Senior Analyst

About the role I Mō te tūnga

We are seeking a highly experienced Senior Analyst to join the Ministry’s Defence Assessment Team.

This is a senior practitioner role operating as a key deputy to the Director, with an expectation that you will lead pieces of work independently and step in to support delivery of the team’s work programme when required.

The team carries out the statutory audit and assessment responsibilities of the Secretary of Defence under the Defence Act 1990. This requires disciplined analytical processes, clear documentation of evidence, and findings that can withstand scrutiny.

This role works across the Ministry and the New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) to help answer key questions about how well the Defence system is performing, including:

• Reviewing specific aspects of the Defence System;
• Assessing whether Defence-led projects are delivered on time, within budget, and to scope; and
• Examining whether NZDF operations have achieved their strategic objectives.

This is not primarily a data-driven role. Our work draws on structured approaches from audit, assurance, and evaluation, and is normally based on document review, stakeholder interviews, and synthesis of qualitative and contextual evidence.

You will be expected to quickly take ownership of complex work, operate with a high degree of independence, and apply sound judgement in ambiguous and high-trust environments.

You will regularly engage with senior leaders across the Ministry and NZDF and must be confident influencing, advising, and constructively challenging at this level.

We are a collegial and supportive team who value curiosity, intellectual rigour, and constructive challenge. You will also play a key role in coaching and mentoring other analysts, lifting the quality, consistency, and discipline of our assessment work.

This role requires flexibility to be deployed into other areas of the organisation (e.g. policy) during periods of surge, where experienced analytical judgement is needed.

In this role, you will:

• Lead assessments and reviews from scoping through to reporting
• Produce high-quality, evidence-based advice for senior leaders and Ministers
• Apply structured methodologies to gather and assess evidence from documents, interviews, and other sources
• Contribute to the delivery and direction of the team’s work programme
• Coach and mentor analysts, strengthening analytical rigour and consistency

About you

We are seeking candidates with established experience in audit, assurance, or evaluation environments, who are confident leading assessments and operating at a senior level.

Assessment and audit expertise

• Proven experience leading end-to-end assessments, reviews, or audits
• Strong understanding of structured methodologies, including scoping, evidence gathering, and forming defensible findings
• Experience producing high-quality written outputs for senior leaders, including Ministers or equivalent
• Confidence standing behind and defending findings in scrutiny environments

Systems and analytical thinking

• A conceptual, systems-level thinker who can navigate complexity and connect issues across policy, capability, operations, and performance
• Strong critical-thinking skills, with the ability to synthesise qualitative and contextual information into clear conclusions

Communication and influence

• Highly developed written communication skills, with the ability to produce clear, concise, decision-ready advice
• Demonstrated experience influencing senior stakeholders, including constructively challenging assumptions

Working style

• Comfortable operating with a high degree of autonomy and accountability
• A curious and inquisitive mindset, with a habit of testing assumptions and asking “why”
• Strong relationship-building skills and the ability to work effectively across organisational boundaries

Context

• An understanding of defence processes is desirable, but not essential

Is this role right for you?

This role is best suited to an experienced practitioner who is confident operating at a senior level from the outset, rather than someone looking to step up into this level for the first time.

If you bring strong experience in assessment, audit, or evaluation and are confident operating independently in complex environments, we encourage you to apply.

We know that some people, especially women, can be unsure about working in the defence sector. If you’d like a confidential conversation about what it’s like working in the Ministry of Defence please email us at ***email_hidden***

Who we are I Ko wai mātou

We are the Government’s lead civilian advisor on defence. We also purchase major equipment which becomes a capability when it is used by those in service of the New Zealand Defence Force. Capability in this setting is defined as ‘the personnel, equipment, platforms, and/or other materiel that affect the capacity of New Zealand to undertake military operations.

Ko mātou ngā kaitohutohu matua ki te kāwanatanga mo ngā kaupapa waonga. Nā mātou hoki, ngā taputapu nunui i hoko, hei āheitanga i roto i ngā ringa o ngā tāne me ngā wahine o Te Ope Kātua o Aotearoa.

Salary and Benefits I Utu ā-Tau

We are careful to maintain pay relativities amongst our people and our roles. For this reason, we anticipate the offered salary will be in the range of $120k - $135k.

We have a great range of benefits including:

• Flexible working that supports the individual, the team, and the organisation
• An annual wellbeing subsidy
• Contributions towards childcare for children up to age 14
• Eyewear subsidy
• KiwiSaver contribution on top of remuneration
• A range of employee led networks you can join

Working in our environment means we need to ensure you are eligible for employment. You must:

· Have been a New Zealand citizen for at least 10 years

OR

· Hold a current NZ Residency Calss Visa and ideally have been a citizen of the UK, US, Canada, or Australia for at least 10 years.

For most roles you’ll have a checkable background in countries NZSIS Vetting can make meaningful and reliable checks.

Still unsure? Use this online tool to self-check your eligibility for a security clearance

http://www.protectivesecuirty.govt.nz/eligibility-tool

Please direct any queries regarding this role to ***email_hidden***. However, we will not consider applications emailed to this address.

Applications close: 5pm Sunday, 14 June 2026.