Join an organisation contributing to meaningful outcomes, About Aotearoa, for Aotearoa - data that improves lives today and for generations to come.

Bring your extensive experience in policy leadership and team development
Lead and grow a policy team working on system-level challenges in Aotearoa's data landscape
Contribute to meaningful work in a fast-paced, evolving environment
Wellington-based role.

The role | Te tūnga

This is a unique opportunity for two experienced policy leaders to join our policy team to shape New Zealand's data future while building and developing a policy team in a complex, fast-paced environment.

Reporting to the General Manager - Policy within the Office of the Chief Executive, you will lead a team of 6-8 policy professionals. You'll work alongside another Senior Manager - Policy and the Chief Policy Advisor, with responsibilities divided across core focus areas, including:

Creating the authorising environment for greater use of administrative data
Driving policy work on the future direction of census, and social investment through integrated data
Strategic, long-term planning for macroeconomic statistics
Leading the development business cases and investment planning
Adapting to the digital era and meeting evolving customer needs
Fostering trust and confidence in how data is used and protected.

This role is suited to a senior policy professional with a strong track record in leading policy work and developing people. You will bring:

Proven experience in managing policy teams, particularly in ambiguous and fast-moving environments
Strong leadership, coaching, and project management skills
The ability to influence senior stakeholders and navigate complex system-level challenges.

If you're passionate about building capability, leading through change, and making a lasting impact on New Zealand's data system, we'd love to hear from you.

What you bring | Nōu te rourou

To be successful in this role, you'll need to bring strong leadership and policy expertise, along with the agility to operate across a wide range of complex and evolving subject areas. You will need:

Extensive experience in managing and developing policy teams
A deep understanding of public policy and the machinery of government
A proven track record in leading teams delivering complex policy programmes and driving results
Strong planning, organisational, and analytical skills
Excellent mentoring and coaching abilities, with a focus on building capability and supporting staff through change
The ability to quickly identify critical issues and provide pragmatic, strategic advice
Ability to guide and review policy work to ensure insights are clear, actionable, and aligned with strategic objectives
Proven experience overseeing the production of high-quality written outputs, with a strong focus on clarity, accuracy, and impact.

The Way We Lead tab on our careers site outlines what success looks like for leaders at Tatauranga Aotearoa - Stats NZ. In your application, tell us how your leadership style aligns with this.

We're committed to lifting the capability of all leaders in applying Te Tiriti, Tikanga, and Te Reo in the workplace. A willingness to learn and role model is essential - please share what you've done or how you plan to grow in this space.

About Us | Ko mātou

Tatauranga Aotearoa - Stats NZ is a Central Government employer of around 1200 people across Aotearoa. We provide data and statistics to support the decisions of Government, Māori and Iwi organisations, businesses, NGOs, and New Zealanders. Our work is About Aotearoa, for Aotearoa - data that improves lives today and for generations to come.

How to apply | Me pēhea te tuku tono

If this sounds like you, click on the Apply now button to be redirected to the application page on our careers site. The position description is located on the right-hand side of the page. Applications close at 11.55pm, Sunday 17th August.

We will be screening applications as we receive them to move swiftly to interview. You may be asked to complete a pre-interview screen via phone or video. Please let us know in your application if we need to make any specific accommodations during our process.

Please reach out to recruitment@stats.govt.nz or Lucy Nie, Chief Policy Advisor (lucy.nie@stats.govt.nz) if you have any questions.

You must have the right to live and work in Aotearoa New Zealand. Background and various pre-employment checks are part of our recruitment process.

Note to Recruitment Agencies: unsolicited CVs will not be accepted, do not contact the Hiring Manager directly, instead reach out to jobs@stats.govt.nz

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