Principal Business Advisor

Discover a career with purpose at MBIE

• Utilise your leadership and relationship skills to deliver on a range of business advisory work.
• Provide practice and thought leadership to the teams work programme. 
• Full time permanent position located in Wellington.
• Salary range $118,390 - $143, 639 + Kiwisaver + wellness benefits

Tēnei tūranga - About the Role:

The Business Management team in the Office of the Deputy Secretary of the Building, Resources and Markets Group (BRM) work in partnership with managers and other staff to deliver BRM’s business management responsibilities, including accountability and reporting, business planning, organisational development, and other enterprise management activities such as risk, business continuity, and wellbeing, health and safety.

This is a busy role where no two days are the same.  We require a person who is committed to providing leadership to the team and group to deliver on its obligations, that will at times need you to get stuck in and do the work alongside the advisors during our peak periods.  

If you are able to support the business manager and a team of advisors to plan for and manage multiple deadlines and complex processes to their conclusion, have an eye for detail with good comprehension and writing skills, and excellent relationship management skills working with senior officials across multiple branches/areas, then this role could be right for you.  

This role includes the following activities:

• Working in partnership with stakeholders to ensure successful and on-time delivery of the public sector accountability framework. This includes the annual estimates of appropriations and examination hearings, select committee annual review, annual report, performance measure reporting, 6-monthly reports to Ministers, non-departmental appropriation reports and other accountability and reporting processes. 
• Providing advice and guidance to the team and group on best practice, including creating process, practice, and training documentation.
• Identifying and implementing business improvements to create efficiencies in processes and improve overall quality of products and service delivery to stakeholders.
• Ensure the group’s operational obligations are fulfilled and reflective of the group vision, goals and priorities through tracking and communicating, training, and raising issues and risks.
• Writing accountability and reporting briefings for Ministers, preparing papers and providing operational advice to the BRM Leadership Team, and producing reports and project management documentation to support group operations.
• Reviewing, designing, and implementing processes and systems, including writing communications to staff and guidance material.
• Facilitating learning sessions and workshops, and presenting to leadership teams.

Ngā pukenga me ngā wheako e hiahiatia ana - Skills and Experience Required

• Strong experience in a principal role or similar, leading and coaching a team to deliver on government accountability work with deep working knowledge of cabinet and parliamentary processes, portfolio / appropriation and budget development, management and reporting, and development of accountability products.
• High level of expertise in all areas of business management to provide practice and thought leadership in large complex government organisations to strengthen the overall capability of the business group, and help ensure the quality and consistency of advice, services, and practices.
• Clear, concise communicator with strengths in writing briefing notes for senior leadership and the Minister.
• Able to cut a clear path through complexity and work through ambiguous problems to find satisfactory outcomes, with an ability to be flexible and responsive to changing demands.
• Self-motivated and results-driven, including the ability to do what is difficult or unpopular when required, to work effectively under pressure and focus on key issues.
• Excellent interpersonal skills with an ability to liaise and collaborate effectively at all levels of the organisation and an ability to build and maintain strategic and effective relationships. 
• Significant experience leading and coaching others to ensure capability needs are met, and that staff are developed and up skilled to better perform their roles. 

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.

All applications must be submitted via our online process and include a Cover Letter and CV outlining your interest and suitability for the role.

Email Monica Chow at Monica.Chow2@mbie.govt.nz quoting ref MBIE/18819 if you have any further questions.

Applications close on 23rd February 2026, at 11:59pm.