Manager Technical Advisory

New Zealand Government; New Zealand; On-site; NZD 180,000 - 198,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Free life insurance

Health insurance discounts

Home workstation contribution

Five weeks' annual leave

15 days' sick leave

Reward and Recognition Framework

Professional development opportunities

Employee-led networks

Job summary

WorkSafe New Zealand is seeking a Manager, Technical Advisory to lead our specialist advisory function and ensure robust, evidence-based guidance aligned with organisational priorities. You will drive a coordinated service across health, hazardous substances and safety advisory streams, not just individual experts.

Beyond technical credibility, success comes from leading capable teams, improving ways of working, and building strong relationships across WorkSafe and the wider organisation.

Qualifications

• Experience leading technical, specialist or professional advisory teams.
• Strong people leadership and change management capability.
• Experience improving consistency, quality and performance across specialist functions.
• Ability to influence and build credibility with highly skilled subject matter experts.
• Strong judgement, prioritisation and decision‑making skills.

Responsibilities

• Lead WorkSafe's Technical Advisory function.
• Strengthen the quality, consistency and defensibility of technical advice.
• Establish clear expectations for technical advisory practice.
• Support effective workload prioritisation and resource management.
• Improve consistency, visibility and coordination across specialist teams.
• Coach and develop technical leaders and subject matter experts.
• Build strong relationships across Operations and the wider organisation.
• Lead and support the ongoing evolution of the function and its ways of working.

Skills

People leadership

Change management

Regulatory/compliance experience

Influence and credibility

Prioritisation/decision making

Technical advisory leadership

Stakeholder management

Job description

Lead a national team of highly specialised technical experts Strengthen the consistency, quality and impact of technical advice Permanent leadership opportunity, Wellington preferred

About Us

He aha te mea nui o tēnei ao? He tangata, he tangata, he tangata.

Hello, Kia ora, Noa'ia, Talofa lava, Mauri, Mālō e lelei, Tālofa, Ni Sa Bula Vinaka, Fakaalofa lahi atu, Mālō ni, Kia orana, nǐ hǎo, Kamusta.

WorkSafe New Zealand | Mahi Haumaru Aotearoa is the primary workplace health and safety regulator. Our vision is that everyone who goes to mahi comes home healthy and safe.

We live by our values:

• Whakakotahi - we are united in a strong purpose
• Kōrero mai - we engage meaningfully
• Tiakina mai - we are entrusted with a duty of care

About your team / Ko te tīma

Technical Advisory sits within the Operations group and provides specialist expertise that supports WorkSafe's operational activities and wider regulatory responsibilities. The function is a trusted source of technical advice across a range of specialist disciplines and supports both internal teams and external stakeholders.

The team is entering a new phase of maturity. Recent structural changes have brought capabilities together under a single leadership model, creating an opportunity to strengthen consistency, clarify priorities and support a more coordinated approach across this nationally significant function.

About the role / Ō te tūranga

As Manager, Technical Advisory, you will lead WorkSafe's specialist technical advisory function, ensuring expert advice is robust, evidence-based and aligned with organisational priorities.

A key focus of the role will be helping the team operate as a coordinated service rather than a collection of individual technical specialities. Working through three Technical Leads responsible for health, hazardous substances and safety-related advisory services, you will establish greater consistency in how work is prioritised, allocated and delivered, while creating clear expectations around quality, professional judgement and technical practice.

This is primarily a people leadership and change role rather than a technical specialist position. While technical credibility is important, success will come from your ability to lead highly capable experts, improve ways of working, build constructive relationships across WorkSafe and help the function focus its effort where it can add the greatest value.

The role also offers a unique opportunity to influence how specialist expertise informs regulatory activity, organisational decision-making and WorkSafe's broader contribution to workplace health and safety. Technical Advisory is a shared service used across the organisation, including senior leaders and external stakeholders, making this a highly visible leadership position.

What You’ll Do / Ko tōu ake mahi

• Lead WorkSafe's Technical Advisory function
• Strengthen the quality, consistency and defensibility of technical advice
• Establish clear expectations for technical advisory practice
• Support effective workload prioritisation and resource management
• Improve consistency, visibility and coordination across specialist teams
• Coach and develop technical leaders and subject matter experts
• Build strong relationships across Operations and the wider organisation
• Lead and support the ongoing evolution of the function and its ways of working

What You’ll Bring / Ko ngā pukenga ōu

• Experience leading technical, specialist or professional advisory teams
• Strong people leadership and change management capability
• Experience improving consistency, quality and performance across specialist functions
• Ability to influence and build credibility with highly skilled subject matter experts
• Strong judgement, prioritisation and decision‑making skills
• Experience working in regulatory, compliance, risk or other complex operating environments
• Experience working with technical experts in areas such as regulation, science, engineering, compliance, research, policy or professional services would be highly regarded.
• While technical credibility is important, deep subject matter expertise in workplace health and safety is not essential.

Salary range / Awhe utu

The expected appointment base salary range for this role is $179,546 - $198,396. KiwiSaver or SSRSS employer contributions are additional. From 1 April 2026, our KiwiSaver employer contribution increased to 3.5%.

We offer a range of benefits including:

• Free life insurance for the duration of your employment
• Health insurance and eyecare discounts
• $400 home workstation contribution
• Five weeks' annual leave
• 15 days' sick leave
• A Reward and Recognition Framework that celebrates the impact our kaimahi make
• Professional development opportunities
• Employee-led networks supporting our diverse communities

WorkSafe Mahi Haumaru is an equal opportunity employer. We value diversity and actively welcome applicants from all backgrounds, including people with disabilities and those who are neurodivergent. We believe different perspectives strengthen our mahi and help create an inclusive environment where everyone can thrive.

If you encounter accessibility barriers in completing the application or require adjustments or support to ensure the recruitment process is accessible to you, contact [e-mail] for a confidential kōrero.

This vacancy has been established as part of changes to WorkSafe's organisational structure after a review of WorkSafe's operating model identified opportunities to improve role clarity, ways of working and organisational effectiveness. As part of these changes, WorkSafe has established a number of new roles to ensure we are well placed to meet expectations now and in the future.

Applications close: 5pm, 17th September, 2026.