Principal Advisor

New Zealand Police – Wellington, North Island New Zealand Police is working with the community to make New Zealanders be safe and feel safe. With over 13,000 staff, we provide policing services 24 hours a day, every day. We operate by land, sea and air, manage over 860,000 emergency calls a year and are always actively preventing crime and crashes. We’re working towards specific goals and targets that highlight our intent to work collaboratively with iwi and communities, other government sectors and business partners to deliver ‘Our Business’ and achieve long‑term change. Principal Advisor to the Assistant Commissioner Investigations, Serious & Organised Crime Based at Police National Headquarters Grade 22 Permanent– Full Time JR 6013628 Stand at the stern of the canoe and feel the spray of the future biting at your face Mō te tūnga | About the role This is a unique opportunity to work alongside one of New Zealand Police's most senior leaders and play a critical role in shaping the strategic direction of Investigations, Serious & Organised Crime across Aotearoa. Reporting directly to the Assistant Commissioner Investigations, Serious & Organised Crime, the Principal Advisor acts as a trusted strategic advisor,providinghigh-quality advice, governance support, coordination, and oversight across a wide range of complex, sensitive, and high‑profile issues. The role supports effective executive decision-making, drives strategic priorities, and contributes to the successful delivery of key organisationalobjectives. As a key member of the wider Investigations Governance Group (IGG), you will work closely with senior leaders across Police, partner agencies, and government stakeholders to ensure priorities are effectively coordinated and delivered. You will also build a close and highly effective working relationship with the Assistant Commissioner's Executive Assistant and wider leadership team, helping to ensure the smooth management of competing priorities, stakeholder engagement, governance requirements, and executive business. No two days will be the same. One day you may be preparing strategic advice or Ministerial briefings on emerging organised crime trends; the next, coordinating responses to executive requests, supporting governance forums, managing priority projects, or providing advice on significant investigative matters. This role offers a unique opportunity to influence strategy, support executive leadership, and contribute to some of the most important and complex areas of policing. Key Accountabilities: Providehigh-quality strategic advice, analysis, and recommendations to the Assistant Commissioner on complex, sensitive, and high-profile issues. Lead the preparation of executive briefings, Ministerial correspondence, presentations, governance papers, and recommendations. Support the development, implementation, and monitoring of strategic priorities, organisational plans, and key initiatives. Identifyemerging risks, issues, opportunities, and trends,providingproactive advice to support informed decision-making. Build andmaintainstrong relationships with senior leaders, government agencies, and key stakeholders. Manage and coordinate responses to requests from Executive Leadership Team (ELT), Senior Leadership Team (SLT), Ministers' Offices, and external stakeholders. Take responsibility for priority projects and portfolios assigned by the Assistant Commissioner. Facilitate effective communication, coordination, and alignment across business groups and partner agencies. Support governance functions and contribute to the effective leadership and performance of the Investigations Governance Group. Champion continuous improvement and support delivery of organisational priorities. He aha taau e kawe mai | What you’ll bring Whilst we are looking for experience, knowledge, and capability relevant to the role, we also place high importance on your judgement, adaptability, relationship management skills, and ability tooperateeffectively in a fast-paced executive environment. You will bring: Significant experienceprovidingstrategic advice to senior leaders and executives. Demonstrated experience supporting governance processes and executive decision-making. Exceptional written communication skills, including experience preparing high-quality briefings, reports, Ministerial responses, and executive papers. Strong analytical and critical thinking skills, with the ability to translate complex issues into clear and concise advice. Proven ability toidentifyemerging risks, opportunities, and priorities andprovideproactive solutions-focused advice. Outstanding stakeholder engagement and relationship management skills. Experience working across complex organisational environments with multiple competing priorities. The ability to build trusted and effective working relationships with senior leaders, leadership teams, executive support staff, and external partners. Strong project coordination and delivery experience, ensuring outcomes are achieved within agreedtimeframes. Sound judgement, discretion, and political awareness when dealing with sensitive information and high-profile matters. Most importantly, you will be a trusted professional who thrives on supporting executive leaders, connecting people and priorities, and ensuring strategicobjectivesare translated into meaningful outcomes. Relevant tertiary qualification desirable, or equivalent professional experience. Domestic travel may berequiredfrom time to time. This role is Team Leader level. You can refer to Indicators for Success for further information on the requirements PD - Principal Advisor Investigations To be eligible for this role, you must obtain and maintain a TOP SECRET national security clearance. The minimum criteria for this level of national security clearance is: NZ Citizen who has resided continuously in NZ for the last 10 years, or: A Permanent Resident who has resided continuously in NZ for the last 10 years, or A citizen of or has resided continuously in one or more of the following countries for the last 10 years : Australia, Canada, United Kingdom, or United States of America, and has a background that can be verified by the NZSIS. Use this online tool to self-check your eligibility for a security clearance. Please note that this tool is not part of the formal security clearance process: http://www.protectivesecurity.govt.nz/eligibility-tool New Zealand Police is the lead agency responsible for preventing crime and enhancing community safety. We work in partnership with individuals, communities, businesses, iwi, and the wider public sector to make New Zealand the safest country. Our people are at the heart of everything we do. We are committed to developing our workforce and providing opportunities for our people to make a meaningful contribution while continuing to grow professionally. All applicants must have the right to work in New Zealand. This position is covered by a collective agreement and salary will commence between $155,956 and $199,278 dependent on skills and experience relevant to the role Please note: Deadline for applications is 5:00 pm on Thursday 6th August. Applications may be reviewed prior to the close date as well as contact made with candidates. If you have any questions about this vacancy, please contact *************@police.govt.nz #J-18808-Ljbffr