Kaitātari Pakihi Matua | Senior Business Analyst - Strategy, Stewardship and Performance at Ministry for the Environment, Flexible

Mō tēnei tūranga mahi | About this role

Fixed Term or Secondment opportunity to 30 June 2027 

This role is a fixed term position in response to increased demand within our high priority work programmes. We are surging in people and resources in response to these priorities.

Mō te tūranga mahi | About the role   

As a Senior Business Analyst, you will act as a critical bridge between policy, business operations, and digital delivery teams within the Ministry for the Environment and the for the new planning and environment system. Your role is pivotal in translating complex legislative reforms into clear, actionable business requirements that enable a modern, digital-first planning system.

You will work closely with policy teams, subject matter experts, service designers, and technical squads to analyse current state friction points and define future state processes. Your analysis will support the shift to a culture of yes, ensuring that digital processes (such as e-Planning and e-Consenting) are streamlined, user-centric, and data-driven.

You will be responsible for documenting, analysing, and validating requirements for key digital initiatives, ensuring they align with the programme's hybrid federated model where national systems and standards must integrate with local delivery. You will facilitate workshops to unpack complex regulatory workflows, identifying opportunities for automation and standardisation while respecting local autonomy and Māori data sovereignty.

You will operate with a high degree of autonomy, working within the Digital workstream but providing analytical leadership across the programme. Your work will be grounded in evidence and collaboration, engaging confidently with senior stakeholders, council partners, and iwi to build shared understanding. You will move beyond simple requirements gathering to become a trusted advisor who challenges assumptions to ensure solutions deliver genuine value.

You will champion agile ways of working, breaking down complex legislative needs into manageable user stories and functional specifications for development teams. Your approach will reflect a strong commitment to public service values, ensuring that business processes support inclusion, accessibility, and uphold Te Tiriti o Waitangi obligations.

You'll be accountable for:

• Requirements and process mapping: lead the creation and documentation of comprehensive business requirements, user stories, and process maps that underpin the National e-Plan and consenting interfaces
• Gap analysis: conduct detailed analysis between current council legacy systems and the desired future state to identify data, process, and capability gaps
• Business cases & options analysis: contribute to the development of business cases and decision papers, using data and insights to recommend pragmatic solutions that balance national consistency with local flexibility
• Stakeholder facilitation: lead workshops with diverse groups—including central government agencies, local councils, and private sector partners—to align on business rules, standards, and workflow.

Ngā pūkenga me ngā wheako | Skills and experience   

• Proven experience in business analysis: extensive experience as a Senior Business Analyst in complex, large-scale transformation programmes, ideally within the New Zealand public sector or regulated environments. You have a track record of translating legislation or complex policy into tangible digital requirements
• Process modelling and optimisation: strong proficiency in business process modelling (BPMN), value stream mapping, and identifying opportunities for process re-engineering. You can visualise complex workflows to create clarity for technical and non-technical audiences
• Requirements creation and management: expertise in a wide range of elicitation techniques (interviews, workshops, observation) and requirements lifecycle management using tools like Jira, Confluence, or Azure DevOps
• Understanding of federated systems: experience working with distributed systems or local government sectors is highly desirable. You understand the challenges of standardising processes across different organisations with varying levels of digital maturity
• Agile methodology: practical experience working in Agile environments, capable of writing high-quality user stories and acceptance criteria, and working closely with product owners and developers to refine backlogs
• Data and digital fluency: a solid understanding of data governance, API integration, and digital platforms. While not a developer, you can converse fluently with architects and developers about data flows and system integration constraints
• Te Tiriti o Waitangi: demonstrated understanding of Te Tiriti obligations and experience applying a te ao Māori lens to business analysis, particularly regarding data sovereignty and partnership
• Communication and stakeholder management: exceptional interpersonal and facilitation skills. You can build consensus among stakeholders with conflicting needs and explain complex technical or process changes in plain English
• Critical thinking: the ability to see the big picture while attending to the details, ensuring that individual requirements align with the strategic vision of a simpler, faster, and fairer resource management system.

Whānuitanga Utu ā-Tau | Salary range  

Salary range for this role is $110,501 to $134,128 pa.  Appointment within this range will be based on skills and experience.  

Ngā hua ka puta i te mahi ki MfE | Benefits of working at MfE  

• a flexible working approach to embrace a healthy work-life blend 
• agile ways of working, allowing you variety and challenges across the organisation as we work as ‘One MfE' 
• active employee networks including Māori Rōpū, Asian Network, Neurodivergent and Disability Networks, Women's Network, Tagata Moana (Pacific Peoples' Network), and Rainbow Network 
• opportunities for development and education.           

Check out other benefits of joining us and hear what our people say about Working at MfE | Ministry for the Environment.  

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 Ngaire.howes@mfe.govt.nz.  The position description is available via our careers centre www.mfe.govt.nz/jobs.  

We are open to a flexible location for this role is flexible, however, a Wellington based candidate is preferred.  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 are committed to providing equal opportunities and actively strive to be a diverse organisation with an inclusive culture.  We actively encourage applicants from all backgrounds to apply.  We are proud to be a Rainbow Tick and Gender Tick certified organisation and are committed to providing a safe and inclusive environment for everyone.   

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

You must have the right to live and work in New Zealand to apply for this role.  

Note: for internal permanent kaimahi who are applying for a secondment, you must speak with your Manager before submitting your application.

Rā Katinga | Applications close:  Wednesday, 6 May 2026

Please note that the Ministry for the Environment (MfE) and it's workforce will transition into the new Ministry of Cities, Environment, Regions and Transport (MCERT) on 1 July 2026. Therefore, the successful applicant's employment would be transferred from MfE to MCERT as at 1 July, along with other Ministry kaimahi. Further details on what this means will be made available during the interview process.