Position Description

Position Title:Advisor – Education to Employment Initiatives

Group:Education to Employment Connections

GradeSP15

Location:Flexible

Date:September 2015

Careers New Zealand

Careers New Zealand is a hub for independent career information and advice. We are career experts who help people navigate their career journey. We do this by providing independent advice to people making career choices and those supporting them, so they and the country, will have a better future.

Careers New Zealand helps the government achieve its goals of boosting skills and employment and reducing long-term welfare dependence. Our work directly contributes to government priorities in the Business Growth Agenda, Better Public Services, Tertiary Education, Youth Guarantee and raising educational achievement through KaHikitia and the Pasifika Education Plan.

Our Tomorrow

“Our Tomorrow” is a set of aspirational statements that describe and mandate the kind of work place we strive to be:

Careers New Zealand…

  • has a clear vision and goals
  • integrates, demonstrates and lives our values
  • is the go-to place for career expertise
  • has effective leadership that inspires, motivates and delivers
  • works effectively and collaboratively as a team
  • recognises, values and supports its people
  • responds to the needs of Māori
  • responds to the needs of Pasifika
  • is resourceful and has the resources to do our work
  • is a place that communicates well
  • has a collaborative and cohesive approach to planning
  • has transparent and purposeful processes
  • produces high quality work that delivers outcomes

Our Values

Manaaki kitetangata (Looking after our people)

We’re respectful, generous, kind and understanding, valuing people, relationships and diversity. This is demonstrated through our integrity and reciprocity. We encourage and support people to achieve their career aspirations. We’re sincere without being too earnest. We learn from each other and we share best practice. We’re really good hosts and we like paying it forward.

Mana rangatiratanga (Leadership and accountability)

We’re strong, confident and resilient, valuing personal self-determination that gives us choice and autonomy. We help people determine who they want to be, career-wise. Walking tall and having the freedom to choose is important to us. We think, act and do, providing good leadership to those who want and need it. We are accountable to individuals, families, communities and employers of New Zealand.

Whanaungatanga (Relationships)

We are the Careers New Zealand whānau, one team that values loyalty to each other. We connect people to suitable education and employment pathways and networks. We’re inherently curious and inclusive, learning from each other. We value sharing, bonding and listening. We respect diversity and old-fashioned principles of give and take. We’re pretty sharp at finding links to connect with others and we’re anything but transactional. We’ll never treat people like numbers.

These values guide the ways in which we work at Careers New Zealand.

Position Purpose

The Advisor –Education to Employment (Initiatives) supports the Education to Employment Manager (Initiatives) to identify, develop and manage national initiatives that improve connections in the education to employment system throughout New Zealand advancing Careers New Zealand’s strategic goals.

Reports to

The Education to Employment Manager (Initiatives)

Key Relationships

The Advisor – Education to Employment (Initiatives)is expected to work proactively and creatively to identify and build collaborative relationships with key groups and people, both internally and externally, whose influence and input can advance our strategic goals. Examples of these key groups and people are:

Internal

  • E2E Group staff
  • Managers and Advisors in other business groups
  • Career Development Consultants
  • Business Support
  • Principal Advisor Christchurch and Senior Advisor Auckland

External

  • Business sector – economic development agencies, business groups,industry bodies, and employers
  • Community sector groups and organisations; including Māori and Pasifika organisations
  • State sector and local government agencies

Extent of Authority

There are no direct reports, HR or financial delegations.

Key Responsibilities

The key responsibilities of the Advisor – Education to Employment (Initiatives)are:

Key Responsibility
/
Indicators of Success
Stakeholder Engagement
/
  • Establishing and maintaining collaborative and enduring high value networks, alliances and relationships to increase CNZ’s profile and influence and improve connections in the education to employment system
  • Increasing CNZ’s profile, brand and influence, and ‘selling’ our products and services
  • Seeking out and leveraging opportunities for CNZ to engage in high-impact initiatives to improve connections and outcomes in the education to employment system
  • Identifies and directs opportunities and leads that would contribute to CNZ’s success to the appropriate CNZ manager

Information
. /
  • Keeps up to date with national and regional labour market, and career development trends, data and information, and initiatives in the education to employment system. Uses this information to identify opportunities for CNZ.
  • Shares knowledge across Careers New Zealand
  • Actively contributes to the building and promoting of Careers New Zealand Knowledge assets (Careers Knowledge Hub)
  • Actively engages with Careers New Zealand requirements and quality standards, including through accurate, timely recording and documenting activities and reporting

