Practice Lead - Technology Delivery Leadership, Wellington

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.

The Improvement, Systems and Technology Group (IST) collaborates and enables MSD people(staff) and partners with effective technology and expertise so that:

• New Zealanders can access essential support and social services
• MSD can respond fast to Government direction, policy settings, emergency events, and changing public needs
• MSD can improve its services by enabling modern and digital capabilities to become a more responsive organisation.

IST also supports Whaikaha – Ministry of Disabled People, Mana Mokopuna – Children and Young People’s Commission, the Social Investment Agency and Oranga Tamariki – Ministry for Children.

IST is transforming and organising itself into a platform and capabilities model for delivery of business services with newly established platform teams requiring passionate, driven, and experienced technology leaders to pave the way and support MSD’s transformation.

Practice Lead - Technology Delivery Leadership

This role sits in the recently established the IST Technology Delivery Practice where we have adopted a matrix management approach in which team members are assigned to projects and programmes as required. This role is focused on developing the Delivery practice. You will work collaboratively with senior leaders and be responsible for driving the continuous improvement to our ways of working.

As a Practice Lead you are tasked with delivering value and continually strengthening skills and processes pertaining to the Practice within MSD. Practice Leads are accountable primarily for supporting the people within the team and ensuring that we maximise how our resources are deployed. Ideally you will be familiar with supporting a delivery practice within a large complex organisation.

On any given day you could be working on:

• Providing specialist, expertise, research, skills and knowledge for technology practice and policies.
• Driving continuous improvement in people and processes within the Practice.
• Leading the design and development of change methodologies and plans.
• Assessing and managing training needs of the team.

To be considered for our Practice Lead role you will need to demonstrate:

• A high level of hands-on delivery experience matched with an excellent understanding of the most common project delivery methodologies.
• Depth of experience in the creation of templates and artefacts.
• Good team leadership skills. The successful candidate will have responsibility for running meetings, helping set priorities for team development and driving process improvements.
• Proven ability to build and develop a high performing community that champions best practice and strengthens capabilities.
• Manage and measure the effective assignment of resources across multiple workstreams within IST.
• A strong passion for building culture and high-performing teams.
• Experience of common project tools and software.
• Excellent written, verbal and interpersonal skills.

If you’re looking for a challenging role that will make a lasting impact then we want to hear from you. Apply today!

Position Description

https://www.msd.govt.nz/hr/documents/position-descriptions/dce-transformation/improvement-systems-and-technology/practice-lead.docx

Salary range: $136,420.00 - $169,767.00

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 an internal candidate.

Closing date: Tuesday 13 May 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.