Policy Advisor

• Exciting opportunity in the Trade Facilitation team
• Contribute to New Zealand’s international trade policies
• Help shape outcomes that improve opportunities for New Zealand businesses and consumers
• Wellington CBD | Flexible working options
• Salary range: $75,114 – $93,724 plus KiwiSaver and wellness benefits  

The Trade Facilitation Team is looking for an experienced Policy Advisor to support our team’s work programme. In this role, you will gather evidence and develop recommendations to provide informed policy advice. You will work on complex projects and trade matters including technical barriers to trade (TBT), tariff policy and standards and conformance, playing a crucial role in supporting New Zealand’s businesses to succeed in global markets.

The Policy Advisor will maintain relationships across a variety of functions and draw on these relationships to exchange ideas, resources and know-how.  

Other key elements of the role include:

• Strengthening and coordinating MBIE’s relationships with domestic regulators, government agencies and businesses that have an interest in regulatory issues.
• Supporting New Zealand’s policy and regulatory settings across a wide range of areas accounting for our international obligations.
• Supporting the implementation of Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) by working with domestic regulators and government agencies.

About the team:

Trade Facilitation sits within the wider Trade and Supply Chains team. We work with government agencies and regulators to ensure that policies and regulations do not unnecessarily create barriers to trade, both domestically and internationally. We help to ensure government policy in New Zealand is consistent with our international trade obligations under the WTO TBT Agreement, and engaging bilaterally, regionally and multilaterally to help shape TBT policy and rules. The team is also responsible for the Standards and Conformance system as well as New Zealand’s tariff policy. We work closely with other agencies, particularly MFAT and MPI.

For the role, ideally you will:

• Have a good base of experience in public policy as a Policy Advisor or transferrable skills from an advisory, legal or similar background.
• Be a logical thinker, problem solver, and have a healthy level of curiosity.
• Bring knowledge of policy development disciplines and processes.
• Enjoy working on tricky problems, generating ideas and coming up with solutions.
• Have or want to improve your cultural capability and knowledge of te ao Māori, te reo Māori and how Te Tiriti o Waitangi informs our work.
• Have the ability to build relationships with others and work collaboratively.
• Can work with ambiguity and deliver results.

This role will report to the Team Leader – Trade Facilitation and is based in our Wellington office.

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 ahungaroa o ngāi wi, o ngāi Māori, me ētahi atu rōpū Māori ki te Karauna, katutuki 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 kaupapakua 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.

Click here to view a position description. All applications must be submitted via our online process and include a Cover Letter and CV outlining your interest and suitability for the role. 

Email Monica Chow at monica.chow2@mbie.govt.nz quoting ref MBIE/17002 if you have any further questions.

Applications close on Sunday, 13 April.