Principal Advisor - Whaikaha
Date: 25 May 2023
Location: Wellington, NZ
Company: Ministry of Social Development
About us
Whaikaha - Ministry of Disabled People focuses on listening to and partnering with disabled people, so that they can inform policies and practices and make decisions themselves on the supports that will enable them to live their own good lives; enhancing their mana and self-determination.
The Ministry’s mandate is to provide thought leadership and stewardship across the public service on policy settings relating to disabled people. It supports government agencies to better contribute to positive outcomes for disabled people, tāngata whaikaha Māori, Pacific disabled people, their families and communities.
Whaikaha represents an exciting opportunity to make a real difference for disabled people, tāngata whaikaha Māori, Pacific disabled people, their families and communities. The call for “Nothing about us, without us” is an integral part in the operation of this agency.
Principal Advisor - Whaikaha (2 Positions)
• Make a real difference to Disabled People and their whānau
• Based Wellington
• One Permanent opportunity
• One fixed term / secondment (9 months)
About the Roles
This is an exciting opportunity to be part of the new Whaikaha - Ministry of Disabled People. The Quality and Performance team are expanding and are looking for two Principal Advisors to join the team (one permanent, one fixed term). The Quality and Performance Team leads projects and operates several mechanisms to check that Whaikaha funded providers are delivering high quality disability support and are keeping disabled people safe from abuse and neglect.
In this role you will have the opportunity to contribute to improving the quality of Whaikaha funded disability supports. The Principal Advisor leads the design and implementation of strategic improvements to the quality of the disability support system in line with Te Tiriti and the Enabling Good Lives (EGL) vision and principles. The role also supports improvements for individual disabled people through the delivery of quality mechanisms for Whaikaha.
In this role you will listen to the voices of disabled people and work with representatives from the disability community to develop insights, learning and improvements to the quality of Whaikaha funded disability support, now and in the future.
Join us and bring your proven skills at:
• leading the design and implementation of operational policy or quality mechanisms
• using evidence to inform improvements, preferably evidence from the experiences of disabled people, evaluations, audits or data
• written communication
• working collaboratively with the team and the community, engaging others and leading with influence
• An understanding of the Enabling Good Lives principles and approach, Te Tiriti o Waitangi, and the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disability.
Bring your enthusiasm, agility, and high work ethic to this busy and important role.
To undertake this role successfully the incumbent will be a disabled person, or have credibility and trust with the disability community, or a commitment to understanding the unique and diverse experiences of disabled people.
Position Description
Salary range: $113,999.00 - $168,999.00
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.
Internal Whaikaha Employees – please apply through your myHR portal at work. This will ensure that your employee profile is visible as an internal candidate.
Whilst our preference is for all job applications to be completed online, we are committed to making our application process accessible to everyone. If you require any support or assistance that would facilitate your participation in this process, please contact us at jobs@msd.govt.nz
Closing date: 11 June 2023
Thank you for your interest in working at Whaikaha - Ministry of Disabled People. The information you give us in your application form(s), and at any further stage of your application will be shared with relevant Whaikaha staff involved in our recruitment processes.
In addition, we often involve members of our relevant community reference groups and partnerships in our application screening, assessment, interviewing and selection process. When this happens, we will need to share the information you have given us as part of your application process with these groups, for those purposes.
Joining us
Joining Whaikaha – Ministry of Disabled People means being part of a whānau that celebrates the diversity each individual represents. 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. We work together to make a difference for the disabled people, tāngata whaikaha Māori, Pacific disabled people, their families and communities while doing the right thing with integrity. We are committed to the application of Te Tiriti o Waitangi in all levels of its work.
We partner with the disabled people, tāngata whaikaha Māori, Pacific disabled people, their families and communities and are committed to strengthening relationships with tāngata whaikaha (disabled people), māori, hapū, iwi and communities to provide them with and voice, and realise their own potential and aspirations.
We believe in a diverse and inclusive Ministry which reflects the communities that we serve and have flexible working and reasonable accommodation policies in place to support people.
Whaikaha has adopted the Ministry of Social Development's (host agency) COVID-19 vaccination policy. This policy applies to all Whaikaha employees and 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.
