Lead Advisor Strategy, Operations and Standards

Tēnei tūranga – About the role

The Government Property Office is accountable for the strategic leadership of the government’s office accommodation portfolio and provisioning for the centralisation of components of the government’s property function. The Government Property Office is also responsible for delivering on MBIE's own property strategy as well as providing high-quality property management services to MBIE.

The government’s office accommodation portfolio is significant, encompassing circa 1,000,000 sqm of office space and a rental spend of circa $330 million per year across 73 agencies, including Crown Agents. MBIE is an agency with a significant property portfolio (about 10% of the government’s footprint), encompassing both office and non-office sites, across New Zealand and offshore.

The Lead Advisor Strategy, Operations and Standards reports to the Head of Strategy and Standards. This position will be responsible for financial advice and cost benefit analysis of the investment options, including how property investments are assessed, prioritised, and monitored to align with the Government Property Office’s long-term strategic direction. The role leads the development and execution of:

• Operational policy artefacts, i.e. cabinet papers, business cases;
• Business operation processes and practices; and
• Property standards that enable agency partners across the government office accommodation portfolio and overall property system uplift.

The Lead Advisor Strategy, Operations and Standards will be responsible for providing high-level strategic advice and guidance to the branch. This position will provide critical analysis, recommendations, and support for key business decisions on the investment strategy and initiatives. This role will be a trusted and influential advisor to the senior leadership team of the branch and must have the ability to influence decision-making among senior leadership stakeholders.

The Lead Advisor Strategy, Operations and Standards leads a small team to take a leading role in promoting and driving improvements in the Government Property Office business performance.

Overall, the Lead Advisor Strategy, Operations and Standards plays a critical role in helping the branch make informed decisions about their investment to enable a high performing property portfolio, implementing key processes and procedures for effective business delivery, and enabling agency partners in their property management to achieve system outcomes.

Ngā herenga – Requirements of the role

Personal specifications

• Over 10+ years’ experience in the property industry with an advanced understanding of strategy and investment management, preferably with a government property context.
• Comprehensive experience and examples of advisory services relating to sector standards for large property portfolios.
• Comprehensive experience in business operational processes and practices including setting organisational KPI’s.
• High degree of political nous and a strong working knowledge of the machinery of government with considerable experience in dealing with ambiguity in a complex and dynamic environment.
• A strategic outlook with the intellectual capability to analyse complex issues to deliver new insights and provide advice where needed.
• Demonstrated ability to critically analyse complex system performance opportunities and to recommend and design robust solutions.
• Capable of influencing and persuading others to accept a view, argument or action that promotes organisational success and achievement.
• Has demonstrated ability to influence senior leadership stakeholders to achieve the required outcome and able to provide examples of this.
• Ability to quickly establish and build strong working relationships and develop trust, credibility, buy-in and collaboration with managers, staff, and other stakeholders.
• Strong relationship management skills with the demonstrated experience of successfully managing relationships at a senior level.
• Excellent interpersonal skills; demonstrated by credibility, personal or collaborative influence, managing expectations and targeted persuasion.
• Excellent, oral, and written communications, including the ability to present complex issues clearly and concisely.
• A track record of developing and delivering professional guidance and advice and able to develop strong interpersonal skills including the ability to form trusted relationships and communicate to different stakeholders.

Qualifications

• A relevant tertiary qualification or equivalent knowledge, skills, and experience, and a commitment to ongoing professional development.
• Must have a legal right to live and work in New Zealand.

Takohanga tuhinga o mua – Key accountabilities and deliverables

Leadership and advice

• Provides high quality, influential and strategic advice on investment options, operational practices and standards that is robust and supports property system outcomes.
• Provide expert knowledge to review and analyse investment options and influence decision-making within the branch.

Strategy and planning

• Work with key staff in the team and the Government Property Office to:
  • Contribute to strategic directions and priorities.
  • Develop documents to support priorities ensuring all initiatives align with the overall strategy.
• Provide leadership in ensuring a creative, practical, and proactive approach to problem identification and resolution.
• Lead and communicate in a clear, persuasive, and impactful way; to convince others to embrace change and take action.

Business operations and standards

• Develop and implement key business and operational strategies, processes and policies, including supporting the setting and monitoring of organisational KPIs.
• Develop and implement sector standards, and guidance relevant to portfolio planning and leasing activities for government office accommodation.

Team leadership and management

• Establishes clear accountabilities, expectations and performance standards with direct reports and ensures regular performance management and development occurs.
• Monitors immediate individual and team performance to ensure that performance targets are met.
• Provides feedback to direct reports(s) on team and individual performance.
• Motivates immediate team members and gives them opportunities to participate.
• Coaches and develops immediate staff, where applicable, to meet the needs of MBIE now and in the future.
• Regularly monitors and reports on progress towards achievement of plans and strategies.
• Effectively and consistently identifies and manages risk.

Information and systems

• Work across the Strategy and Standards team to ensure the right data, information and insights are available to drive improvements in investment analysis, operational practices for the branch, and standards to support property system leadership with agency partners.
• Ensure the branch understands the importance of quality data to enable continuous improvement within its business strategy, operations, and standards.

Influence and improvement

• Work with the Engagement and Portfolio Management team to provide continuous improvements to investment decisions and performance, ensuring these align with the strategic direction.
• Demonstrated ability to influence senior leadership stakeholders and examples of influencing decisions.

