Senior or Principal Analyst - Wellington - Fixed Term/Secondment

Ministry of Social Development; Wellington; On-site; NZD 110,000 - 216,000; Full time

Job summary

Social Investment Agency | Toi Hau Tāngata in Wellington is seeking a Senior or Principal Analyst to deliver analytical and evidence products supporting social investment decisions across government. The role involves working on complex social sector questions, combining data, research, evaluation, economics and policy context to produce clear insights.

This fixed-term or secondment opportunity runs through to 25 June 2027, with potential for technical leadership and mentoring within a centre of

Qualifications

• Has proven experience as an analyst, researcher, evaluator, or data scientist.
• Able to translate complex data into clear, balanced policy advice for technical and non-technical audiences.
• Experience with administrative data, the Integrated Data Infrastructure, dashboards, or economic analysis.
• Strong judgment, critical thinking and subject-matter knowledge to test assumptions and identify limitations.
• Willingness to work with ambiguity while maintaining quality and impact.
• Enquiries about secondment opportunities with home agency experience may apply.

Responsibilities

• Leading or contributing to analytical, research, evaluation or data projects informing social investment priorities.
• Translating complex data into clear, balanced advice for senior leaders and cross-agency stakeholders.
• Applying strong judgement and context to ensure advice aligns with policy and operational goals.
• Building trusted relationships with colleagues, agencies and stakeholders to shape work programmes.
• Providing technical leadership, quality assurance and mentoring at Principal level.
• Turning complex evidence into practical insights for decision-makers.
• Communicating strengths, limitations and implications of evidence clearly.
• Collaborating in a team to deliver high-quality outputs across the social sector.
• Experience with administrative data and privacy/ethics considerations is advantageous.
• Secondment applicants should discuss with their manager prior to applying.

Job description

Senior or Principal Analyst - Wellington - Fixed Term/Secondment

Our purpose is to shift the system using data and evidence, so that the system invests earlier and more effectively to improve the lives of New Zealanders. We focus our efforts where we can make the greatest impact, and we collaborate with agencies and stakeholders to shine a light on policy issues that fall between the gaps. As a central government agency, our people are our centre. They’re curious, agile and hardworking, and instinctively care about the wellbeing of others.

We are committed to a safe and inclusive workplace and we value the diversity everyone brings. We embrace our diverse workforce and culture, and we support flexible working arrangements. We welcome applications from everyone, regardless of gender identity, age, ethnicity, sexual orientation, disability, or religion. If you have any support or access requirements, we encourage you to tell us when you apply so we can assist you through the recruitment process.

It’s an exciting time to join the Social Investment Agency | Toi Hau Tāngata as we lead change across the public service to implement social investment and support Government to achieve better outcomes from social sector spending.

As a Principal or Senior Analyst in Data, Evidence and Insights, you will help deliver analytical and evidence products that support social investment decision-making across government. You will work on complex social sector questions, bringing together data, research, evaluation, economics and policy context to produce clear, useful insights.

This opportunity is available as either a fixed-term appointment or a secondment through to 25 June 2027, providing the chance to make a meaningful contribution to a significant programme of work with a defined delivery timeframe.

You will collaborate closely with colleagues across SIA and partner agencies to define analytical questions, develop robust approaches, interpret findings and communicate what the evidence means for policy, investment and service delivery. Depending on your experience, you may also provide technical leadership, quality assurance, mentoring and support to build SIA’s role as a centre of excellence in data and research across the social sector.

What you’ll be responsible for

• Leading or contributing to analytical, research, evaluation or data projects that inform social investment priorities, funding decisions and system performance.
• Translating complex data and evidence into clear, balanced advice for technical and non-technical audiences, including senior leaders and cross-agency stakeholders.
• Applying strong judgement, critical thinking and subject-matter knowledge to test assumptions, identify limitations and ensure advice is grounded in the wider social, policy and operational context.
• Building trusted relationships with colleagues, agencies and stakeholders to understand demand, shape work programmes and deliver high-quality outputs.
• For Principal-level candidates, providing technical leadership, quality assurance and mentoring to strengthen analytical practice and support the development of others.
• You are an experienced analyst, researcher, evaluator, or data scientist who enjoys working with complex evidence and turning it into practical insight.
• You bring strong analytical capability, intellectual curiosity and a critical perspective, and you are comfortable working with ambiguity while maintaining a clear focus on quality and impact.
• You can communicate complex information clearly, including the strengths, limitations and implications of evidence for decision-makers.
• You work well with others, build trusted relationships and contribute positively to a collaborative team environment.
• You have experience with administrative data, the Integrated Data Infrastructure, dashboards, evaluation, economic analysis, mixed-methods research, social sector policy, Māori data considerations, privacy, ethics or investment advice.
• For secondment applicants, you will bring relevant experience from your home agency and a willingness to share knowledge across the wider public sector.

This role may be appointed at either Senior Analyst or Principal Analyst level, depending on the successful candidate’s skills and experience. Salary will be in line with the relevant SIA salary band and employment arrangements. For secondees, salary and employment terms will be confirmed through the secondment agreement between agencies.

Principal Analyst salary band: $153,334 - $216,485. Offers are generally made between $153,334 - $180,405

Senior Analyst salary band: $110,497 - $155,995. Offers are generally made between $110,497 - $129,996

If you are applying for a secondment, please discuss this opportunity with your manager before applying. Applications close at 11.59pm on Friday, 20th September 2026; however, we will review applications as they come in and may invite people to interview before the close date.

We reserve the right to close the vacancy early if an ideal person is found before the close date.