Senior Policy Analyst

About us | Mō mātou

The Ministry of Social Development / Te Manatū Whakahiato Ora (MSD) is a people-centred organisation. We work 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.

MSD is transforming how it delivers services to New Zealanders. This is more than system or process change — it is about improving how people experience our services and ensuring we can deliver policy changes faster, more safely and more consistently over time.

A Transformation Policy function has been established to ensure that as MSD modernises services and systems, policy intent, legislative settings and Ministerial expectations are deliberately and consistently reflected in emerging design and delivery decisions.

About the role | Mō te tūnga

We are seeking experienced and motivated Senior Policy Analysts to join our newly established Transformation Policy team.

This role offers the opportunity to work on complex, system‑level policy issues that shape how MSD policy operates in practice. Reporting to a Director and working closely with Principals, you will contribute to policy advice and analysis that supports large‑scale change across the Ministry.

Transformation Policy sits alongside — but does not own — delivery and technical design. The team’s role is to bring policy judgement, analysis and guardrails into transformation work early, so that decisions taken at pace remain grounded in statutory intent, government priorities and equity considerations.

As a Senior Analyst, you will work across a range of transformation‑related policy issues, contribute to cross‑cutting policy architecture, and engage directly with design and delivery activity to understand and test emerging approaches.

This is a strong development opportunity for an analyst who enjoys ambiguity, works well across disciplines, and wants exposure to how policy choices translate into real‑world service outcomes.

In this role, you will:

• Provide high‑quality analysis and advice on complex policy issues arising from service and system transformation.
• Support the development of policy foundations and “guardrails” that guide design and delivery teams.
• Test emerging design and operational approaches against policy intent, legislative settings and Ministerial expectations.
• Contribute to cross‑functional work with service design, delivery, legal and technical colleagues.
• Identify and clearly articulate policy implications, trade‑offs and risks, escalating where appropriate.
• Draft clear, concise and fit‑for‑purpose advice for a range of audiences, including senior leaders.
• Contribute to peer review, capability building and a positive team culture within the Transformation Policy function.

What you bring | Ōu pūmanawatanga

We are looking for a Senior Policy Analyst who brings strong judgement, curiosity and the ability to work through complexity.

You are likely to bring:

• Senior-level policy experience, with the ability to lead significant programmes of work and deliver high-quality advice in complex environments.
• Strong analytical and critical thinking skills, sound judgement, and the ability to work through trade-offs where information may be incomplete.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to translate complexity into clear implications, options and recommendations for senior leaders.
• Strong relationship-building skills and the ability to work effectively across disciplines and organisational boundaries.
• Leadership capability, including coaching and developing others and contributing to a positive, high-performing team culture.
• Action orientation — you can progress work at pace while maintaining quality and integrity.

Experience working in and around large programmes of change, operational policy, legislative settings or service design would be an advantage, but is not essential. We are most interested in how you think, how you work with others, and how you apply judgement.

You’ll also have a commitment to Māori and to building capability in Te Tiriti analysis and applying Māori frameworks in policy advice.

Position Description | He Whakaahuatanga Tūnga

Please view the position description here: Senior Policy Analyst position description

Salary | Utu-ā-tau: $113,496.00 - $137,794.00