Kaitohutohu Mātāmua Principal Advisor, Joint

Fixed Term/Secondment - 2 years
- High profile policy work
- Supportive team environment
- Flexible working to support your work-life balance

Mō tēnei tūrangi mahi | About this role
We are looking for a Principal Advisor to join our Joint Evidence Data and Insights Group/Te Hunga Mārama o Te Taiao.
This is your chance to play a leadership role as we reform Aotearoa's environmental monitoring and reporting system (EMRS). This work will strengthen the environmental evidence base needed to make decisions and ensure effective stewardship of the environment.
You will lead policy work to help shape a significant policy programme that will weave together western and Māori knowledge systems, fill critical gaps in science, research, and data, and to bridge across a number of reform programmes.
A key focus of your role will be connecting with partners to plan and deliver this foundational work programme for our EMRS. You will work closely with teams within the Ministry, but will have a strong outward facing focus too, particularly with iwi/Māori, central government agencies, local government and Crown Research Institutes.
You will have the ability to present complex information and data to a diverse range of stakeholders, including Ministers, in ways that can be easily understood.
A key part of this role will be providing leadership and guidance to the team; sharing your expertise to build capability and strengthen the quality of our policy advice.
Ngā pūkenga me ngā wheako | Skills and experience
We are looking for people with experience leading complex policy projects who can plan and deliver quality work in a fast-paced environment.

**You will also bring**:

- strategic leadership and intellectual capability
- technical knowledge in the areas of legislative design and regulatory policy
- expert knowledge in machinery of government
- a collaborative operating style
- intellectually sharp, capable, and agile you will lead, influence and manoeuvre through complex political situations effectively
- political savvy in terms of tact, discretion and diplomacy
- coaching and mentoring experience
- commitment to developing your cultural capability and capacity in te ao Māori.

Mō mātou | About the Joint Evidence, Data & Insights Group
To maintain a flourishing environment, we need to understand how our environment is changing, how our activities drive this change and how we can manage our impact.
The Joint Evidence, Data and Insights Group are the stewards of New Zealand's environmental monitoring and reporting system, enabling decisions that support a flourishing environment.
We're working to improve what we monitor, how we monitor it, and how we communicate environmental information that is used for decision making. We reflect Te Tiriti o Waitangi by bringing our Treaty Partners, Te Ao Māori and Matauranga into all that we do.
Whānuitanga Utu ā-Tau | Salary range
Salary range for this role is $159,491 to $194,044 pa. Appointment within this range will be based on skills and experience.
Ngā hua ka puta i te mahi ki MfE | Benefits of working at MfE
- a flexible by default approach to create a healthy work-life blend
- agile ways of working, allowing you variety and challenges across the organisation as we work as ‘One MfE'
- generous leave entitlements
- active employee networks including Māori Rōpū, Asian Network, Neurodivergent and Disability Networks, Women's Network, Tagata Moana (Pacific Peoples' Network), and Rainbow Network
- opportunities for development and education.

Check out other benefits of joining us and hear what our people say about Working at MfE | Ministry for the Environment.
Mō mātou | About us
The Ministry's purpose is He taiao tōnui mō ngā reanga katoa - a flourishing environment for every generation.
A key priority for the Ministry is building Te Ao Māori capability. This means we work with our Treaty partners to advance Māori priorities for the environment and for environmental success. We will be confident and coordinated in our ongoing engagement with Māori and lead the natural resources system in engaging for success with tangata whenua. We will grow our capability and capacity to accurately reflect Māori views in our work. We accurately reflect Te Tiriti o Waitangi and Te Ao Māori into our everyday work, by delivering on Te Ao Hurihuri, our Māori capability strategy.
The location for this role is flexible which means you can work anywhere in New Zealand and there is an option to work from home. As a flexible friendly employer, we are happy to discuss solutions that may work for you and the business. We value and care about enabling our people to work in a way that means they can work at their best. Please be aware, given this role will require Select Committee and Minister support, a Wellington location is preferred.
We are committed to providing equal opportunities and actively strive to be a diverse organisation with an inclusive culture. We actively encoura