Manager Employment Standards Policy

Discover a career with purpose at MBIE

Discover a career with purpose at MBIE
- Do you want to directly impact the lives of all New Zealanders?
- Do you enjoy working collaboratively to ensure that policy decisions are well informed and fit for purpose?
- Permanent position, Wellington based, salary range $146K - $183K Tēnei tūranga - About the role:
The Manager, Employment Standards Policy plays a significant role in the regulation of work in New Zealand. You’ll lead a team with a policy programme that directly impacts on the lives of most New Zealanders, and that includes projects such as dependent contractors, drafting the new Holidays Act and providing advice to Cabinet on setting the minimum wage. To do this, you’ll have regulatory policy experience and be well versed in the machinery of government. Knowledge of the labour market and the employment relations and employment standards systems is an added bonus, as is experience working closely with a regulator.

The Workplace Relations and Safety Policy branch operates as a team and not as a hierarchy. You’ll be responsible for signing out your team’s advice and will have plenty of opportunities to discuss it directly with Ministers. You’ll lead a team that is fully staffed (which is rare these days) with smart and committed policy professionals with excellent policy craft skills and domain knowledge. We are looking for a leader who will provide them with a positive and engaging work environment in which they can thrive and continue to address some of the tricky policy issues that impact New Zealand’s businesses and workers.

Given the unique tripartite nature of the employment system, you will be experienced working collaboratively and alongside others, including Māori. You’ll be up for leading a full and interesting work programme that spans multiple Ministers and attracts significant attention.

**As Manager you are responsible for**:

- Setting strategy for the team, driving the work programme and allocating resources to maximise the contribution that the team makes to MBIE outcomes and government goals
- Effectively influencing, and contributing to, the authorising environment for the team’s work, through building and maintaining enduring relationships with senior stakeholders
- Building and enhancing the overall capability of the team to ensure quality analysis and advice
- Maintaining a high-performing policy and analysis team through good recruitment and performance management, and by developing and maintaining a culture of learning and development, safety and wellbeing within the team
- Leading relationships and team engagement with policy directors, fellow policy managers and teams across the broader labour market policy environment within MBIE
- The collective leadership of the Workplace Relations and Safety Policy branch.

You will work closely with the policy directors in the branch, and the wider leadership team, to support a high performing and evidence-based branch that is a great place to work, that develops our people, that has an enabling and inclusive culture and that solves gnarly problems for New Zealand’s benefit.

Ngā pukenga me ngā wheako e hiahiatia ana - Skills and experience required:
To be successful in this role you will be an experienced policy leader. You’ll lead with vision and purpose and work well with partners on policy and implementation. A strong understanding of the labour market and the employment relations and employment standards policy and regulatory regime would be great, but isn’t essential, as you’ll be leading a team with a depth of knowledge and experience. You will be influential with stakeholders and be a credible advisor with Ministers. You will also have experience with budget processes and with regulatory impact assessment and legislative processes.

**Ētahi kōrero mō MBIE - About MBIE**:
MBIE's goal is to create a resilient and high-performing economy that delivers real and ongoing quality of life for all New Zealanders.
We do this by working with others to create an environment that supports businesses to be more productive and internationally competitive, enables all New Zealanders to participate in the economy through improved job opportunities and by working to ensure quality housing is more affordable.
People are at the heart of our mahi, our way of working is guided by our values which shape our behaviours.
- Mahi Tahi - Better Together
- Māia - Bold and brave
- Pae Kahurangi - Build our Future
- Pono Me Te Tika - Own It

Our aspirations are echoed in our Māori identity - Hīkina Whakatutuki - which broadly means ‘lifting to make successful'.

MBIE recognises the partnership founded under Te Tiriti o Waitangi between Māori and the Crown and is committed to giving effect to Te Tiriti o Waitangi. We will do this through enduring, meaningful and effective partnerships with iwi, Māori, other Māori groups/organisations and the Crown, as this is critical to ena