Principal Advisor Performance & Reporting

NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi; Wellington; On-site; NZD 150,000 - 190,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Five weeks’ annual leave

Life insurance

Income protection

Critical illness insurance

Job summary

NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi is seeking a highly experienced Principal Advisor to join Te Rōpū Waeture – Regulatory Group in Wellington. You will lead performance reporting, provide strategic advice to senior leaders, and support governance bodies across the land transport regulatory system.

The role requires strong analytical and communication skills, with a focus on evidence-based decision-making and risk-informed regulation within a complex public sector environment.

Qualifications

• Experience leading performance monitoring and reporting in complex environments.
• Strong systems thinking with ability to anticipate impacts across a regulatory system.
• Excellent written, verbal and visual communication tailored for senior audiences.
• Experience in regulatory or public sector accountability and governance.
• Willingness to understand Te Ao Māori and Te Tiriti o Waitangi in the public sector.

Responsibilities

• Lead regular performance reporting on the regulatory system with evidence of strengths, risks and improvements.
• Provide robust monitoring and reporting to NZTA leadership and governance bodies (Regulatory, Executive and Board).
• Demonstrate strategic advice and recommendations to senior executives, Boards, governance bodies or Ministers.
• Prepare reporting and briefings tailored for Executive, Board and Ministerial audiences; ensure timely outputs.
• Build and maintain relationships across regulatory, transport and public sector networks.
• Demonstrate stakeholder engagement and influencing at senior levels.
• Champion risk-informed regulation in operational and strategic decision-making.

Skills

Performance monitoring & reporting

Strategic thinking

Analytical skills

Written, verbal & visual communication

Stakeholder engagement & influencing

Regulatory/public sector knowledge

Risk-informed regulation

Te Ao Māori / Te Tiriti understanding

Education

Tertiary qualification or equivalent in regulatory/public service

Job description

• Bring your Principal Advisory expertise to regulatory performance and reporting
• Support evidence-based oversight across New Zealand’s land transport regulatory system
• Permanent, Full Time based in Wellington

Te Whiwhinga mahi | The opportunity

We are looking for a highly experienced and dedicated Principal Advisor to join Te Rōpū Waeture – Regulatory Group as Principal Advisor, Performance and Reporting.

This opportunity requires someone who is currently operating confidently at a Principal level. You will need to bring strong experience in performance monitoring, reporting, assurance, regulatory systems or public sector accountability, and a proven track record of providing strategic advice to senior leaders, governance bodies and executive audiences.

You will need to deliver high-quality advice and outputs with limited ramp-up time. The role is responsible for providing objective monitoring and reporting on regulatory performance, supporting strong oversight of activities across the regulatory system, and enabling the Director of Land Transport and governance bodies to be successful in their roles.

In this role, you will:

• Lead regular performance reporting on the regulatory system, providing evidence of strengths, risks and areas requiring improvement.
• Ensure robust monitoring and reporting is provided to NZTA leadership and Regulatory Governance Bodies, including Regulatory, Executive and Board audiences.
• Demonstrate experience providing strategic advice and recommendations to senior executives, Boards, governance bodies or Ministers.
• Have exceptional written, verbal and visual communication skills, with a proven ability to prepare reporting and briefings and tailor messages for Executive, Board and Ministerial audiences and ensuring outs are timely, tailored and aligned with NZTA’s strategic direction.
• Provide evidence-based insights and recommendations to senior leaders and managers on areas for improvement.
• Build and maintain strong relationships across regulatory, transport and public sector networks to support insight sharing and evidence-informed practice.
• Have highly developed stakeholder engagement and influencing skills, with a demonstrated ability to build credibility and effectively influence at senior levels.
• Champion risk-informed regulation by embedding hindsight, insight and foresight into operational and strategic decision-making.

You will find out more about the role here: Position Description

Ko koe tēnei | About you

To be successful in this role, you will bring the judgement, credibility and delivery focus needed to work across complex regulatory, performance and governance environments.

This opportunity will suit someone who brings:

• Proven experience leading performance monitoring and reporting in complex environments, ideally within the public or regulatory sector.
• Strong systems and strategic thinking, with the ability to anticipate impacts across a regulatory system.
• Strong critical thinking and analytical skills, including experience using relevant methodologies and analytical approaches to support performance reporting.
• Exceptional written, verbal and visual communication skills, with the ability to tailor messaging for senior leaders, external stakeholders and ministerial forums.
• Strong stakeholder engagement and influencing skills, with proven ability to build relationships across internal and external networks.
• Experience working in a regulatory environment, with a solid understanding of government systems, accountability frameworks and public sector decision-making.
• Confidence supporting assurance, monitoring, reporting or quality improvement activity in a complex organisation.
• A tertiary qualification in a relevant discipline, or equivalent experience gained through senior roles in regulatory or public service environments where performance monitoring and quality assurance were key components, is required.

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 sector.

Mō mātou | About us

Te Rōpū Waeture – Regulatory Services is the lead regulator for land transport. Its purpose is to ensure the system is safe, efficient, effective and operates in the public interest.

The Regulatory Performance, Risk and Insights group provides system-wide oversight to ensure NZTA Waka Kotahi and the Director of Land Transport have a clear, evidence-based understanding of the performance, risks and outcomes of the land transport regulatory system.

The Regulatory Performance, Reporting and Assurance team is responsible for monitoring regulatory performance across the land transport system, evaluating the effectiveness of interventions and providing assurance to internal and external stakeholders.

Ka whiwhi koe i te aha | What you will get in return

This is an opportunity to contribute to work that supports strong regulatory stewardship, public trust and better outcomes for Aotearoa New Zealand.

You will work on meaningful, high-impact regulatory performance activity, supporting evidence-based decision-making across senior governance forums. You will also have the opportunity to work with colleagues across Regulatory Services, Organisational Performance, Enterprise Risk and Assurance, and wider public sector partners. From five weeks’ annual leave through to Life, Income Protection and Critical Illness Insurance for our permanent employees, you will be well looked after here. Our benefits are designed to support our people and provide a happy, healthy and high-performing environment.

Ready to contribute your expertise in this role? We’d love to hear from you.

Rā Katinga | Applications close:

20 September 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.