Executive Advisor - Chief Executive

Christchurch City Council; Christchurch; On-site; NZD 96,000 - 107,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Training programmes

Flexible working arrangements

Collaboration across organisation

Staff benefits

Job summary

Christchurch City Council seeks an Executive Advisor – Chief Executive to provide trusted advice, organisational insight and executive coordination to the Chief Executive. You will maintain oversight of matters requiring CEO attention, identify emerging issues, risks and opportunities, and ensure priorities are progressed effectively across the Council.

You will coordinate key priorities, engagements and information flows, helping ensure the Chief Executive's time focuses on high-priority issues

Qualifications

• Significant experience in advisory, governance or executive coordination in a complex organisation.
• Strong analytical skills with ability to identify risks, opportunities and implications.
• Sound judgement with ability to prioritise, challenge constructively and escalate when required.
• Ability to influence outcomes and drive matters to completion across the organisation.
• Excellent written communication skills for executive-style briefings, reports and correspondence.
• Strong relationship skills with senior leaders, elected members and external stakeholders.
• Public sector or politically sensitive experience.

Responsibilities

• Act as a trusted advisor to the Chief Executive, providing insight on priorities, risks and opportunities.
• Assess, prioritise and coordinate matters requiring the Chief Executive's attention.
• Review reports, briefings and decision papers to ensure they are robust and decision ready.
• Maintain oversight of key commitments, initiatives and Chief Executive actions.
• Drive resolution of issues requiring cross-organisational coordination.
• Build relationships with senior leaders and external stakeholders to progress matters.
• Lead improvements in Executive Office systems, processes and governance.

Skills

Advisory governance experience

Executive coordination

Analytical skills

Judgement & escalation

Influence without authority

Executive briefings/reports

Relationship building with seniorLEAD

Discretion with sensitive matters

Public sector experience

Job description

E ngā iwi, e ngā karangatanga huri noa i te motu, tēnei te mihi atu ki a koutou katoa. He īnoi tēnei ki a koe. Tono mai ki tētahi tūnga ki te Kaunihera o Ōtautahi

About the team | Ko te rōpū nei

The Office of the Mayor and Chief Executive (OMCE) sits at the heart of Christchurch City Council, supporting the leadership of the Mayor, Deputy Mayor and Chief Executive.

Working across the organisation, the team connects people, information and decision‑making to help deliver Council's strategic priorities, support effective civic leadership and achieve positive outcomes for Christchurch and Banks Peninsula communities.

About the role | Ko te mahi nei

The Executive Advisor – Chief Executive is a newly established role providing trusted advice, organisational insight and executive coordination to the Chief Executive.

Working at the centre of a large and complex organisation, you will maintain oversight of matters requiring the Chief Executive’s attention, identify emerging issues, risks and opportunities, and ensuring priorities, commitments and decisions are progressed effectively. Working across organisational boundaries, you will use sound judgement and strong relationships to connect issues, influence outcomes and drive delivery.

A significant part of the role is ensuring advice, reports and recommendations presented to the Chief Executive are well considered, appropriately contextualised and decision ready. You will provide quality assurance over material coming into the Office, monitor key organisational commitments and drive the resolution of matters requiring coordination across Council.

You will also provide support to the Chief Executive by coordinating key priorities, engagements, briefings and organisational information flows, helping ensure their time and attention are focused on the organisation’s highest‑priority issues, relationships and decisions.

Key Responsibilities Include

• Act as a trusted advisor to the Chief Executive, providing insight on priorities, emerging issues, risks and opportunities.
• Assess, prioritise and coordinate matters requiring the Chief Executive’s attention, exercising judgement about priorities, escalation and organisational impact.
• Review reports, briefings, recommendations and decision papers to ensure they are robust, high quality and decision ready.
• Maintain oversight of key organisational commitments, initiatives and Chief Executive actions, driving follow‑through and accountability.
• Drive the resolution of issues requiring coordination across organisational boundaries.
• Build trusted relationships with senior leaders, elected members and external stakeholders, using influence and judgement to progress matters.
• Lead continuous improvements in Executive Office systems, processes and governance practices, while coordinating the Chief Executive's key priorities, engagements and information flow.

About you | Ko Koe Tēnei

You will be a trusted advisor and organisational connector, comfortable operating at the centre of a complex, fast‑paced and politically sensitive environment.

You will combine strong judgement and analytical capability with the ability to get things done. You will also bring a high level of discretion and will know when an issue requires the Chief Executive’s attention, when further analysis or constructive challenge is needed, and when a matter is better progressed elsewhere in the organisation.

You will be confident working with senior leaders, elected members and stakeholders, able to influence without relying on formal authority, and comfortable maintaining oversight of multiple priorities, commitments and competing demands.

Just as importantly, you will have the discipline and attention to detail required to ensure the Chief Executive receives consistently high‑quality advice and support.

You Will Require

• Significant experience in advisory, governance or executive coordination in a complex organisation.
• Strong analytical skills, with the ability to identify risks, opportunities and implications.
• Sound judgement, with confidence to prioritise, challenge constructively and escalation when required.
• Ability to influence outcomes and drive matters to completion across the organisation.
• Excellent written communication skills, including the ability to prepare and review executive‑level briefings, reports and correspondence.
• Strong relationship skills, particularly with senior leaders, elected members and external stakeholders.
• Political awareness, discretion and confidence handling sensitive matters.
• Strong organisational capability and a proactive, improvement‑focused approach.
• Public sector or politically sensitive experience.

What's in it for you? He aha ngā hua ki a koe?

Want To Be Involved In Shaping Your City? Here At The Council We Know Our Strength Comes From Our People, Working Together As One Team To Create Results. When You Join Us, You're Getting Involved First Hand, And Contributing To Crafting The Christchurch Community. You Will Also Benefit From

• Access to training programmes, workshops, and development opportunities
• Flexible working arrangements - adjustable start and finish times, option to purchase extra leave.
• Collaboration - exposure to wider areas of the organisation
• Benefits - a variety of benefits for Council staff from health schemes to retail discounts.

Additional Information | Ko ētahi atu kōrero:

At the Christchurch City Council, we are dedicated to building a diverse, inclusive and authentic workplace.

We understand that recruitment processes can be challenging.

• Position - Permanent, full-time
• Location - This position is primarily based at Te Hononga, Christchurch City Council Civic Offices - 53 Hereford Street
• Salary - The salary band for this position goes from $96,465 to $107,183 per annum based on a 40 hour week. Starting salaries will be based on knowledge, skills and experience the successful candidate brings to the role, and relativities both, within the immediate team and in the broader organisation for the same or similar roles.
• Closing Date - 11pm Monday 26 October 2026.

Applications will be reviewed as they are received, and interviews may take place prior to the close date. This means we reserve the right to close a job ad before the advertised close date.