Principal Advisor - Design and Planning

Principal Advisor – Design and Planning at Statistics NZ, Multiple Locations

• Permanent new role, make it your own, set the standard
• Opportunity for career growth and development
• Contribute to meaningful work that makes a difference to all people in Aotearoa

Stats NZ | Tatauranga Aotearoa is a Central Government employer of 1200+ people across Aotearoa. We provide data and statistics to support the decisions of Government, Māori and Iwi organisations, businesses, NGOs, and New Zealanders. Our work is About Aotearoa, for Aotearoa - data that improves lives today and for generations to come. We welcome every gender, ethnicity, ability, religion, age, and background and encourage all our people to be their authentic selves. The role | Te tūnga As the Principal Advisor - Design and Planning, you will support the Unit Manager in the formation, design, and strategic alignment of the unit, while also creating adaptable frameworks and solutions that can be applied across the organization. You will provide both unit-specific and organization-wide insights to optimize structures, processes, and resource allocation, ensuring alignment with broader organizational goals and enhancing overall operational effectiveness. This is a role for a systems and strategic thinker capable of:

• Identifying opportunities and driving change.
• Providing expert advice on design and optimization, and integration frameworks and workflows.
• Fostering innovation by reimagining how the unit collaborates internally and externally to maximise outcomes.
• Serving as a trusted deputy to the Unit Manager, contributing to decision making and representing the unit in cross-organisational forums.

The role will be based in Auckland, Christchurch or Wellington. Our ideal candidate will bring the following:

• A relevant tertiary qualification and/or equivalent relevant experience for this role.
• 10+ years of experience leading in role-specific function, with 3-4 years working in community based and/or diverse environments.
• Demonstrable research skills, ideally Boolean Search and experience using multiple sourcing platforms such as LinkedIn, Seek, Candidate Databases etc.
• Ability to take new methods, strategic directions and develop outlines of issues that need to be clarified before implementation.
• Ability to develop practice guidelines around new and original practices that enable other staff to work efficiently and consistently.
• Advanced ability to write a range of technical and research documents.
• Information and data governance.
• Familiarity with, or a commitment to learn and understand, Te Tiriti, Tikanga, Te Ao and Te Reo Māori.
• Demonstrated or encouraged diversity and inclusion in and/or outside of work.
• Examples where you've shown curiosity and tried new things, taken on other perspectives, challenged the norm, reflected on your own and other's behaviours, attitudes or motivations to learn.

We understand transferable skills can come from experience gained from outside of work. We encourage you to share all relevant experience irrespective of where it was gained in your application. We are committed to diversity, equity, inclusion and lifting our cultural capability. You don't need to be knowledgeable in all these areas already, but you do need to be on board with learning and have a genuine interest and willingness to grow on this journey with us. Tell us about yourself in your cover letter, what attracted you to this role, and what you would bring to Stats NZ. How to apply | Me pēhea te tuku tono If this sounds like you, click on the Apply now button to be redirected to the application page on our careers site. The position description is located on the right-hand side of the page. We will be screening applications as we receive them to move swiftly to interview. You may be asked to complete a pre-interview screen via phone or video. Please let us know in your application if we need to make any specific accommodations during our process. You must have the right to live and work in Aotearoa New Zealand. Background and various pre-employment checks are part of our recruitment process. Note to Recruitment Agencies: unsolicited CVs will not be accepted. #J-18808-Ljbffr