Principal Advisor Group Business and Workforce Planning

Discover a career with purpose at MBIE

• New Year |New Opportunity | Start Jan 2026
• Design and deliver a strategic approach that drives decisions 
• Partner with the Director Group Strategy & Planning to turn insights into action
• Shape a brand-new role and set the standard for future planning
• Permanent Full time | Wellington Central 
• Salary range: $132,417 - $160,472 +KiwiSaver and Wellness Benefits 

Tēnei tūranga - About the Role:

The work our people in Te Whakatairanga Service Delivery do is vast.  We play a role in the lives of almost every New Zealander every day; be it as employee, employer, business owner, consumer, landlord, renter, new arrival and even those listening to the radio and protecting our airwaves.  We work with businesses, employees and consumer to help people and businesses understand their rights, but also their obligations.  Alongside our regulatory role, we also support businesses with practical products and services that help them transact confidently, innovate and grow.  Our job is to support businesses to thrive and ensure New Zealanders are protected.

About the role

This is a newly created role within our growing, specialised Group Strategy & Planning team, giving you the chance to make your mark from day one. You’ll help design and deliver a workforce planning approach that sets the standard for the future—turning insights into action and influencing decisions that matter.

The Group Strategy & Planning team, part of the Office of the Deputy Secretary TWSD, ensures services are efficient, accessible, and effective. We provide strategic advice, operational support, and oversight connecting branch activity to TWSD’s direction and MBIE’s goal of Growing New Zealand for all.

As Principal Advisor, Group Business & Workforce Planning, you’ll ensure TWSD has the right people, in the right roles, at the right time. Using systems- and design-thinking, you’ll turn workforce data into strategic action, spotting trends, identifying gaps, shaping future capability, and influencing senior leaders.

You will:

• Provide technical and thought leadership to develop a fit-for-purpose workforce planning approach
• Combine strategic thinking, analytical expertise and influential engagement to deliver insights into TWSD’s current and future workforce needs
• Collaborate across branches and advise senior leaders and delivery partners on workforce trends, risks, and solutions
• Influence decision-making with evidence-based recommendations that drive long-term workforce sustainability

Ngā pukenga me ngā wheako e hiahiatia ana -

Skills and Experience Required
 

These are some of the skills and experience you will need to bring to be successful in this role:

• Significant and proven experience in strategic workforce planning and reporting
• Strong understanding of workforce demand and supply modelling, scenario planning and forecasting
• Demonstrable proficiency in data analysis and interpretation using frameworks such as Strategic Workforce Planning and Workforce Analytics with the ability to turn complex information into clear, visual insights
• Deep understanding of organisational strategy, financial drivers and operational priorities that drive performance, risk and assurance processes
• Excellent communication and relationship-building skills
• Strong strategic thinking and problem-solving skills to navigate complex issues and design practical solutions
• A strong comprehension of the Treaty of Waitangi and how the work we do in Te Whakatairanga Service Delivery intersects with te ao Māori
• Excellent relationship management and engagement skills, with the ability to communicate effectively at all levels
• A tertiary qualification in a relevant subject or work experience equivalent is a must
• The legal right to live and work in New Zealand is a must

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 can't wait to hear from you!

Email Emily Boyd at emily.boyd@mbie.govt.nz quoting ref MBIE/18789 if you have any further questions.

Applications close on Sunday 7 December 2025 at 11.59pm.