Principal Advisor at NZ Ministry of Education, Wellington

Mō tēnei tūranga mahi | About this role

Principal Advisor | Enterprise Portfolio Management Office, Strategy and Performance, Te Pou Rangatōpū

• 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 Advisors to join the Ministry's new Enterprise Portfolio Management Office (EMPO).  The EMPO team is responsible for driving strategic alignment and consistency across Portfolio Management Offices (PMO), programme, project and change management practices throughout the Ministry, and for providing oversight, guidance and best practice to the various delivery PMOs and programme, project and change activities.

The EMPO team is part of the Strategy and Performance

Group (SPG). This group provides expert advice and support to the Ministry's strategy setting, governance, planning, performance, enterprise risk management, and P3M activity. SPG is responsible for developing and maintaining planning and delivery frameworks within these areas, as well as providing guidelines, tools, support resources and training,

About this role

We have several roles available with the EMPO. We are looking for  high performing Principal Advisors 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 and that we are honouring our Te Tiriti o Waitangi partnership

About you

We are looking for technical specialists  who can proactively engage, build, and maintain enduring and trusted networks across the Ministry. Thought leaders with strong interpersonal and relationship skills who can use those skills to influence strategic outcomes. Someone who will help build capability within our team. Our ideal candidates will take pride in producing thoughtful, high-quality advice in an ambiguous and complex environment.

You will offer:

• senior level working knowledge of P3M frameworks and methodologies, and investment management practices
• account management capabilities including experience developing and maintaining robust relationship at all levels of an organisation
• experience in developing and implementing P3M or investment management frameworks
• demonstrative ability to tactfully navigate through ambiguous political situations and be flexible
• the ability to understand our partnership role within Te Tiriti o Waitangi and apply this to your everyday work and conduct.
• strong analytical and problem-solving skills, particularly when dealing with complex issues
• experience preparing reports and proposals for a wide range of audiences

To be successful in this role you will have a relevant specialist qualification or equivalent level of practical experience. You will also have PRINCE2 Practitioner or MSP Practitioner and a working knowledge of Agile methodologies, or equivalent experience.

This is a fantastic opportunity to join the Ministry's EMPO in its embryonic stage and be part of designing and growing this capability. 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.

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, Manager, EMPO at ila.hema@education.govt.nz

Applications close on Monday 27 March 2023