Principal Policy Advisor

Ehara taku toa i te toa takitahi, engari he toa takitini.Success is not the work of one, but the work of many. Te Haeata/The Opportunity Are you an experienced policy professional? Do you want to lead work to help solve complex problems that impact the lives of New Zealanders?The Ministry of Justice has an ambitious and fast-paced work programme.

Work in the Justice Policy Group is wide ranging, with opportunities to shape thinking and drive legislative change across the justice sector and all of government. We work at the interface of the executive, parliamentary and judicial branches of government. Our work is interesting and challenging, with a chance to apply your critical thinking and relationship management skills.

Principal Advisors in the Policy Group bring deep policy experience to fill key leadership roles within our teams. They support capability, provide authoritative advice, and lead programmes of work on complex and sensitive issues across Criminal Justice policy, Courts and Justice Services policy, and Civil and Constitutional policy.

We have fixed-term positions available, including working on:Anti-Money Laundering policy - until end of June 2027ensuring a more effective, intelligence-led and risk-based anti-money laundering and countering financing of terrorism system for New Zealand.Law Enforcement policy - until end of October 2027ensuring law enforcement have the tools they need to maintain public safety and investigate crime, and that appropriate checks and balances are in place.

We are open to filling these roles through inter-agency secondments. Ō pūkenga/Skills and Experience. We are seeking applicants with proven policy skills. If you have experience as a thoughtful problem solver and you work well as part of a team, then we want to hear from you.Successful candidates will demonstrate:leadership skills

• Experience in leading others in significant policy projects, and applying a coaching approach to enhance the capability of advisors and senior advisorsadvisory skills
• Extensive knowledge of machinery of government and public policy, and the ability to think critically and anticipate risks and test analysescommunication skills
• Excellent written and oral communication skills - in particular, the ability to present complex issues in an accessible way, ask questions to improve understanding, and influence decision-makersrelationship skills
• Strong skills in engaging diverse internal and external stakeholders, and incorporating their perspectives. In return, we will:support your well-being and professional development,empower you to coach others, and be coached by experienced policy professionals, andprovide opportunities to work on a broad range of important and challenging policy problems.Successful candidates will have a relevant tertiary qualification, knowledge, skills, and experience. Experience with the legislative process would be an advantage but is not essential. Treaty of Waitangi/te Tiriti o Waitangi analysis skills are highly desirable.Applicants must have the right to work in New Zealand. This role is based at National Office in Wellington, so we are not able to consider applications for full-time remote work. We're open to discussing flexible working options that work for both you and the business. Mō mātou/About us. At Te Tāhū o te Ture - the Ministry of Justice, we're committed to strengthening people's trust in the law of Aotearoa, New Zealand.Joining Te Tāhū o te Ture means you will become part of an organisation that welcomes and supports people of all gender identities, ages, ethnicities, sexual orientations, disabilities and religions. Ngā painga o tēnei wāhi mahi/What's great about working here. We offer you a range of benefits to support your wellbeing and help make the Ministry a great place to be. These include:4 weeks holiday leaveflexible work hours where possiblean online professional development portal, andaccess to a variety of inclusive and proactive networks.See our full range of benefits here. Utu ā-tau/Salary. The appointing salary for this role will be between $130,129 to $168,062 based on skills and experience. Tono mai/Apply. To apply, click the Apply button below to be directed to our Careers Website. You can view detailed position description here, as well as complete an online application form by attaching your CV and cover letter.Applications close on Wednesday 11 November. We may review CVs as they come in and invite candidates to interview before the close date.If you have any questions, please contact [email protected]. Follow us on LinkedIn