Senior Adviser Government Services

CGR Services; Wellington; On-site; NZD 105,000 - 148,000; Full time

Job summary

Ara Poutama Aotearoa - Department of Corrections is seeking a Senior Adviser Government Services to shape engagement with Ministers and stakeholders. This high-impact role requires strong political nous, machinery of government expertise, and the ability to support accountability and transparency in a large public sector organisation.

Responsibilities include leading ministerial responses, providing strategic analysis, mentoring colleagues nationwide, and building relationships with the

Qualifications

• Proven experience in public sector writing and ministerial servicing.
• Confidence communicating at a high level with senior stakeholders.
• Strong analytical and strategic thinking abilities, including the ability to interpret trends in data.
• Deep understanding of government accountability processes and legislation.
• Ability to manage sensitive information with integrity and discretion.
• Experience with performance tracking and information systems.
• A collaborative mindset and commitment to Te Tiriti o Waitangi.

Responsibilities

• Lead and peer-review responses to Ministerial requests, written parliamentary questions and other correspondence.
• Provide strategic advice and plain-language analysis on complex issues.
• Mentor colleagues across the country on engagement with ministerial and parliamentary processes.
• Build strong relationships with the Minister's office, Executive Leadership Team, and external stakeholders.
• Monitor public sector trends and provide timely advice to senior leaders.
• Collaborate with internal teams to improve systems and processes.
• Contribute to a high-performing, inclusive team culture.

Skills

Ministerial servicing

Senior stakeholder comms

Analytical thinking

Govt accountability

Information security

Performance tracking

Te Tiriti o Waitangi

Job description

Join a high-performing team who are committed to developing you.

• Influential role where you will support the business and ministerial stakeholders.
• Two positions available, one permanent, and one secondment / fixed term opportunity until 14th March 2027.

Mō te tūnga | About the role

As a Senior Adviser Government Services, you will help shape how we engage with Ministers and other stakeholders. This is a high-impact role where your expertise in government processes, strategic analysis, and communications will support our accountability and transparency.

During your day-to-day you will:

• Lead and peer-review responses to Ministerial requests, written parliamentary questions and other correspondence.
• Provide strategic advice and plain-language analysis on complex issues.
• Mentor colleagues across the country on ways to engage with ministerial and parliamentary processes.
• Build strong relationships with the Minister's office, Executive Leadership Team, and external stakeholders.
• Monitor public sector trends and provide timely advice to senior leaders.
• Collaborate with internal teams to improve systems and processes.
• Contribute to a high-performing, inclusive team culture.

While these roles are primarily located in Wellington, consideration may be given to employees based in Christchurch where circumstances support such an arrangement.

Mōu | About you

You are an experienced Senior Adviser with direct experience in Ministerial servicing or engagement. Perhaps you've spent time in a Minsters Office or worked closely with one in an advisory capacity. This experience has given you strong political nous and machinery of government expertise - and you're ready to bring this to large and complex organisation like Corrections. Your career has seen you hone a risk radar and develop deep understanding of how political context affects advisory support. Most importantly, you enjoy a busy advisory role and the variety it brings.

Ngā pūkenga me ngā wheako | Skills and experience

• Proven experience in public sector writing and ministerial servicing.
• Confidence communicating at a high level with senior stakeholders.
• Strong analytical and strategic thinking abilities, including the ability to interpret trends in data.
• Deep understanding of government accountability processes and legislation.
• Ability to manage sensitive information with integrity and discretion.
• Experience with performance tracking and information systems.
• A collaborative mindset and commitment to Te Tiriti o Waitangi.

Ngā painga | The benefits

The midpoint of the salary range is $123,511 per annum and the full range (85%-120%) is $104,985 - $148,214 per annum. Appointment and remuneration will reflect skills and experience relevant to the role.

Mō mātou | About us

Join Ara Poutama Aotearoa - Department of Corrections, where your work will contribute to improving public safety, reducing re-offending, and address the overrepresentation of Māori in correctional facilities. As a values-led organisation, we use the principles of rangatira (leadership), manaaki (respect), wairua (spirituality), kaitiaki (guardianship), and whānau (relationships) to guide our work and achieve the goals of our Hōkai Rangi strategy. We value inclusion and diversity in our workforce, and as a Public Service organisation we are committed to building a workforce that reflects the public we serve. We strive to make our recruitment process fair, and we encourage you to discuss reasonable accommodations with us if required.