Lead Advisor, Schooling

About this role | Mō tēnei tūranga

As the Lead Education Adviser Schooling, you will: 

• Provide support to and share specialist knowledge with integrated services teams to ensure quality governance, legislative and regulatory practice is supported across the schooling sector.

• Contribute to the development of tools and guidance for teams to support the implementation of ministry processes, polices and initiatives for the schooling sector.

• Work with regional integrated services teams to support them to identify needs and opportunities that exist to improve outcomes for children and students, including sharing ideas and best practice across clusters and regions.

• Work with others in your region to maintain an overview of the direction and implementation of new initiatives, ensuring local solutions maintain the policy intent, are consistent with business processes and lead to effective practice.

• Maintain high-level oversight across projects, analysing for trends, emerging risks and issues, opportunities, and solutions.

• Use a broad range of data and information to support the prioritisation, planning and delivery of local services and supports for the schooling sector.

• Take a lead role in the resolution of more complex issues and risk.

• Identify activities that need a coordinated approach and work to ensure integrated planning, delivery and reporting including working within and across ministry teams.

• Support, coach, and mentor teams to build capacity and capability and ensure consistency of practice across the region.

• Work with others in your region to proactively identify opportunities for service delivery improvement including how systems can be streamlined.

Salary range: $99,496 - $110,093 per annum + 3% KiwiSaver. The successful candidate will be appointed at a salary which reflects individual skills and experience.

For more details about the role, you can view the Job Description here job description here.

About you | Mōhou ake

To be successful in this role you will have the following experience:

• Experience of and robust knowledge and understanding of education contexts at a practical level.
• At least 5 years’ experience of working with school governance and leadership.
• Experience in leading and contributing to embedding organisational change that delivers intended outcomes.
• A strong knowledge and understanding of the New Zealand education system and relevant legislation.
• Experience in building relationships and partnerships to achieve shared outcomes.
• Understanding of the relationship between policy intent and the range and combination of tools available for implementation.
• Ability to motivate and lead others through advisory leadership.
• Experience of working in a complex organisation.
• The ability and willingness to adhere to the Public Service Standards of Integrity and Conduct.

About our group and team | Mātau rōpū ake

Our team provides leadership and integrated services to the sector and others. This includes services such as learning support and education advice and regulation functions for schools and early learning services.  

• As a frontline group we develop and harness existing relationships with communities at the regional and local level through the Directors of Education, including deep relationships with iwi and hapū. Our Directors of Education have the lead role and relationship with early learning, kōhanga, school and kura, and this means they will be across all the services we provide at a local level. 
• We also collectively strengthen relationships with our diverse communities who support Māori, Pacific peoples, disabled ākonga and/or ākonga with learning support needs, and ākonga from disadvantaged backgrounds. 
• We hold day-to-day regulatory functions, for example early learning licensing and we have support from the regulatory roles located in other groups in Te Tāhuhu including the national regulatory roles in Te Pae Aronui | Operations & Integration and the regulatory stewardship in Te Pou Kaupapahere | Policy. 

Our frontline groups are represented at the leadership level of decision making for Te Tāhuhu. The frontline hautū | deputy secretaries hold at least one National Portfolio to complement their frontline role. In Te Tai Raro, our hautū holds the National Portfolio for Pacific Education. This portfolio requires many parts of our organisation to work together to enhance collective impact for Pacific learner success, embedding the shifts in the Action Plan for Pacific Education. 

Are you ready to make a difference? | Kua rite koe mō tēnei mahi?

If this opportunity interests you, please submit your cover letter and resume by using the ‘apply' button. In your cover letter we’d like to know about you, your values, or anything else you’d like to share. We’re keen to understand your motivations, strengths, transferable skills, and the diverse perspectives you will bring to the role.

For further information, please contact Recruitment.Manawa@education.govt.nz

Applications close Midnight – Sunday, 22 June 2025

We want our people to feel valued for their unique qualities and have a sense of belonging. If you require assistance or adjustments to fully participate in the recruitment process, please let us know.