Relationship Lead - Digital Enablement and Delivery

Join us to help shape the future of Aotearoa New Zealand's planning system.

We are looking for an experienced professional to join our Planning System Transformation (PST) programme as a Relationship Lead - Digital Enablement & Delivery. This is a unique opportunity to work at the centre of a complex, high-impact reform, supporting digital delivery through strong stakeholder engagement and trusted partnerships. This role is fixed term until 30 June 2027.

About the role | Mo te turanga mahi

Reporting to the Chief Officer - Engagement and Communication, this role is responsible for planning, coordinating, and managing engagement with key stakeholders to support successful digital delivery outcomes.

You will build and maintain strong relationships across central government, local government, and the private sector-ensuring stakeholders are aligned, informed, and engaged in digital priorities and reform initiatives.

Working closely with senior leaders and multidisciplinary teams across digital delivery, engagement, communications, policy, and user experience, you'll help coordinate effective delivery by:

• Managing engagement approaches and processes
• Identifying risks and dependencies
• Supporting trusted and productive relationships in a complex environment

What you'll be doing | Nga mahi ka mahia e koe

As a Relationship Lead, you will:

• Develop stakeholder mapping and insights to guide engagement strategies
• Manage a portfolio of key relationships across government and private sector partners
• Plan and coordinate engagement activities and supporting materials
• Support senior leaders with briefings, meetings, and follow-ups
• Maintain engagement processes, tracking interactions, issues, and dependencies
• Identify and escalate risks, concerns, and opportunities early
• Work collaboratively to ensure engagement supports delivery priorities and user-centred outcomes

What we're looking for | Nga pukenga me nga wheako

You'll bring:

• Experience leading strategic relationship management, engagement, or advisory roles-ideally in a digital or technology delivery environment
• Strong understanding of government systems and the machinery of government
• Experience engaging with central government, local government, and/or private sector stakeholders
• Excellent stakeholder management skills with the ability to build trust at senior levels
• Strong coordination and planning skills across multiple initiatives and stakeholders
• Clear, confident communication and interpersonal skills
• A proactive mindset with a strong "risk radar"
• A relevant tertiary qualification (e.g. communications) or equivalent experience is expected.

Whanuitanga Utu a-Tau | Salary range

Salary range for this role is 143,891.33 to $174,927.78. Appointment within this range will be based on skills and experience.

Tono inaianei | Apply now

Apply directly by completing the online application form and submit your CV and cover letter. Note: your cover letter will be a key part of our assessment process, so please highlight how your experience relates to the key skills required for this role.

If you require further information about this position, please contact Sally Morison at ***email_hidden***. The position description is available via our careers centre www.mfe.govt.nz/jobs.

The location for this role is flexible which means you can work anywhere in New Zealand and there is an option to work from home. As a flexible friendly employer, we are happy to discuss solutions that may work for you and the business. We value and care about enabling our people to work in a way that means they can work at their best.

We are committed to providing equal opportunities and actively strive to be a diverse organisation with an inclusive culture. We actively encourage applicants from all backgrounds to apply. We are proud to be a Rainbow Tick and Gender Tick certified organisation and are committed to providing a safe and inclusive environment for everyone.

We want to ensure any accessibility needs you may have are well supported, so the recruitment process is fair and equitable for all. Therefore, please let us know if there are any adjustments or support we can offer to make the recruitment process more accessible to you. Please contact us at [email protected] if you would like to discuss any accessibility needs you may have.

You must have the right to live and work in New Zealand to apply for this role.

Note: for internal permanent kaimahi who are applying for a secondment, you must speak with your Manager before submitting your application.

Ra Katinga | Applications close: Friday 19th June 2026 @ 5pm

Please note that the Ministry for the Environment (MfE) and it's workforce will transition into the new Ministry of Cities, Environment, Regions and Transport (MCERT) on 1 July 2026. Therefore, the successful applicant's employment would be transferred from MfE to MCERT as at 1 July, along with other Ministry kaimahi. Further details on what this means will be made available during the interview process.