Head of Engagement and Portfolio Management

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 Head of Engagement and Portfolio Management leads the Government Property Office’s portfolio planning and engagement function to deliver system level portfolio planning for government office accommodation. Reporting to the General Manager and as a member of the leadership team, the role will ensure the planning and engagement function connects internally and externally to achieve system outcomes. The function must establish effective engagement and practice, to work closely with and lead agencies to meet their agency property requirements within the broader mandate to deliver on system-based outcomes (e.g. efficiencies, savings, cost avoidance, public sector ways of working).

The position manages a team of property specialists to undertake the strategic planning, financial analysis, agency engagement and lease negotiation work required to achieve and demonstrate realisation of the savings.

Ngā herenga – Requirements of the role

Personal specifications

• Must have 15+ years managing an extensive property portfolio ideally in the Government sector.
• Significant experience in office accommodation transformation and leadership, highly tuned senior-stakeholder engagement skills and political nous
• The ability to bring whole system perspective to build strong agency relationships based on trust and credibility and use this to influence agencies to approve options that are also achieve system outcomes.
• Extensive experience in large scale, complex office accommodation portfolio planning and delivery of detailed portfolio management and restacking plans with full cost benefit analysis.
• Extensive experience in planning considering both supply and demand side dynamics, taking a 5 – 20 year view.
• Considerable experience working with occupier/corporate real estate portfolios and understanding how property supports wider business objectives.
• Demonstratable competency in building credibility with a wide range of public sector agencies to foster cooperation and commitment to deliver on project outcomes.
• Highly developed skills in addressing conflicting and competing organisational preferences and negotiating resolutions that meet broader system and project outcomes (e.g. efficiencies, savings, and cost avoidance).
• Influence at very senior levels, both within government and within industry, enabled by a strong understanding of the priorities for each and the dynamics at play.
• An in-depth understanding of how government works, how broader government goals are translated into government office property requirements along with strong existing relationships with public service leaders.
• A comprehensive understanding of how government office accommodation fits within the property system, as well as a strategic outlook and experience managing a diverse and large number of commercial properties.
• Strong problem-solving skills, including the ability to bring innovative and effective options to the table.
• Advanced knowledge of building performance specifications, design, integration and construction delivery processes relevant to complex portfolio planning.
• Excellent negotiation and communication skills, both written and verbal, relationship building and management skills with the ability to engage effectively with stakeholders in a range of complex situations.
• Excellent financial and commercial acumen when applied to key property and investment decisions.
• Demonstrated ability to uphold Te Tiriti o Waitangi including appropriate understanding of current Government policy, tangata whenua perspectives and community views on Te Tiriti.
• Demonstrated ability to lead Te Tiriti responsiveness within the context of the Government Property Office.
• Analytical mindset with the ability to analyse market data, financial reports, and lease terms to make informed decisions and to use these to drive portfolio planning.
• A commitment to achieving results, and the ability to effectively prioritise workloads in a fast paced and changing environment.
• Proven ability to contribute as a member of a high performing team, encouraging an innovative and continuous learning culture with a strong focus on service delivery and solutions.
• Sound knowledge of property law, health and safety legislation and tenant / landlord obligations.
• Willingness to travel throughout New Zealand when required.

Other

• A tertiary qualification in a property discipline (or equivalent) would be beneficial.
• Must have a legal right to live and work in New Zealand.

Takohanga tuhinga o mua – Key accountabilities and deliverables

Engagement and Portfolio Planning

• Provides overall oversight and leadership of the Engagement and Portfolio Management Team.
• Leads advice on complex, ambiguous multi-agency issues with significant sensitivity and risk, and provides authoritative and frank policy advice that recognises the choices and constraints Ministers face, anticipates needs, predicts and plans for potentially controversial or politically sensitive issues.
• Builds and maintains effective, executive-level and strategic working relationships across government and industry for project success.
• Partners with the General Manager to align the project with the strategic agenda at a portfolio level.
• Oversee a framework for managing stakeholder engagement and change.
• Provide guidance, mentoring and support to the team to ensure that the project is delivered effectively, including in the production of any collateral or communications.
• Maintain a forward agenda, identifying opportunities and risks for the project and, where risks exist, recommending mitigations to the GM/Governance Group.

