Chief Advisor To The Ce

New Zealand Government; Wellington; On-site; NZD 130,000 - 161,000; Full time

Job summary

The Ministry for Ethnic Communities is seeking a Chief Advisor to the Chief Executive to join the Leadership Team, shaping organisational direction, navigating complexity and guiding strategic risk management across government.

You will work with the Chief Executive, Ministers’ offices and central agencies to identify issues, offer trusted counsel, and ensure the organisation focuses on what matters most.

Qualifications

• Experience operating at executive level within the public sector.
• Experience driving organisational performance through governance, organisational risk management, strategic planning, communications, people leadership, culture and organisational alignment.
• A proven ability to extend the effectiveness of a Chief Executive by connecting strategy, delivery and relationships, anticipating issues, aligning priorities, and ensuring executive attention is focused where it adds greatest value.
• The confidence, credibility and judgement to engage as a peer with senior leaders, Ministers' offices and central agencies while providing trusted counsel to the Chief Executive.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic counsel to the Chief Executive and leadership team.
• Shape organisational direction and navigate complexity.
• Support relationships across government and with Ministers' offices and central agencies.

Skills

Executive leadership

Governance

Strategic planning

Stakeholder management

Risk management

People leadership

Communication

Job description

Chief Advisor to the CE

Location: Wellington, Type: Permanent, Hours: 40, Salary: $129,510 - $161,167

As Chief Advisor to the Chief Executive, you'll be a key member of the Leadership Team, helping shape organisational direction, navigate complexity, manage strategic risks, and support the Ministry's relationships across government. This is a role for someone who is comfortable operating in the spaces where leadership, governance, stakeholder management, ministerial engagement, organisational leadership and delivery intersect. You'll work closely with the Chief Executive, Ministers' offices, central agencies and senior leaders to identify emerging issues, provide strategic counsel, and help ensure the organisation is focused on what matters most.

• Experience operating at executive level within the public sector, with a strong understanding of what it takes to lead in complex environments.
• Experience driving organisational performance through governance, organisational risk management, strategic planning, communications, people leadership, culture and organisational alignment.
• A proven ability to extend the effectiveness of a Chief Executive by connecting strategy, delivery and relationships, anticipating issues, aligning priorities, and ensuring executive attention is focused where it adds greatest value.
• The confidence, credibility and judgement to engage as a peer with senior leaders, Ministers' offices and central agencies while providing trusted counsel to the Chief Executive.

At the Ministry for Ethnic Communities, you'll contribute to work that helps build a more inclusive, connected and socially cohesive Aotearoa New Zealand.

About us

The Ministry for Ethnic Communities is the Government's chief advisor on ethnic communities, ethnic diversity, and the inclusion of ethnic communities in wider society.

• We provide advice to the system
• We develop the evidence base
• We broker conflict and convene stakeholders to resolve issues
• We foster a sense of belonging

Applications close: 5pm Friday 2 October 2026.

We encourage inclusion and diversity at the Ministry for Ethnic Communities and are committed to equal opportunity in all our employment policies and procedures.

We want to ensure accessibility needs are well supported, so the recruitment process is fair and equitable for all. Therefore, please let us know if there is any support, we can provide to ensure the recruitment process is fully accessible to you. You can contact us at [e-mail] if you would like to discuss any accessibility needs you may have.