Senior Investigator

Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment; Auckland; On-site; NZD 102,000 - 121,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

KiwiSaver

Wellness benefits

Job summary

MBIE in Auckland is seeking a Senior Investigator to lead investigations into building failures and regulatory matters within the Building System Assurance team. You will drive quality, mentor investigators, and support the Manager, Investigations to deliver timely, consistent outcomes in a fast-paced environment.

Join MBIE to contribute to the major reform of New Zealand's building regulatory system, with opportunities for development, collaboration, and impact across the sector and economy.

Qualifications

• Understand and operate within complex regulatory frameworks and risk assessment.
• Proven track record as an investigative lead on significant investigations or audits.
• Ability to build strong working relationships across cultures and backgrounds.
• Experience coaching and mentoring others in teams or programmes.
• Able to work autonomously and in a team, meeting deadlines under pressure.
• Able to clearly communicate technical information to non-technical audiences.
• Knowledge of government and constitutional environment.
• Advanced decision-making skills with analytic application experience.
• Experience using tactical communication in confrontational situations.
• Willingness to travel at short notice for extended periods.
• Strong relationship building and open, approachable coaching style.
• Must have the legal right to live and work in New Zealand

Responsibilities

• Investigate complaints and assist with complex complaints regarding building failures under the Building Act 2004.
• Ensure quality and consistency of investigations and practices within the team.
• Coach and mentor Investigators and support the Manager, Investigations with quality advice.
• Contribute to regulatory monitoring and assurance across building products and authorities.

Skills

Investigative leadership

Regulatory knowledge

Risk assessment

Coaching and mentoring

Stakeholder engagement

Communication

Decision making

Interviewing stakeholders

Travel readiness

Legal right to work in NZ

Job description

Discover a career with purpose at MBIE

• Hands on operational role
• Genuine career and development opportunities and a supportive team environment
• An opportunity to make a real difference
• Manukau/Central Auckland location
• Salary range: $101,911-$121,196 + KiwiSaver + Wellness Benefits

About the Role - Tēnei tūranga:

The Building System Assurance team is responsible for a range of building regulatory functions involving regulatory compliance, monitoring and assurance, and service delivery. These functions include monitoring of Building Consent Authorities and Territorial Authorities, building products assurance, oversight of CodeMark as the building product certification scheme, and assessment of MultiProof applications.

Join us as a Senior Investigator in Auckland and be part of the biggest reform of the building regulatory system in the last 15 years. Play your part in shaping one of New Zealand's leading sectors, which is set to contribute significantly to New Zealand's economic recovery.

The Senior Investigator is responsible for carrying out the function of investigating complaints and assisting with complex complaints relating to building failures, section 200 complaints under the Building Act 2004 and building products.

The Senior Investigator is responsible for ensuring quality and consistency of investigation and practices in relation to the contribution to the team’s work, consistent with the Ministry’s policy framework. They are also responsible for the coaching and mentoring of Investigators, as well as supporting the Manager, Investigations by providing consistent quality advice.

Ngā pukenga me ngā wheako e hiahiatia ana

Skills And Experience Required

• Has an in-depth understanding and operating within complex areas of the legal and regulatory framework, including applying risk assessment methodology.
• Has significant experience as demonstrated by competency as an investigative lead on multiple significant investigations, audits or programmes of work where different skill sets have been needed in each one
• Ability to quickly establish and build strong working relationships, and work with a range of people across different cultures and backgrounds
• Demonstrated experience in coaching and mentoring others
• Able to work autonomously, as well as being part of a wider team, working to deadlines and under pressure.
• Able to clearly communicate technical information to a non-technical audience, including enforcement and reporting writing
• Knowledge and understanding of government and constitutional environment
• Advanced decision-making skills, with experience in applying analytical techniques or models to problem definition and analysis
• Experience in applying tactical communication skills in confrontational situations
• Relevant building regulatory industry experience would be desirable.
• Knowledge of CodeMark, Build Ready, Multi proof and Building failure work streams would be desirable.
• Experience with conflict situations and the ability to interview face to face with stakeholders.
• Availability to travel at short notice for extended periods of time as and when required.
• Strong relationship builder, confident communicator with an open and approachable coaching style.
• Must have the legal right to live and work in New Zealand

About MBIE - Ētahi kōrero mō MBIE:

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.

• Mahi Tahi – Better Together
• Māia – Bold and brave
• Pae Kahurangi – Build our Future
• Pono Me Te Tika – Own It

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

MBIE recognises the partnership founded under Te Tiriti o Waitangi between Māori and the Crown and is committed to giving effect to Te Tiriti o 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.

E mōhio ana a Hīkina Whakatutuki i puea ake te kōtuinga I waenganui i a ngāi Māori me te Karauna i Te Tiriti o Waitangi, ā, kei te whai ia ki te whakaū ake i Te Tiriti o Waitangi. Mā te whai kiko o ngā kōtuinga ahunga roa o ngā iwi, o ngāi Māori, me ētahi atu rōpū Māori ki te Karauna, ka tutuki tēnei. He āhuatanga nui tēnei e āhei ai ngā mahi whanaketanga ā-ohanga, ā-pāpori hoki ki a ngāi Māori me Aotearoa whānui. E whai tonu ana mātou ki te kōtui atu ki ngā iwi mō te rapu huarahi hou ki te whakaara i ngā kaupapa kua roa nei e tāmi ana i a ngāi Māori me Aotearoa whānui, ā, e whai ana hoki ki te tautohu i ngā āheinga kōkiritanga mā ngā iwi, me te tautoko i ngā iwi kia whai mana ake ai ēnei āheinga.

Applications close on Wednesday 9 September 2026