Chief Advisor to the CE at Ministry For Ethnic Communities, Wellington - Wairarapa

Mō tēnei tūranga mahi | About this role

Chief Advisor to the CE

Location:             Wellington

Type:                   Permanent

Hours:                 40

Salary:                 $129,510 - $161,167

As Chief Advisor to the Chief Executive, you'll be a key member of the Leadership Team, helping shape organisational direction, navigate complexity, manage strategic risks, and support the Ministry's relationships across government.

This is a role for someone who is comfortable operating in the spaces where leadership, governance, stakeholder management, ministerial engagement, organisational leadership and delivery intersect. You'll work closely with the Chief Executive, Ministers' offices, central agencies and senior leaders to identify emerging issues, provide strategic counsel, and help ensure the organisation is focused on what matters most.

You'll bring

• Experience operating at executive level within the public sector, with a strong understanding of what it takes to lead in complex environments.
  
  
• Experience driving organisational performance through governance, organisational risk management, strategic planning, communications, people leadership, culture and organisational alignment.
  
  
• A proven ability to extend the effectiveness of a Chief Executive by connecting strategy, delivery and relationships, anticipating issues, aligning priorities, and ensuring executive attention is focused where it adds greatest value.
  
  
• The confidence, credibility and judgement to engage as a peer with senior leaders, Ministers' offices and central agencies while providing trusted counsel to the Chief Executive.

At the Ministry for Ethnic Communities, you'll contribute to work that helps build a more inclusive, connected and socially cohesive Aotearoa New Zealand.

About us

The Ministry for Ethnic Communities is the Government's chief advisor on ethnic communities, ethnic diversity, and the inclusion of ethnic communities in wider society. We have four key functions;

• We provide advice to the system;
  
  
• We develop the evidence base;
  
  
• We broker conflict and convene stakeholders to resolve issues; and
  
  
• We foster a sense of belonging.

Application process

Applications close: 5pm Friday 2 October 2026.

To apply for this position, please submit your covering letter which outlines why you are interested in the role, along with your CV highlighting your skills, knowledge and experience relevant to the role.

We will be reviewing applications as they come in, so please get your application in as soon as possible.

We encourage inclusion and diversity at the Ministry for Ethnic Communities and are committed to equal opportunity in all our employment policies and procedures.  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 HumanResources@ethniccommunities.govt.nz if you would like to discuss any accessibility needs you may have.