Portfolio Planning

• Develop and implement comprehensive portfolio and restack plans to maximise occupancy across government’s office accommodation portfolio. The plans to include full cost benefit analysis. 
• Develop medium to long term strategy/strategies (5 – 20 years) for the government office accommodation portfolio, including a roadmap for delivery.
• Develop / source (within fiscal constraints) and implement a methodology / tool to analyse market data, financial reports, and lease terms to enable government to make informed decisions and to use these to drive portfolio planning.
• Implement a high degree of connection, engagement and influence with senior officials and property heads within agencies to maximise cooperation based on a sound and credible understanding of agency needs, and a demonstrated commitment to meet these within the context of system outcomes.
• Establish and maintain effective relationships with a high degree of connection, engagement and influence (internally and externally) with individuals or groups to support business and market knowledge and the commercial management of the office accommodation portfolio.
• Conduct market research to identify potential government office accommodation opportunities, evaluate market conditions, and stay updated on competitive properties, industry trends, and prevailing market conditions. Provide the commercial inputs and commercial context for business cases.
• Work with the Portfolio Leasing Managers to monitor all existing leases and key milestones including managing the property and lease database and reporting to enable decision making well in advance of lease expiry and rent review dates. Ensure that the portfolio and stack plans enable government lease negotiation activities to be well anticipated, planned for, and delivered in partnership with agencies in a timely manner.
• Use commercial procurement processes (while adhering to government’s rules of sourcing) to locate suitable office accommodation, undertake appropriate due diligence, and provide commercial recommendations for the property System.
• Demonstrate the minimisation of government risk through effective portfolio planning and agency engagement.
• Work with the Property Information team to monitor and analyse leasing performance metrics, including occupancy rates, lease expirations, rental rates, and market trends, to identify opportunities for improvement and develop portfolio action plans accordingly.
• Maintain a strong understanding of changing organisational or workplace needs and customer expectations.
• Contribute to the fostering of a team culture based on respect for others, teamwork, fun and mutual support, resilience, innovative thinking, and the achievement of meaningful results.

Leadership

• Provide day-to-day leadership, management and HR responsibility for direct reports.
• Foster an open, collaborative environment that encourages quality, innovation, on-going learning and knowledge sharing within the team and across MBIE.
• Provide intellectual support and coach others on relationship management, monitoring, government systems and knowledge of institutional practice.
• Create a positive and delivery-focussed culture within the team, which is open to taking risks and learning lessons from failure, and where diverse views and perspectives are sought out and considered.
• Model MBIE’s values and culture.

Relationship Management

• Builds and maintains effective relationships and partnerships with internal and external stakeholders, including senior leaders and ministers across the public service in order to ensure effective project delivery.
• Builds strategic alliances with key government and non-government representatives to ensure MBIE’s views are influential in their decision-making.
• Develops effective working relationships with other MBIE managers and staff in order to deliver the project of work and transfer knowledge and learning from the team to the wider organisation.
• Represents whole-of-Ministry views and protects its reputation in any external interactions.

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 Head of Engagement and Portfolio Management reports into the General Manager, Government Property Office. The branch sits within the Kānoa - Regional Development and Commercial Services group.

More information about MBIE's structure

Matatautanga – Competencies (Leadership Success Profile)

The Leadership Success Profile (LSP) is a leadership capability framework, developed by the New Zealand public sector for the New Zealand public sector. It creates a common language for leadership and establishes what great leadership looks like. You can look at the twelve underpinning capabilities and four leadership characters here: Leadership Success Profile | Te Kawa Mataaho Public Service Commission(external link)

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).

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