Principal Advisor - Organisational Performance

NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi; Auckland; On-site; NZD 163,000 - 176,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary and benefits

Flexible working arrangements

5 weeks annual leave

Income protection and critical illness

Lifelong learning and development

Job summary

NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi is seeking a leader to design and deliver performance reporting and monitoring products, tracking how the agency progresses against its strategic direction. The role focuses on statutory and leadership reporting, and advancing maturity in performance measurement across the organisation.

The position is based in Auckland, Wellington, or Christchurch, offering a competitive salary and flexible working arrangements.

Qualifications

• Experience creating high-quality statutory accountability documents, preferably for a Crown entity.
• Strong business analysis combining qualitative and quantitative insights.
• Deep understanding of machinery of Government, expectation setting, planning, performance measurement and monitoring.
• In-depth knowledge of performance frameworks and end-user needs for reporting products.
• Excellent written and oral communication and advocacy skills.
• Proven ability to drive continuous improvement to lift performance maturity.
• Experience leading, influencing and building credibility across diverse stakeholders.
• Creative, resilient problem-solver with change adaptability.
• Formal qualification in a related discipline or equivalent experience.
• PuMP performance measurement methodology training is desirable.

Responsibilities

• Lead delivery of performance and monitoring work programmes to demonstrate our core functions.
• Support the lift in maturity of performance measurement practices across all organisational levels.
• Produce high-quality statutory reporting and internal leadership reporting, and drive improvements accordingly.

Skills

Statutory reporting

Business analysis

Public sector knowledge

Performance frameworks

Communication skills

Continuous improvement

Stakeholder management

Problem solving

PuMP training

Education

Tertiary qualification

Job description

• Join a highly engaged team and collaborate widely to deliver performance and monitoring documents
• Support a lift in maturity of performance measurement practices at all levels of the organisation
• Permanent opportunity based in Auckland, Wellington, or Christchurch

Te Whiwhinga mahi | The opportunity

Reporting into the Head of Organisational Performance, this opportunity will have you play a lead role in delivering our work programme to demonstrate delivery of our core functions and meet the expectations of the government.

You will support the design and development of reporting and monitoring products and systems that assess how NZTA Waka Kotahi (NZTA) is tracking against its strategic direction and demonstrate the effectiveness of the activities NZTA is funded to invest in and deliver.

This role will be responsible for producing high-quality statutory reporting documents and internal leadership reporting. Aligned with this work, it will help to drive improvements to how we measure and monitor progress to support a lift in maturity of performance measurement practices at all levels of the organisation.

We are seeking to appoint at a salary between $163,000 - $175,580 commensurate to skills and experience.

You will find a copy of the position description here.

Ko koe tēnei | About you

Knowledge and experience:

• Previous experience in producing high-quality statutory accountability documents, preferably for a Crown entity

• Strong business analysis skills – able to combine story-telling with qualitative and quantitative analysis

• Demonstrated expertise and a deep understanding of machinery of Government in relation to expectation setting, planning, performance measurement and monitoring

• An in-depth understanding of performance frameworks and end-user needs for monitoring and reporting products

• Highly effective written and oral presentation and communications and advocacy skills

• Commitment to and proven experience in driving continuous improvement to lift maturity in performance practice, products and processes

• Proven experience in leading, influencing and building credibility across a diverse range of stakeholders

• Creating and proposing innovative solutions to challenges as they arise, being resilient and responsive to change

• A tertiary qualification in a related discipline or equivalent experience

• Training in the PuMP performance measurement methodology is desirable

Ko wai mātou | About us

The Commercial & Corporate Group provides key specialist corporate functions that are core to enabling NZTA to run efficiently and to achieve organisational excellence internally and for the land transport system.

Besides being an awesome organisation to be part of, here is what we have on offer:

• Competitive salary and benefits package.
• Flexible working arrangements.
• Along with our other benefits we also have 5 weeks annual leave and an Income Protection and Critical illness Insurance scheme available for all permanent employees.

Rā Katinga | Applications close:

1 November 2026

For further information, email: [e-mail]

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.

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