Principal Advisor Risk and Assurance
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Tēnei tūranga – About the role
At the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment, our focus is to grow Aotearoa New Zealand for all – we put people at the heart of our mahi. We are currently seeking a Principal Advisor, Risk and Assurance to be part of our small, friendly, and close-knit Planning, Risk and Assurance team. This team fulfils a key function, supporting and enabling the newly established Corporate and Digital Shared Services (CDSS) Group.
As a Principal Advisor, you will play a key role in this new CDSS Group as we seek to embed risk management and assurance into the wider performance story. This means understanding good risk and assurance practice and how this can be pragmatically applied across a range of teams from data and analytics, to technology and architecture, to project and programme management as well as finance, people, and wellbeing and health and safety.
While the team also oversees a compliance and assurance function, the primary purpose of this role is to provide leadership, oversight, and direction as we extend current risk practices across the new group and move to business-as-usual. You will need to demonstrate extensive experience in risk management and will have a strong focus on building trust and credibility with a diverse range of stakeholders.
Ngā herenga – Requirements of the role
Personal specifications
- In depth knowledge and 5+ years’ experience in risk management, additional understanding of assurance is desired
- A strategic and analytical thinker who can make connections between various aspects of the organisation and the implications for the Group
- Proven experience in the development and continuous improvement of complex risk management practices and processes
- Ability to quickly establish and build strong working relationships and develop trust and credibility with managers, staff, vendors and other stakeholders
- Excellent communication skills – both verbal and written particularly business writing and reporting
Qualifications
- A relevant tertiary qualification is desirable.
Other
- Must have the legal right to live and work in New Zealand.
Takohanga tuhinga o mua – Key accountabilities and deliverables
The responsibilities of this position may change over time as MBIE responds to changing needs and the new Corporate and Digital Shared Services Group is established. The incumbent will need the flexibility to adapt and develop as the environment evolves.
Delivers quality results which contribute to the Ministry’s outcomes
- Responsible for managing and improving CDSS’s approach to risk management (aligned with MBIE’s Risk framework) and assurance
- Provides strategic risk advice to CDSS Leadership Team, assisting with the identification and management of risk
- Provides expert advice on compliance and internal control related matters to senior managers and staff that is timely and pragmatic
- Works with policy owners to define compliance obligations that will form the basis of internal policies
- Works closely with 1st line Risk and Assurance teams and 2nd line Functional Risk Leads to ensure there is appropriate compliance monitoring in place to assess the state of compliance across the Ministry
- Supports and implements the work programme to lift compliance capability and culture across MBIE, including taking the lead on specific initiatives and engagement with key stakeholder groups
- Conducts root-cause identification of significant issues or areas of non-compliance identified
- Works with corporate risk and assurance teams to ensure commitments made to address audit findings are delivered on, and work adheres to risk and assurance policy and best practice
- Leads by example by displaying and encouraging behaviours essential to the delivery of a strong risk management, assurance, and compliance culture
- Provide intellectual leadership by bringing new ideas and knowledge to discussions to provide sound, high quality, impartial advice
Customer focus
- Identifies the needs or expectations of customers
- Treats internal customers with the same courtesies they would extend to external customers
- Works hard to meet customer deadlines
- Always looks to improve service
- Maintains professionalism
Relationship management
- Participates as an active team member and contributes knowledge and expertise needed to achieve MBIE’s outcomes
- Develops effective working relationships with other MBIE managers and staff in order to transfer knowledge and learning from the team to the wider organisation
- Builds and maintains effective relationships and partnerships with internal and external stakeholders
- Represents whole-of-Ministry views and protects its reputation in any external interactions
Action oriented
- Takes responsibility for own work
- Self-starter
- Seeks input if required
- Recognises and acts on opportunities
Self-management
- Models 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
Key relationships
- CDSS Business managers and risk coordinators
- Policy owners
- CDSS Deputy Secretary and General Managers
- Enterprise Risk and Assurance Branch
- Internal Assurance
- MBIE risk, assurance, and compliance network
Wellbeing, health & 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 Principal Advisor Risk and Assurance position reports into the Manager Group Risk and Assurance within the Planning Risk and Assurance branch. The branch sits within the Corporate and Digital Shared Services Group.
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