Lead Advisor - Safe, Strong Families and Communities
Date: 24 Mar 2025
Location: Wellington, NZ
Company: Ministry of Social Development
About us
The Ministry of Social Development is a people-centred organisation. We’re in communities across the motu, working with partners to help New Zealanders be safe, strong and independent.
We provide social policy and advice to government and assistance, including income, employment and housing support to people of all ages, families, whānau and communities.
As a Te Tiriti o Waitangi partner we are committed to supporting and enabling Māori, whānau, hapū, Iwi and communities to realise their own potential and aspirations.
Our people are as diverse as the communities we serve. We care about the wellbeing and success of our people and provide a supportive and inclusive working environment where people can thrive and be who they are.
Lead Advisor - Safe, Strong Families and Communities
• Varied, challenging and a highly rewarding role
• Permanent opportunity
• Wellington based
About the Team / Mō te tīma
Safe, Strong Families and Communities at MSD supports a wide range of programmes and initiatives aimed at preventing and reducing vulnerability and harm for individuals, whānau and communities. We also fund and manage several key relationships with the social services sector.
Our ongoing work programme currently has a big focus on leading MSD’s response to family violence, sexual violence, building the financial capability of people in hardship, and improving access to services for disabled people as well as for rural and isolated communities.
About the Role / Mō te tūnga
As a Lead Advisor, you will be responsible for providing operational and strategic leadership for key programmes, projects and initiatives within SSFC.
The role will involve leading the design and implementation of social services, informed by data, insights and stakeholder consultation. You will develop strategic relationships across agencies, and provide thought leadership on strategy, policy, and operational issues relating to the initiatives and services you are responsible for.
Alongside the Team Leader, you will hold an end-to-end strategic overview across the workstreams to guide the overarching direction of the work programme. You will set the standard for the quality of the work produced by the team, and will coach junior staff, particularly to develop their ability to use data and evidence to inform service enhancement.
Skills and experience/ Mōu – Ngā Pūkenga me ngā Wheako
We are seeking an experienced, positive and proactive strategic guru, with relevant prior experience in developing community and social services, or within the social commissioning cycle.
You will be a strategic guru with excellent relationship management skills and an ability to deal with pressure. You will be able to demonstrate a strong ability to develop practical solutions for complex problems with multiple stakeholders, with a focus on getting the job done!
To be successful in the role you will:
- Have sound experience using data and insights to inform strategy, service development and improvement
- Be able to demonstrate strong leadership and mentoring capabilities within a team environment
- Have the ability to lead a complex work programme in pursuit of a key goal or outcome involving a wide range of key stakeholders
- Be comfortable with ambiguity but be able to define a path through that ambiguity
- Be able to plan and manage delivery to agreed timelines
- Have a demonstrated ability of working collaboratively but also to influence and manage the expectations of others as required
- Lead and manage reporting to senior and executive internal MSD management
- Be an innovative thinker that can provide practical solutions for complex issues
If this sounds like you, and you’re ready to either take a step up, or take on the next set of challenges in your career, then we want to hear from you!
Position Description
Salary range: $103,071.00 - $128,265.00
How to apply
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 Employees – please apply through your myHR portal at work. This will ensure that your myHR employee profile is visible as internal candidate.
Closing date: Sunday 6th April, 2025.
Joining us
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.
