Senior Policy Advisor - Small Business and Manufacturing

Discover a career with purpose at MBIE

• Influence the policy settings that support small businesses, and the manufacturing sector in New Zealand
• A permanent position for a full time Senior Policy Advisor is available in the Small Business and Manufacturing Policy Team
• Wellington-based role, open to Auckland and Christchurch depending on skills and experience
• Salary range: $110,098 – $138,028 plus KiwiSaver and wellness benefit

Tēnei tūranga - About the Role:

MBIE’s Small Business and Manufacturing policy team is seeking an experienced Senior Policy Advisor.

The Small Business and Manufacturing policy functions have recently been brought together into one team, to reflect the creation of a new ministerial portfolio covering both areas. This makes it an exciting time to join our team – you will be able to help shape our work programme and contribute to building a supportive and enjoyable team culture.

Our team works closely with the other policy teams that focus on growing New Zealand’s economy, both in MBIE and more widely across government. We work alongside the operational teams that deliver programmes and underpinning infrastructure for small businesses such as the Regional Business Partners, Business Connect, the New Zealand Business Number and business.govt.nz. Our team also provides time-critical policy advice when required, for example, on business support grants following Cyclone Gabrielle.

This broad mandate provides scope to work on sector specific issues, design operational levers, and on the broader commercial environment that enables businesses to succeed.

The Small Business and Manufacturing Policy team sits in MBIE’s Commerce, Consumer and Business Branch. We are the Government’s lead advisor on the commercial environment in which all New Zealand businesses and consumers operate.

We are looking for someone who has experience of policy work, for example, contributing to briefings, regulatory impact assessments and ministerial correspondence. The successful candidate will have a good understanding of economic principles and New Zealand’s commercial environment. We are looking for a team player who is keen to learn on the job.

Why work for our Branch?

You will get to mix both strategic and regulatory thinking helping us to encourage businesses to compete, innovate, invest and trade, as well as increase business and consumer confidence in market. This will place you at the forefront of fresh thinking to ensure New Zealand has adequate commercial laws, policies and infrastructure for our businesses to flourish. You will be doing this in a supportive environment within a branch that empowers its staff to make decisions, supports them to build and use their cultural capability, and takes the time to celebrate its successes and grow its people to the next stage of their careers.

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

We are looking for motivated people with experience in solving tricky policy problems and formulating high-quality policy and regulatory advice for a range of issues and projects.

For the role of Senior Policy Advisor ideally you will:

• Have a good base of experience in public policy as a Senior Policy Advisor or transferrable skills from an advisory, regulatory, legal or similar role.
• Be a logical thinker, problem solver, and have a healthy level of curiosity.
• Bring knowledge of policy development disciplines and processes.
• Enjoy working on tricky problems, generating ideas and coming up with solutions.
• Have or want to improve your cultural capability and knowledge of te ao Māori, te reo Māori and how Te Tiriti o Waitangi informs our work.
• Have the ability to build relationships with others and work collaboratively.
• Have the ability to work through ambiguity and deliver results.
• Experience leading complex projects.
• Passion for leading and coaching others to develop their policy craft and take their careers to the next level.
• Strong stakeholder relationship building, influencing and engagement skills to gain the cooperation and commitment of others.

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 Roxani Rahn at roxani.rahn2@mbie.govt.nz quoting ref MBIE/16568 if you have any further questions.

Applications close on Wednesday, 29 January.