Senior Advisor Core Worker Exemption, Te Kāhui Kāhu

About the team | Mō te tīma

E ngā parirau amokura e ngā parirau atawhai, ko te reo karanga tēnei o ngā parirau o Te Kāhui Kāhu e karanga nei e mihi nei. Tēnā koutou katoa.

Te Kāhui Kāhu is a unit of approximately 85 people hosted by the Ministry of Social Development.

Our purpose is to help make sure social services are safe for New Zealanders to use. Our main role is to accredit social service providers on behalf of six government agencies that fund a range of social services across the motu.

We assess providers against a suite of accreditation standards relevant to the services they are delivering. This provides assurance to government, communities and service users, and helps providers to succeed. We want New Zealanders to be confident to use social services that help them live the lives they choose.

We work with providers that deliver a wide range of services such as care for children, family violence support services, reintegration and out-of-school care and recreation programmes. Our assessor team is supported by a national office team including senior analysts and advisers.

In addition to our accreditation work, we also facilitate the Core Worker Exemption process.

People apply for a Core Worker Exemption when they want to work with children but have been convicted of an offence in the Children’s Act that prohibits them from doing so.  We work with them to gather information and complete their application, then present it to a Chief Executive who decides whether or not to grant an exemption. 

We do interesting work that makes a difference, and we have an exciting work programme planned for the next three years.

Our people are diverse, and we care about each-other and the work we do. We offer a supportive and inclusive working environment where our people thrive. Come and join us!

Read more about us on our website

About the role | Mō te tūnga

The Senior Advisor Core Worker Exemption is part of our National Office team that supports our National Manager Strategy and Projects.

This is a busy role that will work alongside the current Senior Advisor Core Worker Exemption (CWE). We need someone who can hit the ground running to help ensure we continue to provide a timely, fair and professional service to people who apply for a CWE. The role includes:

• Managing and leading the CWE Process as the key point of contact for an applicant
• Managing and co-ordinating the cross-agency CWE Panel to ensure that robust recommendations are made to decision-makers, supported by a clear rationale
• Providing effective direction and support to the Panel and decision-makers
• Liaising with and providing high-quality, consistent advice on a range of specialist issues to key agencies and stakeholders
• Ensuring CWE service standards are met and exceeded
• Contributing to the monitoring and reporting of CWE functions. 

About you – Skills & Experience | Mōu – Ngā Pūkenga me ngā Wheako

To succeed in the role, you will need:

• Sound knowledge and understanding of the Children’s Act 2014 and its implications
• Demonstrated excellence in written and verbal communication, including the ability to present complex information in ways are clear and easy to understand
• Experience working directly with members of the public
• Proven successful experience in managing stakeholder relationship 
• Prior experience in advisory or policy capacity in the public sector
• In-depth understanding of the machinery of Government and political awareness
• Experience working with confronting and explicit information
• Understanding of privacy legislation and its implications
• Experience developing and in the delivery of training
• Experience advising and reporting to senior management
• A relevant tertiary qualification, preferably including subjects that require critical and analytical thinking as well as highly developed communication skills. Ideal core disciplines include education, business studies, legal or social work.

We’re committed to embedding Te Ao Māori across our work, and building capability to engage with whānau, hapū and iwi. This means applicants will need to demonstrate they have a knowledge of Te Ao Māori and a commitment to learn. We particularly welcome applications from people with experience in te reo and tikanga Māori.

In return, we offer a high energy, inclusive and supportive work environment with a great team culture, and opportunities for career development. 

Position Description | He Whakaahuatanga Tūnga

A copy of the position description can be found here. Senior Advisor position description

Salary range | Utu-ā-tau: $90,743.00 - $109,980.00

How to apply | Me pēhea te tuku tono

To apply, click the 'Apply Now' button to upload your CV, cover letter and complete the online application form. 

Note: Your cover letter will be a key part of our assessment process, so please highlight how your experience relates to the key responsibilities listed in the position description.

All applications must be made online. If this is not possible or if you have any queries, please contact us at jobs@msd.govt.nz.

Internal MSD kaimahi – please apply through your myHR portal at work. This will ensure that your myHR employee profile is visible as internal candidate.

Applications close | Ka kati ngā tono hei te: Wednesday 16 July 2025

Joining us | Ko te hono mai

Joining MSD means being part of a whānau that celebrates the diversity each individual represents.  We show manaaki, we care about the wellbeing and success of people and want everyone to thrive, and be who they are in a supportive and inclusive working environment. We work together to make a difference for communities while doing the right thing with integrity. We are a Treaty partner committed to strengthening relationships with Māori, Hapū, Iwi and communities to realise their own potential and aspirations.

If you have any support or access requirements, we encourage you to tell us when you apply so we can assist you through the recruitment process.

MSD has a COVID-19 vaccination policy that encourages, but does not require, employees to be fully vaccinated for COVID-19 and its variants, unless the role is identified as requiring vaccination at the time.