Principal Advisor I Planning and Performance

New Zealand Ministry Of Economic Development; Wellington; On-site; NZD 118,000 - 144,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Kiwisaver

Job summary

MBIE invites applications for Principal Advisor Planning and Performance in Wellington. This fixed-term/secondment until May 2027, based in Wellington CBD, offers a strategic and hands-on role to connect planning and performance with senior leadership.

You will build trusted relationships across locations, influence without formal authority, and turn complex information into clear advice and practical options for decision-makers.

Qualifications

• We are looking for an experienced strategic advisor who thrives in complex environments and can work effectively across organisational boundaries.
• We are less interested in whether your experience comes from planning and performance, and more interested in how you work.

Responsibilities

• Builds trusted relationships with senior leaders and teams, understanding their priorities and helping them connect their work to wider group and organisational outcomes.
• Turns complex or incomplete information into clear advice and practical options for decision-makers.
• Work collaboratively across a virtual and cross-functional team, sharing information, supporting colleagues and contributing beyond your immediate portfolio.
• Adapt your approach as priorities and circumstances change, while maintaining quality and delivery.
• Strengthen planning and performance capability by working alongside others, sharing good practice and helping teams develop solutions they can sustain.
• Take ownership of delivery and be willing to get into the detail when that is what the work requires.

Skills

Relationship building

Influence skills

Strategic thinking

Systems thinking

Ambiguity tolerance

Virtual collaboration

Cross-functional teamwork

Delivery focus

Communication skills

Job description

Select how often (in days) to receive an alert:

Principal Advisor I Planning and Performance

Date: 14 Sept 2026

Location: Wellington, NZ, 6011

Discover a career with purpose at MBIE

• Build trusted relationships and influence senior leaders across a diverse and evolving group
• Connect strategy, planning and performance to help leaders make better decisions and stronger delivery
• Bring systems thinking and practical delivery skills to complex work, from shaping the approach through to doing the work
• Fixed-term/ secondment opportunity through until May 2027 | Wellington CBD location
• Salary $118,390 - $143,639 + Kiwisaver

We are looking for a Principal Advisor who can see the bigger picture, build strong relationships and turn complex issues into practical action.

We have an exciting opportunity for a Principal Advisor Planning and Performance to join the Planning, Risk and Assurance team within Corporate and Digital Shared Services (CDSS). The group is diverse and evolving, so success in this role will depend as much on how you work with people as on your technical planning and performance expertise.

You will work across organisational and professional boundaries, building trust with senior leaders and colleagues who have different priorities and perspectives. You will use influence rather than formal authority to bring people together, create clarity and help the group make progress.

This is both a strategic and hands‑on role. You will be comfortable moving between system‑level thinking, senior‑level advice and practical delivery. At times, that will mean shaping an approach or facilitating agreement. At other times, it will mean getting into the detail, developing the plan, analysing performance information or producing a high‑quality report.

You will also work as part of a connected virtual team. You will need to build effective relationships across locations and functions, collaborate openly and maintain momentum in an environment where priorities can change quickly.

The Planning, Risk and Assurance team supports the CDSS Group to deliver on its strategic priorities through integrated planning, performance monitoring, reporting, risk management and continuous improvement initiatives.

In this role, you will:

• Build trusted relationships with senior leaders and teams, understanding their priorities and helping them connect their work to wider group and organisational outcomes.
• Turn complex or incomplete information into clear advice and practical options for decision‑makers.
• Work collaboratively across a virtual and cross‑functional team, sharing information, supporting colleagues and contributing beyond your immediate portfolio.
• Adapt your approach as priorities and circumstances change, while maintaining quality and delivery.
• Strengthen planning and performance capability by working alongside others, sharing good practice and helping teams develop solutions they can sustain.
• Take ownership of delivery and be willing to get into the detail when that is what the work requires.

MBIE supports a wide range of flexible working arrangements. Talk to us about what might work for both you and us.

Skills and Experience Required - Ngā pukenga me ngā wheako e hiahiatia ana

We are looking for an experienced strategic advisor who thrives in complex environments and can work effectively across organisational boundaries.

We are less interested in whether your experience comes from planning and performance, and more interested in how you work.

You are someone who:

• Builds trusted relationships quickly and works well with a wide range of people.
• Influences without relying on formal authority.
• Thinks strategically and takes a systems view.
• Is comfortable working through ambiguity and adapting as priorities change.
• Collaborates effectively as part of a virtual, cross‑functional team.
• Balances strategic advice with practical delivery.
• Enjoys bringing people, information and ideas together to solve complex problems.
• Is resilient, adaptable and uses sound judgement
• Has excellent written and verbal communication skills, and the ability to present complex information clearly and concisely.
• Experience in planning, performance, reporting, business management or organisational improvement would be beneficial.

You must:

• Have the legal right to live and work in New Zealand.
• Consent to and satisfactorily complete a credit check.
• Be able to obtain and maintain Police Vetting.

MBIE's goal is to create a resilient and high‑performing economy that delivers real and ongoing quality of life for all New Zealanders.

We do this by working with others to create an environment that supports businesses to be more productive and internationally competitive, enables all New Zealanders to participate in the economy through improved job opportunities and by working to ensure quality housing is more affordable.

People are at the heart of our mahi, our way of working is guided by our values which shape our behaviours.

• Māia– Bold and brave
• Pae Kahurangi – Build our Future

Our aspirations are echoed in our Māori identity – Hīkina Whakatutuki – which broadly means ‘lifting to make successful'.

MBIE recognises the partnership founded under TeTiritio Waitangi between Māori and the Crown and is committed to giving effect to TeTiritio Waitangi. We will do this through enduring, meaningful and effective partnerships with iwi, Māori, other Māori groups/organisations and the Crown, as this is critical to enable economic and social development, both for Māori and for wider Aotearoa New Zealand. We are committed to continuing to partner with iwi in order to find new sustainable solutions to address long standing systemic and cross‑cutting issues facing Māori and wider Aotearoa New Zealand and we are also committed to identifying opportunities for iwi to lead and creating an enabling environment for iwi to leverage these opportunities.

All applications must be submitted via our online process and include a CV and cover letter.

Applications close on Monday 28 September 2026 (midnight)