Principal Investigator

Discover a career with purpose at MBIE

• Lead complex investigations and mentor and coach other members of the team
• Permanent full time Auckland based
• Salary - $118,390-$143,639 + KiwiSaver + Wellness Benefits

Tēnei tūranga - About the Role:

About the team:

Occupational Regulation is a cross-sector team within MBIE’s Market Integrity branch, responsible for several licensing and registration schemes, including Immigration Advisers, Motor Vehicle Traders, Electrical Workers, Licensed Building Practitioners, Auctioneers, and Pool Inspectors. 

These schemes are designed to protect consumers and uphold the integrity of key markets by ensuring professionals meet required standards and operate ethically. 

About the role:

As a Principal Investigator, you will have the opportunity to bring your investigative expertise and experience to a wide range of occupational regulation schemes. You will work collaboratively with others in the team to establish, promote, and embed good investigative and compliance practices.

This is a leadership role that plays a critical part in ensuring the integrity and effectiveness of our regulatory functions.

The Principal Investigator is a subject matter expert who reports to the Investigations Manager – Northern. You will provide practical, hands-on support to the wider Occupational Regulation team, with a strong focus on compliance, investigations, and regulatory integration and enforcement. Your role will involve leading complex investigations, promoting continuous improvement, and contributing to the development of strategic responses to regulatory risk.

The Principal Investigator will also play a key role in building capability across the team. You will provide mentoring and coaching to other team members, supporting the development of investigative skills and best practice across the business.

You will help to foster a culture of learning, collaboration, and professional excellence, ensuring that our people are equipped to deliver high-quality regulatory outcomes.

As Principal Investigator, you will support the Investigations Manager with work programme planning, project development, and the delivery of key initiatives. You will also assist with workflow management, ensuring that investigations are prioritised and progressed efficiently. Providing leadership, direction, and guidance to the investigation team, and bringing people together to achieve shared goals, will be an important part of your journey in this role.

This role offers a great opportunity to utilise your thought leadership and proactive thinking to work with senior management, disciplinary Boards & Tribunals. Your previous experience will help build and maintain trust and key relationships; foster a positive working relationship and team culture. 

This is a unique opportunity to make a meaningful impact in a high-trust, high-responsibility environment. If you are passionate about regulatory integrity, skilled in complex investigations, and committed to developing others, we’d love to hear from you.

Ngā pukenga me ngā wheako e hiahiatia ana -

Skills and Experience Required
 

• Sound experience in the leadership of complex investigative activity including modern investigation and regulatory techniques, cross agency collaboration and a proven record of results.
• Experience working in an environment of regulatory compliance, preferably in an occupational regulation context.
• The ability to understand, use and explain the relevant regulatory frameworks, in particular in relation to the responsibilities of Occupation Regulation.
• Experience in developing and maintaining an environment focused on continuous improvement to enhance team performance and simplify work processes.
• Experience in leading, coaching and mentoring others to achieve results and professional growth.
• Demonstrated ability to lead and influence without formal lines of authority including in an operational context.
• The ability to work with multiple complex ideas in parallel while being able to integrate multiple concepts and deal with ambiguity.
• The ability to understand, use and explain the relevant regulatory frameworks, in particular in relation to the responsibilities of Occupation Regulation.
• Highly effective communicator with the ability to communicate technical information to a non-technical audience.
• Be confident in building relationships and partnerships with staff as well as internal and external stakeholders.
• Political awareness and diplomacy with the ability to influence and persuade senior stakeholders
• Knowledge and awareness or willingness to learn about Te Tiriti and Te Reo.
• Must have the legal right to live and work in New Zealand.

Ētahi kōrero mō MBIE - About MBIE:

MBIE's goal is to create a resilient and high-performing economy that delivers real and ongoing quality of life for all New Zealanders.

We do this by working with others to create an environment that supports businesses to be more productive and internationally competitive, enables all New Zealanders to participate in the economy through improved job opportunities and by working to ensure quality housing is more affordable.

People are at the heart of our mahi, our way of working is guided by our values which shape our behaviours.

• Mahi Tahi – Better Together
• Māia – Bold and brave
• Pae Kahurangi – Build our Future
• Pono Me Te Tika – Own It

Our aspirations are echoed in our Māori identity – Hīkina Whakatutuki – which broadly means ‘lifting to make successful'.

MBIE recognises the partnership founded under Te Tiriti o Waitangi between Māori and the Crown and is committed to giving effect to Te Tiriti o Waitangi. We will do this through enduring, meaningful and effective partnerships with iwi, Māori, other Māori groups/organisations and the Crown, as this is critical to enable economic and social development, both for Māori and for wider Aotearoa New Zealand. We are committed to continuing to partner with iwi in order to find new sustainable solutions to address long standing systemic and cross-cutting issues facing Māori and wider Aotearoa New Zealand and we are also committed to identifying opportunities for iwi to lead and creating an enabling environment for iwi to leverage these opportunities.

E mōhio ana a Hīkina Whakatutuki i puea ake te kōtuinga I waenganui i a ngāi Māori me te Karauna i Te Tiriti o Waitangi, ā, kei te whai ia ki te whakaū ake i Te Tiriti o Waitangi. Mā te whai kiko o ngā kōtuinga ahungaroa o ngāi wi, o ngāi Māori, me ētahi atu rōpū Māori ki te Karauna, katutuki tēnei. He āhuatanga nui tēnei e āhei ai ngā mahi whanaketanga ā-ohanga, ā-pāpori hoki ki a ngāi Māori me Aotearoa whānui. E whai tonu ana mātou ki te kōtui atu ki ngā iwi mō te rapu huarahi hou ki te whakaara i ngā kaupapakua roa nei e tāmi ana i a ngāi Māori me Aotearoa whānui, ā, e whai ana hoki ki te tautohu i ngā āheinga kōkiritanga mā ngā iwi, me te tautoko i ngā iwi kia whai mana ake ai ēnei āheinga.

Me pēhea te tono - How to Apply:

Click here to view a position description. 

When you are ready to apply please send a CV and cover letter telling us why you're the perfect fit for this role.

All applications must be submitted via our online process.

We will be reviewing applications and progressing them as they are received so if you are interested and meet the criteria submit your application ahead of the closing date

We can't wait to hear from you!

Email Sarah Hutcheson at sarah.hutcheson@mbie.govt.nz quoting ref MBIE/18116 if you have any further questions.

Applications close on Thursday 18 September 2025