Lead Advisor - Commercial Transport Regulation

New Zealand Transport Agency; Wellington; Vor Ort; NZD 120.000 - 190.000; Vollzeit

Benefits dieser Stelle

Five weeks' annual leave

Income protection and critical illness

Flexible working arrangements

Professional development and continued

Zusammenfassung

Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency is seeking an experienced Lead Advisor to provide strategic leadership and executive-level advice to its Head of Commercial Transport Regulation. The role focuses on translating policy into practical, risk-based approaches while guiding senior leaders through complex regulatory decisions.

You will influence across government and industry, lead cross-functional initiatives, and ensure safety outcomes are strengthened through evidence-led strategies.

Qualifikationen

• Proven executive or senior advisory experience with credibility to work with senior leaders.
• Strong experience within regulation, regulatory systems, public sector governance or similar complex environments.
• Excellent written communication skills, including governance/board papers, business cases and strategic documents.

Aufgaben

• Provide high-quality strategic and executive advice to support senior leadership decision making.
• Lead business planning, performance monitoring and continuous improvement across Commercial Transport Regulation.
• Develop business cases, governance papers, strategic reports and executive-level advice.
• Use data, evidence and insights to identify risks, trends and opportunities and translate into recommendations.
• Lead complex strategic initiatives that strengthen regulatory performance and safety outcomes.
• Translate regulatory policy and government expectations into practical approaches.
• Represent senior leadership across internal, cross-agency, industry and governance forums.
• Build relationships across government, industry, regulated parties and regulatory partners.

Kenntnisse

Executive advisory experience

Regulatory systems

Public sector governance

Strategic thinking

Stakeholder engagement

Governance papers

Jobbeschreibung

The opportunity

Provide trusted strategic and executive-level advice Shape regulatory performance, planning and continuous improvement Influence senior leaders and partners across a complex regulatory system. Te Whiwhinga mahi | The opportunity We’re looking for an experienced Lead Advisor to provide strategic leadership and high-quality executive advice and support to our Head of Commercial Transport Regulation. You don’t need to be an expert in commercial transport. What we are looking for is someone with proven executive or senior advisory experience who can quickly get across complex issues, provide sound strategic advice and confidently support senior leaders with decision making. Ideally, you’ll bring a strong regulatory background and an understanding of how regulatory systems operate. Working closely with the Head of Commercial Transport Regulation, you’ll connect strategy, evidence and operational insight to strengthen regulatory performance and safety outcomes.

• Provide high-quality strategic and executive advice to support senior leadership decision making.
• Lead business planning, performance monitoring and continuous improvement across Commercial Transport Regulation.
• Develop business cases, governance papers, strategic reports and executive-level advice.
• Use data, evidence and insights to identify emerging risks, trends and opportunities and translate these into clear recommendations.
• Lead complex strategic initiatives that strengthen regulatory performance and safety outcomes.
• Translate regulatory policy, requirements and government expectations into practical approaches.
• Represent senior leadership across internal, cross-agency, industry and governance forums.
• Build strong relationships across government, industry, regulated parties and regulatory partners.
• Provide thought leadership on regulatory system design, delivery and improvement, taking a future-focused and risk-based approach.

Position Description.

About you

You’ll be an accomplished senior or executive advisor who is comfortable operating alongside senior leaders and navigating complex, high-profile issues. Commercial transport expertise is not essential. Your ability to quickly understand a new subject area, ask the right questions, bring together evidence and different perspectives, and turn complexity into clear, practical advice will be more important. Ideally, you’ll come from a strong regulatory background and understand the challenges of working within a complex regulatory system. You’ll bring strategic judgement, strong critical thinking and the credibility to influence at senior levels. To be successful in this role, you will bring:

• Proven executive or senior advisory experience, with the judgement and credibility to work closely with senior leaders.
• Strong experience within regulation, regulatory systems, public sector governance or a similarly complex environment.
• Excellent written communication skills, including experience developing executive advice, governance or board papers, business cases and strategic documents.
• Strong strategic and systems thinking, with the ability to connect broader organisational and regulatory objectives with operational delivery.
• Strong analytical capability, with the ability to use data, evidence and insights to inform advice and recommendations.
• The ability to quickly understand complex or unfamiliar subject matter and identify what matters most.
• Strong influencing and relationship management skills, with confidence engaging across senior leadership, government, industry and other stakeholders.
• Experience leading complex, cross-functional work and bringing together different perspectives to achieve shared outcomes.
• The ability to operate effectively in ambiguity, exercise sound judgement and maintain momentum across competing priorities.
• You will demonstrate knowledge of, or a willingness to gain an understanding of Te Ao Māori and promote tikanga and Te Reo Māori.
• You will also have knowledge of, or a willingness to gain an appreciation of Te Tiriti o Waitangi as it applies in the public service.

Te Rōpū Waeture

Regulatory works to ensure the land transport system is safe by providing oversight of regulatory interventions, informing responsive regulation through monitoring and review, and supporting effective, risk-based compliance management across the land transport system. The Commercial Transport Regulation team provides effective and efficient regulation of licensed commercial transport operators to improve safety and ensure risks are actively managed by those responsible. Working directly and alongside regulatory partners such as NZ Police, the team delivers licensing, compliance monitoring and regulatory response through an intelligence-led and risk-based approach.

About us – Waka Kotahi

At Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency, it all starts with our people. The organisation's performance and success depends on the people who choose to make this a great place to work and make a difference for Aotearoa. Waka Kotahi has a strong future focus, understanding that new technologies and changing customer expectations mean the transport system we know today will not be the one we deliver in ten years time.

What you will get in return

Along with our other benefits, we offer:

• Five weeks' annual leave
• Income protection and critical illness insurance for permanent employees
• Flexible working arrangements, where appropriate for the role
• Opportunities for professional development and continued learning

Applications close: 17 November 2026.

To be considered for this position you must have a legal right to live and work in New Zealand.

Waka Kotahi is an equal opportunity employer (EOE).

We recognise the importance of diversity and inclusion and are committed to providing a working environment that embraces these values.

Please let us know if you need any support or have any access requirements that will help you through the recruitment process.

For further information, email: [e-mail].

We may begin shortlisting as we receive applications. We encourage early applications as we may withdraw the advertising at any time.