Principal Advisor

New Zealand Police is working with the community to make New Zealanders be safe and feel safe. With over 13,000 staff, we provide policing services 24 hours a day, every day. We operate by land, sea and air, manage over 860,000 emergency calls a year and are always actively preventing crime and crashes.

We’re working towards specific goals and targets that highlight our intent to work collaboratively with iwi and communities, other government sectors and business partners to deliver ‘Our Business’ and achieve long-term change.

Principal Advisor to the Police Executive
- Based at Police National Headquarters, Wellington
- Permanent, Full time
- Police Employee / Constabulary
- Advise and influence at Executive level while making a significant contribution to the delivery of strategic initiatives
- JR4545464

Mō te tūnga | About the role

New Zealand Police is the lead agency responsible for preventing crime and enhancing community safety. It works in partnership with individuals, communities, businesses, and other public sector agencies towards the vision of making New Zealand the safest country. Police is the government’s largest front-line response agency with around 15,000 staff in large and small communities all over New Zealand and in liaison and policing development roles overseas.

The Office of the Commissioner business unit is responsible for supporting the Commissioner and ensuring that the Executive Leadership Team and other governance have access to the right level of advice and organisational support required to make key decisions.

Nga waahanga arotahi matua | Key Focus Areas

As a Principal Advisor, you will be responsible for providing advice that will enable the Executive collectively and within their portfolio areas to manage emerging issues and risks, oversee and govern significant programmes of work aligned to Police’s priorities. You may also be called upon to take the lead initiating work on matters of strategic or national significance, in support of the Executive. You may be assigned to a specific portfolio area but be available to lead on or support work that cuts across several portfolios.

To do this, you will build trusting, positive relationships with all members of ELT, as well as key stakeholders within the business at senior levels. Critically, your role is to ensure that the information and delivery of advice within your portfolio is well aligned to Police’s strategic priorities, focused on achieving our performance expectations and assurance that appropriate analysis of options, implications and consultation and quality assurance has been undertaken prior to executive consideration.

To be successful in this role you will be a proven strategic thinker with a clear risk lens, who understands the judgements required and resolve issues at all levels before they escalate. This is someone who looks at problems holistically, with the ability to step back and challenge, while also enabling a diversity of viewpoints to be considered and solutions identified. You will be a connector with political nous, who respects the influence at this level and can communicate, collaborate and network effectively to bring the right people together to drive outcomes.

Nga whakariktenga matua | Key Requirements
- We aim to develop and maintain a diverse skillset across this team and as such, you might come from a background in the Justice Sector, National intelligence, Treasury, or another central agency with a strong understanding of the machinery of Government and the business case/budget process.
- You may also come from a Ministers Office in a Principal or Chief Advisory capacity, and therefore understand the nuances of providing strategic advice in fast paced, political environments.
- Backgrounds in Policy, Risk and Assurance, Legal, Change Management, Strategic Communications and Policing at the strategic advisory level will also be considered.
- You must be able to obtain and maintain a Top-Secret Security Clearance.

He aha taau e kawe mai | What you’ll bring

Being part of the Police whānau is about being our best to ensure our communities are safe and feel safe. Our Core Competencies provide a shared understanding of the behaviours, leadership and technical competence required for success at each level of Police. Whilst we are looking for skills, knowledge, and experience relevant to the role, we also place high importance on your state of mind, the alignment of your values with ours, your ability to contribute to and build high performing teams, and the way that you lead yourself or others.

This role is set at Strategic Leader level, this means your key purpose is “to lead the strategy, Our Business, and enable our people to deliver it”.

These questions will be unique and specific to the role, focusing on the aspects the hiring manager believes are most important for that position at the time. For more information on Our Values, please copy and paste this URL:
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