Private Secretary, Ministry of Social Development

Private Secretary, Ministry of Social Development

We are seeking applications for a secondment/external secondment Private Secretary role into the Minister’s Office. 

Private Secretaries play a crucial role as the primary day-to-day contact between the Minister and Ministry, building and maintaining a trusted and constructive relationship between our Ministers and the Ministry of Social Development, working closely with Ministers and their staff. 

The Private Secretary role is busy, challenging, varied and exciting; it provides a hands-on opportunity to work directly with Ministers and leaders. 

The focus of this role will be in the Disability Support Services portfolio and we are seeking an experienced advisor, particularly from a policy or cross-system thinking perspective. If you are looking for an opportunity to be a part of helping make positive change in how we deliver disability services, then we want to hear from you. Candidates operating at a Senior or Principal Advisor level are preferable.

The ideal candidate will bring extensive experience from their time in the public service working at a senior or principal level, ideally with a policy background, or have previous Private Secretary experience. You will be comfortable providing free and frank advice, remaining calm under pressure, with a wide-ranging perspective that contributes to excellent advice and decision quality.

This 18 -month secondment is a full-time position, and is based in the Beehive, Wellington.

If you would like to know more about the role before applying, please contact [email protected]

How to apply | Me pēhea te tuku tono

Please speak to your manager before applying for this role.

The start date is immediate, following successful appointment.

The process to apply for the role is through myHR where you will ‘apply for a new position’ in MSD. 

The closing date for expressions of interest is 15th February 2026.