October 14, 2024

New Zealand Government

Wellington City

OTHER & FULL TIME

Senior Policy Advisor

Senior Policy Advisors x 2
Fixed term (parental leave cover)
National Office – Wellington

Ehara taku toa i te toa takitahi, engari he toa takitini
Success is not the work of one, but the work of many.

Te Haeata/The Opportunity
Do you want to help solve complex problems with real life impact on the lives of New Zealanders and their human rights? Do you want to be part of a Policy Group that values Ngā Ao Māori approaches and applies Te Tiriti o Waitangi to our policy development and advice?
Due to some upcoming happy events, we are seeking parental leave cover in the Justice Policy Group for two experienced Senior Policy Advisors. This is an exciting opportunity to work on policy projects that will lead to changes to broader justice system.

The roles available are in the Court Systems Policy and the Democracy and Open Government teams.
The Court Systems Policy team provides policy advice that supports the effective and efficient operation of our courts system. This includes advising on key constitutional principles, such as judicial independence, procedural fairness, and open justice. It also involves working closely with operational colleagues, the judiciary, legal profession and other stakeholders. We are looking to appoint one fixed term Senior Advisor for eighteen months.
Our ‘why' on the Democracy and Open Government team is to enable communities to trust and participate in a free and equitable society. For example, our electoral policy work looks after the processes by which we choose our MPs. We support transparency and accountability through our stewardship of the Official Information Act and the “watchdog” agencies such as the Ombudsman and Independent Police Conduct Authority. We are looking to appoint one fixed-term Senior Advisor for between twelve and eighteen months.
Successful candidates are appointed to the Policy Group but can express a preference for which team they are placed in. As current projects finish, and new ones become available, the opportunity to work across multiple disciplinary teams within the policy group may be available.

Ō pūkenga/Skills and Experience
Senior Policy Advisors in the Policy Group lead, coach and support others and drive strong relationships with key stakeholders.
To be successful in this role you will:

Have strong relationship management skills and experience in engaging with diverse internal and external stakeholders, both learning from and influencing their perspectives
Be able to think analytically and critically, find complex problems interesting, and have a knack for solving them.
Be an excellent communicator, able to write clearly and simplify complex information, and ask questions to improve your understanding
Be able to apply a Te Tiriti framework to policy thinking
Extensive knowledge and understanding of the machinery of Government and public policy.

Experience with the legislative process or a legal background would be a significant advantage but is not essential.

Mō mātou/About us
At Te Tāhū o te Ture - the Ministry of Justice, we're committed to working together for a fair and safe Aotearoa.
The Policy Group is focused on making New Zealand a safe and just society. We are committed to honouring our commitments under te Tiriti o Waitangi,
Joining Te Tāhū o te Ture means you will become part of an organisation that welcomes and supports people of all gender identities, ages, ethnicities, sexual orientations, disabilities and religions.

Utu ā-tau/Salary
The appointing salary for a Senior Policy Advisor is between $110,766 - $143,388, based on skills and experience.

Tono mai/How to Apply
To apply, click the Apply button below to be directed to our Careers Website. You can view a detailed position description here, as well as complete an online application form by attaching your CV and cover letter.
Applications close on 28 October 2024.
The next stage of the recruitment process will involve a written policy-based exercise and a competency-based formal interview with a three-person panel. We expect to hold interviews in the weeks of 4 and 11 November 2024.
We are anticipating successful candidates commencing from January 2025.

For a confidential discussion about these roles please get in touch with:

Hayley Denoual, Policy Manager, Democracy and Open Government (hayley.denoual@justice.govt.nz)
Ben Sims, Policy Manager, Courts System Policy (ben.sims@justice.govt.nz)

If you have any recruitment related questions, please contact recruitment@justice.govt.nz