Title:Executive Assistant

Business Unit:Leadership and Organisational Development

Reports to:Chief Legal Officer

Location:National Office, Wellington

Direct Reports:Nil

Delegated Authority: Nil

Staff Responsibility: Nil

The Ministry / The Ministry for Vulnerable Children, Oranga Tamariki (MVCOT) works to advance the wellbeing and positive long-term outcomes of children and young people. We support families and whānau to provide a safe, stable and loving home for their children. We protect children and young people who are not having their needs met at home and address the impact of any harm they have experienced. The Ministry prevents and responds to offending by young people and addresses the rights and interests of victims of offending. We support care-experienced young people to successfully transition to adulthood.
We develop strategic partnerships with others, particularly iwi and Māori organisations, to help realise this vision. We ensure a common approach with our partners to understanding the return on investment from our activities.
The Ministry’s core outcomes are:
-All children and young people are in loving families and communities where they can be safe, strong, connected, and able to flourish.
-Improved outcomes for all children, especially Māori tamariki and rangatahi.
Our guiding principles / In everything we do, the wellbeing and bestinterests of children are paramount. The voices of children and young people underpin the design and operation of our services.We seek to strengthen the relationships between children and young people and their families, whānau, hapu and iwi, and we respect children’s sense of belonging and identity. We recognise the importance of whakapapa and whanaungatanga to the mana and wellbeing of tamariki Māori.
The legal team / The Oranga Tamariki legal team is a small, agile group committed to the vision of the Ministry. Our solicitors provide high quality legal advice and services to Ministry staff. We recognise that many decisions involve legal risk and we ensure risk is well understood and mitigated. We identify opportunities for continuous improvement and maximise those opportunities through collaborating within the Ministry and with our external partners.
Purpose of role / The Executive Assistant is a key support partner to the Chief Legal Officer and her team, providing executive level support. The role requires managing and prioritising information across a broad range of activities and from internal and external stakeholders.
The Executive Assistant will provide diary management, process and system development, identifying risks and issues and building strong stakeholder relationships.
Key accountabilities /
  • Identifies, manages and prioritises the Chief Legal Officer’s responsibilities and commitments;
  • Ensures appropriate travel and meeting arrangements are made for the legal team;
  • Monitors and ensures compliance with due dates, correspondence and reporting responsibilities;
  • Ensures effective lines of communication to managers to ensure prompt and timely distribution of critical information;
  • Identifies issues or risks and escalates where appropriate;
  • Ensures compliance with Office systems and processes including record keeping, financial reporting, Official and Privacy Act Information;
  • Communicates effectively with a wide range of internal and external stakeholders; and
  • Identifies and reviews opportunities for continuous improvement and innovation

Specific skills and experience /
  • Significant administrative support experience, ideally in the legal or government sector
  • Proficiency with Outlook and MS Office applications
  • Strong organisational skills
  • Strong written and verbal communication skills
  • Advanced relationship management skills
  • Political awareness and skill in dealing with sensitive issues
  • Ability to deliver in a changing and pressured environment

Personal attributes /
  • A high standard of integrity;
  • Committed to understanding Tikanga Māori;
  • Committed to the vision and goals of the Ministry;
  • Comfortable working in a creative and innovative environment.
  • Shares knowledge, time and expertise
  • Exercises discretion and security awareness at all times, particularly in dealing with sensitive or classified information
  • Works as a team member and demonstrates collegiality
  • Contributes to a positive team culture that enables high performance of the organisation

Key relationships /
  • Chief Legal Advisor
  • Other Executive Assistants within Oranga Tamariki and MSD
  • MSD Legal Services
  • MSD/Oranga Tamariki shared legal services
  • Oranga Tamariki managers
  • Crown Law
  • Office of the Privacy Commissioner
  • Ombudsman’s office
  • Office of the Children’s Commissioner
  • External legal providers (including the All of Government External Legal Services panel)

Position Description –

Executive Assistant1