Senior Policy Analyst, Funding Policy

Help shape the future of Education

We work to shape an education system that delivers equitable and excellent outcomes

Our organisation is made up of talented and committed people around Aotearoa, from a wide range of backgrounds and cultures. While we work in different groups and on different things, we all strive every day to make the biggest difference we can for our students in our education system.

About this role | Mō tēnei tūranga

This role is a permanent full-time position based in Wellington.

Help shape how schools across New Zealand are funded and staffed to improve outcomes for learners. Join a high-performing policy team working at the heart of the education system. We are looking for an experienced, capable and committed Policy Analyst to join our Funding Policy team within the Schools Policy Group.

Schools Policy Group

We work at the heart of the schooling system, designing policy to ensure every learner has the opportunity to thrive. Our work spans a broad and diverse portfolio, including quality teaching and leadership, the curriculum and qualifications schools deliver, school resourcing, and the networks and infrastructure that support access to education. Across this work, we are responsible for a range of strategic, funding, and legislative and regulatory policy levers, providing high-quality advice to Ministers informed by data-driven analysis, evidence, and meaningful engagement with the education sector.

The group is known for being highly collaborative, supportive, and intellectually curious. We work closely together to solve complex problems, share ideas openly, and build on each other’s thinking. We aim to create a positive team culture where people feel comfortable sharing ideas, learning from each other, and developing their policy skills. Alongside delivering high-quality policy work, we make time to connect as a group, support people’s ongoing development, and maintain an inclusive environment. 

Funding Policy Team

The Funding Policy team leads the Ministry’s policy advice on how schools are funded and staffed across New Zealand. Our work focusses on the core funding settings, including operational funding and teacher staffing entitlements, alongside targeted funding to support specific needs across the system. This includes funding for classroom teaching, teacher aides, school property, and additional support for disadvantaged learners. The team also develops policy settings to enable schools to attract and support international students.

In this role, you could be working on advice to:

• design how operational funding is allocated to reflect the real costs schools face
• review staffing entitlements to ensure schools have sufficient flexibility and resourcing to employ the teachers they need
• improve funding models for charter schools or Māori-medium education to better support different delivery models and communities
• consider what accountability and monitoring settings are needed to ensure funding is reaching the learners and outcomes it is intended to support

This is complex, high-impact work that directly affects how resources flow to schools, supporting better outcomes for learners across New Zealand.

You’ll be part of a highly collaborative team, working closely with colleagues across policy, data and analytics, finance, legal, and operational teams to turn evidence into practical funding settings that schools rely on every day.

Salary range: $101,296 - $145,560 per annum + Kiwi Saver. 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  Senior Policy Analyst - Funding Policy

About you | Mōhou ake

You will have proven policy experience at a senior analyst level, and 

• thrive in a fast-paced policy environment
• have proven ability to collaborate with others to find solutions
• be a critical thinker and be able to bring innovative approaches to complex policy issues
• have sound approaches to developing evidence-based analysis and advice
• have experience providing high-quality advice to senior leadership teams and Ministers
• have demonstrated knowledge of Te Ao Māori and promote tikanga and Te Reo Māori
• have knowledge of te Tiriti o Waitangi (the Treaty of Waitangi) as it applies in the public sector
• the ability and willingness to adhere to the Public Service Standards of Integrity and Conduct.

In return, we can offer you the opportunity to contribute to a high profile, challenging and ambitious agenda for change, a strong focus on the development of our people, and the ability to drive and influence policy direction.

About our group and team | Mātau rōpū ake

This role sits within Te Pou Kaupapahere, the Ministry’s Policy Group. We are a group with a strong policy culture that works on issues affecting a huge system that directly impacts the lives of all New Zealanders.

Te Pou Kaupapahere works alongside our colleagues in other parts of the Ministry, other central education agencies and wider government to provide Ministers with policy options to resource and shape the education system. This means delivering whole-of-system, end-to-end policy that covers early learning, schooling, and tertiary including Māori medium, te reo Māori, Pacific and learning support. 

Our group provides policy support for all parts of the Ministry, including their connections with iwi, hapū, hapori and Māori peak bodies, in the development of policy that honours te Tiriti o Waitangi.

We’re proud of the culture in our policy teams. We appreciate and support each other and develop strong relationships that underpin our ability to deliver good work, including holding relationships with all education Ministers. 

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 Simon Theeuwes, Senior Policy Manager at Simon.Theeuwes@education.govt.nz

Applications close Midnight Wednesday 9 September 2026.

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.