Principal Advisor - Contract Management

Ministry of Housing and Urban Development NZ; Wellington; On-site; NZD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Ministry of Housing and Urban Development NZ in Wellington, New Zealand, seeks an experienced Principal Advisor - Contract Management to lead contract management practice across the Planning System Transformation Programme. This fixed-term role runs to 30 June 2028 and requires strategic direction, expert advice and strong governance across high-value contracts.

You will influence outcomes through collaboration with programme leaders, suppliers, and legal/finance teams, ensuring value for money

Qualifications

• Significant experience managing complex, high-value contracts in government or large programme environments.
• Deep knowledge of contract governance, supplier relationship management and performance monitoring.
• Strong ability to influence strategic outcomes in complex environments.
• Experience leading large-scale, complex initiatives and delivering results through others.
• Exceptional communication and stakeholder management skills, with ability to build trusted relationships.

Responsibilities

• Lead and oversee the management of strategically significant contracts throughout their lifecycle, ensuring governance and value for money.
• Provide expert guidance on contractual rights and obligations, performance, variations, disputes, renewals and close-out activities.
• Collaborate with programme leaders, suppliers, procurement, legal, finance and other stakeholders to ensure contractual commitments are understood and achieved.
• Shape best practice, build capability across the organisation, and support high-quality decision-making aligning with Te Tiriti o Waitangi principles.

Skills

Contract governance

Supplier relationship management

Contract performance monitoring

Risk management

Stakeholder engagement

Te Tiriti o Waitangi

Influencing skills

Leadership

Job description

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Ministry of Housing and Urban Development NZ - Wellington, North Island

Full time

7d ago , from Ministry of Housing and Urban Development

We are seeking an experienced and influential Principal Advisor - Contract Management to lead contract management practice across the Planning System Transformation Programme - fixed term to 30 June 2028

This is a pivotal role for a highly skilled contract management professional who can provide strategic direction, expert advice and thought leadership across complex and high-value contractual arrangements. You'll work at the intersection of programme delivery, commercial management, procurement, finance, legal, and stakeholder engagement to ensure public resources are managed effectively and contractual outcomes are successfully delivered. Digital transformation experience is desirable.

As a senior member of the leadership team, you'll help shape best practice, build capability across the organisation, and contribute to high-quality decision-making that supports long-term public value. A commitment to Te Tiriti o Waitangi and incorporating Te Ao Māori perspectives into your work is fundamental to success in this role.

As the Principal Advisor - Contract Management, you will lead and oversee the management of strategically significant contracts throughout their lifecycle, ensuring strong governance, effective supplier performance, value for money, and robust risk management.

You will provide expert guidance on contractual rights and obligations, contract performance, variations, dispute resolution, renewals, and contract close-out activities. Working closely with programme leaders, business owners, suppliers, procurement specialists, legal teams, finance partners, and other stakeholders, you'll ensure contractual commitments are understood, monitored, and achieved.

Skills and Experience

• Significant experience managing complex, high-value or strategically important contracts within government, infrastructure, transformation, or large programme environments.
• Deep knowledge of contract governance, supplier relationship management, performance monitoring and contract assurance.
• Strong experience interpreting contractual provisions and providing practical advice on performance issues, variations, disputes and risk management.
• Proven ability to influence strategic outcomes in complex environments.
• Experience leading large-scale, complex initiatives and delivering results through others.
• Exceptional communication and influencing skills.
• Proven ability to build and sustain trusted relationships across diverse stakeholder groups.
• Demonstrated commitment to understanding and applying Te Tiriti o Waitangi principles in your work.

Why Join Us?

This is an opportunity to make a significant impact on one of New Zealand's most important transformation programmes. You'll work alongside talented professionals, influence strategic decisions, and help ensure public investments deliver lasting value for New Zealanders.

If you're a respected contract management leader who thrives in complex environments and is passionate about delivering high-quality outcomes, we'd love to hear from you.

If you require further information about thisposition,please contactSally Morison at *************@mcert.govt.nz

We are committed to equal opportunities and building a diverse, inclusive workplace. We support our people to work in ways that help them do their best. We welcome applications from all backgrounds and are dedicated to providing a safe and inclusive environment for everyone.

We want our recruitment process to be fair and accessible for everyone. If you need any support or adjustments, please let us know or get in touch at***********@mcert.govt.nz.

You must have the right to live and work in New Zealand to apply for this role.