Principal Advisor Contracts and Funding | Fixed Term | Wellington
Date: 21 Dec 2025
Location: Wellington, NZ
Company: Ministry of Social Development
- Shape strategic direction and thought leadership across Contracts and Funding
- Provide senior expertise, assurance and risk insight that drives decisions
- Fixed term ending 24 December 2026.
Partner directly with the Director in Contracts and Funding, providing strategic, technical and analytical leadership across our work programme.
About our team | Mō te tīma:
The Disability Support Services (DSS) Group is responsible for commissioning, funding, and stewarding high-quality services that support disabled people, their families, and whānau.
We’re building leadership and management capacity across our teams to deliver both change and business-as-usual effectively.
We work closely with providers, stakeholders, and communities to ensure services are fair, consistent, transparent and sustainable. With a strong focus on performance monitoring, data, and insights, we’re committed to continuous improvement and evidence-based decision-making.
It’s an exciting time to join DSS as we strengthen our systems and expand our capabilities.
We’re looking for passionate people to help us achieve our goals and make a meaningful impact.
About the role | Mō te tūnga:
The Contracts & Funding team leads contract management and provider relationship functions within DSS, ensuring engagements deliver value, manage risk, and support organisational objectives.
The team translates commissioning strategies into delivery, strengthening provider relationships, driving continuous improvement, and aligning practice with the Commissioning Framework to improve outcomes for disabled people.
Working closely with the Director Contracts and Funding you’ll develop and maintain broad knowledge across programmes, provide strategic advice and guidance, and identify group‑level risks, issues and opportunities to support the Director to deliver on accountabilities.
This fixed‑term role ends on 24 December 2026.
Key responsibilities include:
- Support the Director Contracts and Funding with strategy, business planning and reporting; contribute to the business unit planning and alignment with DSS’s priorities.
- Connect projects, programmes, design, implementation, planning, funding, monitoring and outcomes reporting—ensuring insights are shared and disseminated.
- Lead core thought leadership, provide senior technical advice and direction, and oversee well‑planned, well‑monitored projects that achieve strategic and operational objectives.
We value diversity and welcome applications from disabled people and those who have lived experience with whānau, or the disability community.
Please contact us if there is any support that we can provide to ensure the recruitment process is accessible to you.
What you bring | Ōu pūmanawatanga:
- Proven success providing technical leadership or senior commissioning expertise (procurement or contract management) across strategic and operational work.
- Experience leading and implementing capability uplift programmes.
- Demonstrated ability to gather evidence and improve systems and processes through practical solutions.
- Proficiency with a range of research, evidence and analytical methods, including emerging approaches and frameworks.
- Advanced critical thinking, judgement and written analysis—producing clear, insightful advice for diverse audiences.
- Deep understanding of commissioning for outcomes and the tools/resources required to implement it.
- Proven stakeholder engagement and influencing skills across providers, agencies and internal leadership.
Position Description | He Whakaahuatanga Tūnga:
A copy of the position description can be found here. Principal Advisor position description.
Salary | Utu-ā-tau: $142,874.00 - $177,798.00
Applications close | Ka kati ngā tono hei te: Monday 19 January 2026.
About us | Mō mātou:
The Ministry of Social Development (MSD) 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.
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.
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 Employees – please apply through your myHR portal at work. This will ensure that your myHR employee profile is visible as internal candidate.
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. You can find out more about our values here.
If you have any support or accessibility requirements, we encourage you to tell us when you apply so we can assist you through the recruitment process.
