Senior Advisor, Planning and Performance

NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi

. Support leaders and teams to translate strategic and regulatory priorities into clear, coordinated work plans .

Posted 11/1/2026full-timeWellington • New ZealandSeniorWebsite

Core Competencies

Role fit

Core Competencies

Use this summary to align your resume positioning with the role.

Demonstrates strong planning and prioritization skills to translate strategic and regulatory priorities into actionable work plans, while effectively coordinating across teams and providing high-quality advice in complex operational environments.

Highest-signal resume keywords

Planning And Prioritisation SkillsRegulatory Environment ExperienceCross-Team CoordinationClear Written And Verbal CommunicationFacilitation Skills

ATS Keywords

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Applicant Tracking System Keywords

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Hard Skills

Performance MonitoringDecision-Making SupportRisk AssessmentProject PlanningProgramme PlanningPortfolio PlanningGovernance Material PreparationOperational Environment KnowledgeRegulatory Systems UnderstandingTe Ao Māori Understanding

Soft Skills

Relationship BuildingProblem SolvingJudgementInitiativeFacilitation

Certifications & Qualifications

Legal Right To Live And Work In New Zealand

Industry Keywords

Government ProcessesComplex Operational EnvironmentsTe Tiriti O WaitangiMinisterial RequirementsOIA Requirements

About the role

Key responsibilities & impact

Support leaders and teams to translate strategic and regulatory priorities into clear, coordinated work plans
Provide practical advice on priorities, sequencing, dependencies, risks and trade-offs to support decision-making
Coordinate planning and workflow across teams
Prepare advice, briefings and recommendations for leaders, governance groups and operational teams
Bring people and information together across teams to resolve issues and support joined-up delivery
Monitor progress against plans and identify where decisions, intervention or reprioritisation may be needed
Facilitate planning and prioritisation discussions leading to clear decisions, actions and accountabilities
Improve planning tools, frameworks and processes
Support governance, committee, forum, Ministerial, OIA and reporting requirements
Contribute to planning, performance monitoring and improvement across NZTA’s national land transport regulatory system

Requirements

What you’ll need

Experience providing high-quality advice in a regulatory, government or complex operational environment
Strong planning and prioritisation skills, including the ability to turn broad priorities into practical work plans
Experience coordinating work across multiple teams, functions or work programmes
Ability to assess competing priorities, risks, dependencies and trade-offs and provide clear recommendations
Experience supporting leaders and teams to make decisions, resolve issues and maintain delivery momentum
Strong relationship and facilitation skills
Clear written and verbal communication skills, including experience preparing advice, briefings, decision papers and governance material
Ability to interpret performance information and use it to inform advice, planning and action
Good judgement, initiative and a practical approach to navigating ambiguity and solving problems
Working knowledge of project, programme or portfolio planning approaches would be useful
Good understanding of regulatory systems, government processes or complex operational environments
Knowledge of, or willingness to gain an understanding of Te Ao Māori and promote tikanga and Te Reo Māori
Knowledge of, or willingness to gain an appreciation of Te Tiriti o Waitangi and its application in the public sector
Legal right to live and work in New Zealand
CV and cover letter detailing suitability for the role

Benefits

Comp & perks

Flexible working arrangements (role dependent)
Career development and learning opportunities
A collaborative and supportive work environment
5 weeks annual leave
Income Protection and Critical Illness Insurance for permanent employees
Access to a range of employee benefits and wellbeing initiatives
Competitive salary package