahi | About this role

Principal Advisor | Kaitohu Mātāmua, Project and Investment Advice, Corporate Strategy and Performance | Ngā Tautiaki Whakamahere

• Permanent, full-time
• Wellington

Kia ora, Bula Vinaka, Fakaalofa lahi atu, Fakatalofa atu, Kia orana, Malo e lelei, Malo ni, Talofa lava, Tena koutou katoa and welcome.

Help shape the future of Education

At the Ministry of Education, we work together to shape an education system that delivers equitable and excellent outcomes.

Our organisation is made up of more than 3,000 talented and committed people around New Zealand, from a wide range of backgrounds and cultures.

While we work in different groups and on different things, we all strive every day to make the biggest difference we can for every child, young person and adult student in our education system.

About our group and team

We are looking for Principal Advisor/s to join our Project and Investment Advice (PIA) team.  The Project and Investment Advice (PIA) team provides advice, insights and guidance to senior leadership about investment decisions and support the prioritisation of projects and programmes across the Ministry. PIA is responsible for the effective and efficient operation of the Ministry's project, programme, and portfolio management (P3M) capability and supports investment management practices.

The team is part of Corporate Strategy and Performance Hub (CSP Hub). The Hub works across the Ministry to develop organisational strategy, the threats and opportunities in us meeting our strategic objectives, understanding progress towards our outcomes within change portfolios.  It also services and provides advice to the Ministry's governance boards.

The Hub also offers operational delivery advice across the Ministry in the functional areas of planning and performance, enterprise risk management, project and investment advice (PIA) and governance support services.

About this role

We are looking for a high performing Principal Advisor to join our team and use their in-depth experience and knowledge to deliver high quality, strategic advice to senior leaders, business groups, governance bodies, and initiatives. This requires working in close collaboration across the Ministry to provide insights and advice across a large work programme

The Principal Advisor provides leadership and advice on the Ministry's investment management practices and processes, and is responsible for championing and building project, programme, and portfolio management (P3M) capability.

This is an exciting time for us as we mature our project, programme, and portfolio management (P3M) capability, benefits management approach, and enterprise governance frameworks to ensure our investments are delivering equitable and excellent outcomes for all ākonga.

About you

We are looking for someone who can proactively engage, build, and maintain enduring and trusted networks across the Ministry. A thought leader with strong interpersonal and relationship skills who can use those skills to influence strategic outcomes. Our ideal candidate will take pride in producing thoughtful, high-quality advice in an ambiguous and complex environment.

You will also offer:

• Ideally a strong working knowledge of P3M frameworks and methodologies, and investment management practices,
• demonstrative ability to tactfully navigate through ambiguous political situations
• strong analytical and problem-solving skills, particularly when dealing with complex issues, and
• the ability to understand and apply the principles of Te Tiriti o Waitangi and tangatawhenuatanga.

This is a fantastic opportunity to join the Ministry's Corporate Strategy and Performance Hub. We are a small, high-performing team, operating in a flexible working environment with great opportunities to learn more about the Ministry of Education and the wider education sector.

Are you ready to make a difference?

We welcome candidates from diverse backgrounds, including Māori, Pacific and people with disabilities, who will enrich our understanding of the education system.

As a government agency, the Ministry is committed to keeping to the Treaty of Waitangi's guiding principles in our work for and with Māori students, their whānau, hapū and iwi.

The Ministry invites applications from fully vaccinated people or people with a valid medical exemption (under the COVID-19 Public Health Response (Vaccinations) Order 2021). We will require evidence of your vaccination status, or your medical exemption, at the pre-employment stage of our recruitment process.

Please review the Job Description and if this opportunity interests you, and you meet the requirements, apply now using the 'Apply Online' button.

For further information, please contact Ila Hema at ila.hema@education.govt.nz

Applications close on Friday 23 May 2022