Commissioning Senior Advisor - Wellington

Ko wai mātou | About us

Our purpose is to shift the system using data and evidence, so that the system invests earlier and more effectively to improve the lives of New Zealanders. We focus our efforts on where we can make the greatest impact to lead, and we collaborate with agencies and stakeholders to shine a light on policy issues that fall between the gaps. As a central government agency, our people are our centre. They’re curious, agile and hardworking, and instinctively care about the wellbeing of others. We are committed to a safe and inclusive workplace and we value the diversity everyone brings. We embrace our diverse workforce and culture, and we support flexible working arrangements.

We welcome applications from everyone, regardless of gender identity, age, ethnicity, sexual orientation, disability, or religion. 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.

It’s an exciting time to join the Social Investment Agency as we lead change across the public service to implement social investment and support Government to achieve better outcomes from social sector spending.

Kōrero mō te tūranga | About the role - He kōrero mōu | About you

We are recruiting for three appointment types within the Commissioning Senior Advisor function. All roles sit under the same position description and require strong commissioning capability, comfort with ambiguity, excellent relationship skills, and alignment with our organisational values.

• Permanent Roles – Core Commissioning
• Secondment or Fixed Term (2nd February – 26th June 2026) Service Design or Contracting Focus

Senior Advisor Roles – Core Commissioning (Permanent)

We are looking for candidates who can operate confidently in a dynamic commissioning environment and build strong, values-aligned relationships with communities, providers, iwi and Māori partners.

Key criteria:

• Ability to work with ambiguity in a fast-paced environment
• Strong relationship management and collaboration skills
• Values-driven and relationship-focused approach
• Experience engaging with providers, iwi, and Māori organisations
• Confidence managing relational contracts and supporting provider performance
• Stakeholder engagement and partnership building
• Strong communication skills (written and verbal)
• High attention to detail and commitment to quality delivery

Senior Advisor – Service Design Focus (Secondment Opportunities)

We are looking for candidates with analytical, design, or conceptual skills who can shape service models, logic frameworks, and commissioning approaches across social sector contexts.

Key criteria:

• Ability to work with ambiguity in a fast-moving environment
• Experience in developing service models and service specifications
• Ability to develop Theories of Change and logic models
• Understanding of, or experience designing / co-designing, models of care
• Ability to translate complex or sector-specific information for non-technical audiences
• Experience engaging across government agencies
• Subject-matter familiarity in areas such as:
• Family violence / sexual violence
• First 2,000 days
• Referral pathways
• Ability to support agreement of short, medium, and long-term indicators

Senior Advisor – Contracting Focus (Secondment Opportunities)

We are looking for candidates with strong contracting, commercial, or commissioning operations experience.

Key criteria:

• Ability to work with ambiguity in a fast-paced environment
• Experience with social sector contracts and contracting approaches
• Strong understanding of terms and conditions and the legal requirements of contracts
• Experience reviewing, analysing, drafting, and editing agreements
• Ability to support contract negotiation and provider discussions
• Confidence translating legal or contractual information into business context
• Ability to tailor contractual advice for different audiences

Utu ā-tau | Salary

Band 17: $106,760 - $125,600 - $150,720 (usually offers are made between $106,760  and $125,600)

Tono mai | How to Apply

To apply for this role please click the ‘Apply Now’ button and follow the online process. To view a copy of the position description please click here - http://www.msd.govt.nz/hr/documents/position-descriptions/social-investment-agency/commissioning-senior-advisor.docx

Applications close at 11:59pm on Tuesday 23 December 2025; however, we will review applications as they come in and may invite people to interview before the close date. We are looking to move quickly with these roles and will begin interviewing from 9 January 2026. We are open to virtual interviews to accommodate leave and travel over the summer period. In addition to this we are looking to appoint from the end of Janaury 2026.

We also reserve the right to close the vacancy early if ideal candidates are found before the close date.   If you have any questions, please email peopleandculture@sia.govt.nz. We look forward to receiving your application