Private Secretary (PN0271)

Pou Hēkeretari Matua | Private Secretary 

Te Toi | Office of the Secretary

Fixed Term (12-18 months) / Fulltime *

Wellington

Ki te puāwai te ahurea, Ka ora te iwi
Culture is thriving, the people are well 

Are you looking to advise on and influence decisions in a fast-paced ministerial office?

We are seeking a Private Secretary to join our team to support the Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage and Minister Media and Communications This is a 12 to 18-month fixed term role, initially focused on the Minister’s Media portfolio. Being a private secretary is a great opportunity to influence and guide the work we do for Ministers and be at the heart of decision making and stakeholder engagement.

Kōrero mō te tūranga | About the role

The role is a challenging and rewarding experience. It provides an insight into the operations of the Executive Government and Parliament. We need the right people who can provide advice to the Minister, support the effective management of the portfolio and build and maintain positive and enabling relationships between the Ministry, Ministers and Minister’s offices, as well as the sector.

Kōrero mōu | About you

You will have experience developing policy advice in a government context.  You will have strong analytical and advisory experience – with the ability to digest a large amount of complex information quickly, identify patterns and connections, and be able to add value based on your experience and relationships.

Relationship management skills will be key to success in this role. You will need to be able to work effectively with other Private Secretaries, Ministers’ staff, and senior sector and public service representatives. You will build and maintain strong and enabling relationships with the sector that supports the objectives of the Minister and the portfolio.

Good ‘political nous’ is a key attribute, to help you make judgements about who needs to know what and when, and to support the timely making of good decisions.  You will also need to be flexible and adaptable to a changing working environment – you will be part of a wider private secretary team and may work across the portfolio.

In general, some of the key requirements are:

·         Ability to exercise judgment and discretion on complex issues, knowing when to advise and when to escalate.

·         Ability to analyse a lot of complex information, distil it down to the key points and identify opportunities and connections

·         Being an effective and efficient conduit of information and advice to and from the Minister and Ministry

·         Awareness of the politically neutral role private secretaries play in the parliamentary environment and ability to work with political staff to get answers when you really need them.

·         Efficiency, organisational skills, and the ability to triage and prioritise.

·         Eligibility for Confidential security clearance 

We are looking for the successful applicant to start as soon as possible and you need to be living in New Zealand at the time of applying.

Please download and save a copy of the full Position Description (MCH Website)

To learn more about Manatū Taonga | Ministry for Culture & Heritage please explore our Corporate Website (mch.govt.nz)

Your cover letter will be a key part of our assessment process so please highlight how your experience relates to the competencies listed in the position description.

For enquiries about this position contact Bridie Cooper  [email protected]

Applications close 5pm on 6 May 2025

Āheinga | Eligibility
If you are not a New Zealand citizen, you must hold current eligibility to work in New Zealand and for Manatū Taonga. Please refer to the New Zealand Immigration Service for further information.