Senior Treaty Negotiations Advisor

Do you want to be involved in meaningful mahi leading DOC's involvement in treaty settlement negotiations?
- Can you bring strong relationship management skills, experience & social maturity to DOC?
- Four weeks + three days annual leave per year pro-rata, flexible hours + hybrid working from home
- Permanent full-time, Wellington location

Toitū te marae a Tāne-Mahuta, toitū te marae a Tangaroa, toitū te tangata
If the land is well and the sea is well, the people will thrive

Department of Conservation Te Papa Atawhai (DOC) serves to protect and sustain nature across Aotearoa. We put nature and people at the heart of our mahi, guided by te reo Māori, te ao Māori and Te Tiriti o Waitangi. We do this by:

- Protecting land, species, ecosystems, and cultural heritage for conservation purposes
- Managing threats and adverse impacts
- Being a voice for conservation
- Connecting people to nature

He angitūtanga | About the role
Te Tiriti o Waitangi - The Treaty of Waitangi is a document of national significance for Aotearoa New Zealand. How would you like to join a specialised team that are actively uplifting and nurturing the Crown and iwi relationship through meaningful mahi that is centred around this important document?
As a Senior Treaty Negotiations Advisor, you will report to a Treaty Negotiations Manager. You will be responsible for representing Te Papa Atawhai in the Crown's Te Tiriti o Waitangi settlement negotiations with iwi. Some travel will be required to attend these meetings.
You will liaise with a diverse range of people across the department and externally, including Te Arawhiti, the Crown's lead agency for Treaty of Waitangi settlement negotiations and other government and crown entities, gathering information and making assessment of iwi aspirations in preparation for negotiation meetings. You'll be confident to navigate multiple interests and effectively develop negotiations strategies, planning and options, analysing the advantages and risks, consider technical and practical feasibility, and policy ramifications, to formulate sound advice to DOC senior leaders and Ministers.
Your strong critical thinking and relationship management skills will be crucial to ensure we deliver high-quality Treaty negotiation and settlement outcomes that align with the Crown Treaty settlement framework and our commitment to Te Tiriti o Waitangi.

Ngā pūkenga me ngā wheako | Skills and experience
Ideally, you will be an experienced senior advisor who is keen to work in Treaty negotiations.
If you have the following attributes, we are keen to hear from you:

- Solid experience and understanding of the machinery of government
- Proven experience in developing relationships with a wide range of people at all levels
- A good understanding of and the ability to navigate the machinery of government, combined with a sound understanding and knowledge of the Treaty of Waitangi and its principles
- Proven analytical and critical thinking skills
- Strong communication skills that will enable you to effectively translate complex policy and negotiation issues into plain English for lay audiences
- Emotional intelligence, including resilience and empathy working with a variety of different people
- Social maturity and situational awareness, able to navigate and shoulder courageous conversations
- Ability to work under pressure, managing competing and tight timeframes
- Relevant tertiary degree, legal or policy background
- New Zealand Driver's Licence

Desirable
- An understanding of what DOC does and how we implement conservation legislation to ensure that papatūānuku thrives
- Experience and confidence in working with whānau, hapū and iwi is highly desirable

Mō te tīma | About the team
The Strategy and Policy Group provides strategic direction and thought leadership for DOC and for the conservation system.
The Treaty Negotiations Team lead DOC's contribution to the negotiation of Treaty of Waitangi settlements, drawing on expertise held throughout DOC. The team are collegial and tight-knit, dedicated to the purpose behind their specialised mahi with strong support for one another.
Ngā āhuatanga kei a mātou | What's in it for you?
Te Papa Atawhai is committed to fostering a diverse workforce that represents the communities we serve, creating an inclusive workplace culture, supporting the relationship between Māori and the Crown, and lifting our cultural capability. We encourage our people to bring their authentic self and unique perspectives to work, in pursuit of our collective aspirations. Our commitment to well-being and professional development includes:

- Flexible working opportunities suited to your role, including flexible hours and 2 days WFH per week
- Career development, secondment and training opportunities to help you realise your goals
- Study assistance in programmes that are relevant to your work
- Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) and discounted medical insurance
- Great discounts on