Initiative Development and Implementation /
  • Work across Careers New Zealand in the development and implementation of key education to employment initiatives
  • Identifies opportunities in the education to employment system, develops and tests approved pilots using project methodology
  • Workswith service development to develop best practice guides and materials for national initiatives
  • Plans, develops, delivers and evaluates outcomes of Education to Employment programmes and initiatives, including co-design and co-delivery as per business plan
  • Manages effective events while maintaining and enhancing internal and external relationships
  • Applies project management methodology to national and regional initiatives and pilot programmes
  • Develops and maintains quality resources in the career influencer space

Teamwork and Leadership /
  • Models exemplary management and leadership behaviours, and State sector ethics and values.
  • Develops effective working relationships within CNZ in order to successfully deliver education to employment initiatives
  • Takes leadership of initiatives and projects and provides strong effective cross organisational linkages
  • Manages cross-business unit projects
  • Actively contributes to business group and unit planning and achieving objectives
  • Actively participates in wider organisational projects, initiatives and activities
  • Creates a sense of vision, engages people to participate, and makes things happen.
  • Provides support, coaching and peer review for colleagues specific to thisposition

TeTiriti o Waitangi and Cultural Expertise
/
  • Demonstrates understanding of the principles of teTiriti o Waitangi and their contemporary application to Careers New Zealand’s work.
  • Demonstrates a practical working knowledge of Te reo.
  • Applies tikanga in relevant work situations.

Organisational Commitment and Public Service
/
  • Understands and promotes Careers New Zealand vision, mission, values and services.
  • Willingly undertakes any duty required within the context of the position.

Health & Safety /
  • Takes responsibility for meeting Careers New Zealand’s obligations in workplace health and safety by:
  • observing the Careers New Zealand’s H&S procedures
  • participating in health and safety initiatives and training where appropriate
  • providing suggestions for improvement of health and safety
  • reporting all accidents/incidents, near misses, and symptoms of discomfort
  • identifying and reporting workplace hazards.

Responsibilities of this position are expected to change over time as the organisation responds to changing needs. The incumbent will need the flexibility to adapt and develop as the position evolves.

Person Specification

Capability Requirements

The following skills, knowledge and behavioural competencies enable proficiency and success in the role. Focus and emphasis will depend on the key requirements of the role being performed at any given time.

For recruitment purposes, candidates may not be required to be fully competent in all areas of the position description. When recruiting for this position, the recruitment panel will identify the critical factors for appointment.

Topic
/
Skills, knowledge and competencies required
Strategic Competencies /
  • Strategic Agility* Sees ahead clearly; can anticipate future consequences and trends accurately; has broad knowledge and perspective; is future oriented; can articulately paint credible pictures and visions of possibilities and likelihoods; can create competitive and breakthrough strategies and plans
  • Political Savvy* Can manoeuvre through complex political situations effectively and quietly; is sensitive to how people and organisations function; anticipates where the land mines are and plans their approach accordingly; views corporate politics as a necessary part of organisational life and works to adjust to that reality; is a maze-bright person.

Leadership /
  • Managing vision and purpose* Communicates a compelling and inspired vision or sense of core purpose; talks beyond today; talks about possibilities; is optimistic; creates mileposts and symbols to rally support behind the vision; makes the vision sharable by everyone; can inspire and motivate entire units or organisations.
  • Negotiation. Can negotiate skilfully in tough situations with both internal and external groups; can settle differences with minimum noise; can win concessions without damaging relationships; can be both direct and forceful as well as diplomatic; gains trust quickly of other parties to the negotiations; has a good sense of timing

Personal Competencies /
  • Intellectual Horsepower* Is bright and intelligent; deals with concepts and complexity comfortably; described as intellectually sharp, capable and agile.
  • Interpersonal Savvy* Relates well to all kinds of people-up, down, and sideways, inside and outside the organisation; builds appropriate rapport; builds constructive and effective relationships; uses diplomacy and tact; can diffuse even high-tension situations comfortably.

Knowledge and Experience /
  • Knowledge and experience in successfully taking a project or programme from conception to completion
  • Able to competently lead solution focussed discussion and consultation processes
  • Knowledge of New Zealand career development theory, context and resources
  • Exposure to sectors relevant to the position
  • Demonstrates a high level of cultural intelligence
  • Highly effective relationship management skills
  • Ability to manage projects
  • Excellent oral and written communication skills, presentation and facilitation skills
  • Negotiating and influencing skills, able to challenge peoples’ thinking in constructive ways

Cultural Competencies /
  • Careers New Zealand is extremely committed to its responsibility to Maori and its responsibility to Pasifika. In that regard, we have frameworks that encompass and describes the cultural competency expectations for all roles within the organisation. There is an expectation that this role performs to the expected level as described in those frameworks.

Other Desirable Qualifications and Skills /
  • Relevant qualification in a related field or similar experience
  • Project management
  • Full current New Zealand Driver’s licence
  • Willingness to travel throughout New Zealand