Lead Advisor Student Support

Bay of Plenty, flexible location (Tauranga, Rotorua, Taupō or Whakatāne)
Permanent, full-time

Help shape the future of Education
He mea tārai e mātou te mātauranga kia rangatira ai, kia mana taurite ai ōna huanga
We work to shape an education system that delivers equitable and excellent outcomes

At Te Tāhuhu o te Mātauranga | Ministry of Education, we work to provide services and support nationally, regionally and locally to the education sector, and in some cases, directly to ākonga and whānau.
We help shape the policies, settings and performance of the education system for early learning, schooling and tertiary. We do this by building relationships and understanding the needs of those who receive our services.
Our organisation is made up of talented and committed people across Aotearoa from a wide range of backgrounds and cultures. While we work in different groups and on different things, we all strive every day to make the biggest difference we can for every child, young person and adult student in our education system.
Te Tāhuhu o te Mātauranga recognises the partnership founded under Te Tiriti o Waitangi between Māori and the Crown. We are committed to having Te Tiriti o Waitangi at the forefront of our work for and with Māori students, their whānau, hapū and iwi.

About our group and team
Te Mahau | Te Tai Whenua (Central) is a frontline group. Our frontline groups collectively provide leadership and integrated services to the sector and others. This includes services such as learning support and education advice, and regulation functions for kōhanga, schools, kura and early learning services.
As a frontline group we develop and harness existing relationships with communities at the regional and local level, including deep relationships with iwi and hapū.
We also collectively strengthen relationships with our diverse communities who support Māori, Pacific peoples, disabled ākonga and/or ākonga with learning support needs, and ākonga from disadvantaged backgrounds.
The role of the Student Support Team is to support children and young people to access an education provision that meets their needs and support the re-engagement of children and young people in their learning pathway.
This work is undertaken directly with disengaged students (including those excluded from school) and their whanau, with contracted service providers e.g. the attendance service and with schools, kura, learning providers, social service agencies, iwi and community partners.

Mō tēnei tūranga | About this role
Are you currently in the education sector and ready to make a career move? Here is an opportunity for the right person to join us. We are in the midst of a positive change initiative that's setting a platform for New Zealand's young learners to be the best they can be. Our vision is ultimately about ensuring children succeed personally and achieve academically so, in years to come, they are productive, valued in their community and competitive in the world.
As the Lead Education Advisor, you will lead the practice and implementation of the Student Support team to work with students, whānau, individual schools or clusters of school, service providers and community agencies to engage children and young people into education. Using data, local knowledge and relationships, you will also work to improve the systems and infrastructure that support student engagement and achievement.
Young people at risk of not achieving need innovative educational solutions to meet their learning needs. This position requires close working relationships and an understanding of education, including alternative education, activity centres, attendance service, and local tailor-made services in order to develop a learning pathway that is sustainable for the most challenging students.

Mōhou ake | About you
This is a broad role, but is focused mainly on children and young people who have become disconnected from education and getting them reconnected as quickly as possible. To achieve this, the Lead Education Adviser must be a strategic thinker, excellent communicator and able to utilise both quantitative and qualitative data to support decision making.
The successful applicant will have to demonstrate that they can quickly establish strong relationships of purpose and high credibility with the education sector, alongside other government departments and NGOs to get the job done.
A tertiary qualification is preferred, alongside an understanding of the Ministry of Education's statutory operations. Understanding of education systems in New Zealand and relevant legislation is an added advantage.

**To be successful in this role, you will need**:

- an ability to develop and maintain strong, effective relationships using exceptional communication and facilitation skills to influence stakeholders both within and outside the Ministry
- strong analytical skills and the ability to work with student achievement data and informati