Relationship management

• Develop and maintain relationships with internal and externals stakeholders, acting as a trusted advisor and providing ongoing guidance and assistance throughout the property investment lifecycle.
• Work through formal and informal networks across the public sector property system to promote an understanding and awareness on specific issues and ensure these perspectives are considered as part of the branch work programmes.
• Lead and influence complex and multiple relationships to take full advantage of the perspectives of external stakeholders.

Self-management

• Model’s positive behaviours.
• Models the desired values and culture of the organisation.
• Willingly shares knowledge, expertise and within the team and with others in the organisation.
• Acts with honesty and integrity.
• Welcomes feedback and is receptive to input from others.

Industry knowledge and networking

• Continuously updating knowledge and skills related to office accommodation property, investment strategies, industry regulations and standards, and emerging trends.
• Networking with industry (property and financial) professionals, attending conferences, and participating in professional development activities to stay at the forefront of the industry.

Wellbeing, health and safety

• Displays commitment through actively supporting all safety and wellbeing initiatives.
• Ensures own and others safety at all times.
• Complies with relevant safety and wellbeing policies, procedures, safe systems of work and event reporting.
• Reports all incidents/accidents, including near misses in a timely fashion.
• Is involved in health and safety through participation and consultation.

Tō tūranga i roto i te Manatū – Your place in the Ministry

The Lead Advisor Strategy, Operations and Standards position reports into the Head of Strategy and Standards in the Government Property Office. The branch sits within the Kānoa - Regional Development and Commercial Services group.

More information about MBIE’s structure

To mātou aronga – What we do for Aotearoa New Zealand

Hīkina Whakatutuki is the te reo Māori name for the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment. Hīkina means to uplift. Whakatutuki means to move forward, to make successful. Our name speaks to our purpose, Grow Aotearoa New Zealand for All.

To Grow Aotearoa New Zealand for All, we put people at the heart of our mahi. Based on the principles of Te Tiriti o Waitangi / The Treaty of Waitangi, we are committed to upholding authentic partnerships with Māori.

As agile public service leaders, we use our breadth and experience to navigate the ever-changing world. We are service providers, policy makers, investors and regulators. We engage with diverse communities, businesses and regions. Our work touches on the daily lives of New Zealanders. We grow opportunities (Puāwai), guard and protect (Kaihāpai) and innovate and navigate towards a better future (Auaha).

Ngā matatau – Our competencies

Cultivates innovation We create new and better ways for the organisation to be successful by challenging the status quo generating new and creative ideas and translating them into workable solutions.

Nimble learning We are curious and actively learn through experimentation when tackling new problems by learning as we go when facing new situations and challenges.

Customer focus We build strong customer relationships and deliver customer-centric solutions by listening and gaining insights into the needs of the communities we serve and actively seeking and responding to feedback.

Decision quality We make quality and timely decisions that shape the future for our communities and keep the organisation moving forward by relying on an appropriate mix of analysis, wisdom, experience, and judgement to make valid and reliable decisions.

Action oriented We step up, taking on new opportunities and tough challenges with purpose, urgency and discipline by taking responsibility, ownership and action on challenges, and being accountable for the results.

Collaborates We connect, working together to build partnerships with our communities, working collaboratively to meet shared objectives by gaining trust and support of others; actively seeking the views, experiences, and opinions of others and by working co-operatively with others across MBIE, the public sector and external stakeholder groups.

Te Tiriti o Waitangi

As an agency of the public service, MBIE has a responsibility to contribute to the Crown meeting its obligations under Te Tiriti o Waitangi (Te Tiriti). Meeting our commitment to Te Tiriti will contribute towards us realising the overall aims of Te Ara Amiorangi – Our Path, Our Direction, and achieve the outcome of Growing New Zealand for All. The principles of Te Tiriti - including partnership, good faith, and active protection – are at the core of our work. MBIE is committed to delivering on our obligations as a Treaty partner with authenticity and integrity and to enable Māori interests. We are committed to ensuring that MBIE is well placed to meet our obligations under the Public Service Act 2020 (Te Ao Tūmatanui) to support the Crown in strengthening the Māori/Crown Relationship under the Treaty and to build MBIE’s capability, capacity and cultural intelligence to deliver this.

Mahi i roto i te Ratonga Tūmatanui – Working in the public service

Ka mahitahi mātou o te ratonga tūmatanui kia hei painga mō ngā tāngata o Aotearoa i āianei, ā, hei ngā rā ki tua hoki. He kawenga tino whaitake tā mātou hei tautoko i te Karauna i runga i āna hononga ki a ngāi Māori i raro i te Tiriti o Waitangi. Ka tautoko mātou i te kāwanatanga manapori. Ka whakakotahingia mātou e te wairua whakarato ki ō mātou hapori, ā, e arahina ana mātou e ngā mātāpono me ngā tikanga matua o te ratonga tūmatanui i roto i ā mātou mahi.

In the public service we work collectively to make a meaningful difference for New Zealanders now and in the future. We have an important role in supporting the Crown in its relationships with Māori under the Treaty of Waitangi. We support democratic government. We are unified by a spirit of service to our communities and guided by the core principles and values of the public service in our work.

What does it mean to work in Aotearoa New Zealand’s Public Service?(external link) — Te Kawa Mataaho The Public Service Commission