Senior Policy Advisor

* Contribute to meaningful mahi that drives change for women and girls. * Use your policy expertise to transform great ideas into skilful solutions. * Full-time permanent position based in Wellington CBD. We're looking for an experienced Senior Policy Advisor with strong policy analysis and advisor skills and great writing ability to contribute to a broad and interesting programme of work.
Mō Manatū Wāhine | About Manatū Wāhine Manatū Wāhine Ministry for Women is the Government's principal advisor on improving the lives of wāhine women and kōtiro girls in Aotearoa New Zealand. We provide system leadership, working across government and with stakeholders to improve outcomes for wāhine women and kōtiro girls.
Our people are crucial to achieving the strategic outcomes we are seeking. We are looking for a capable senior policy professional with a great work attitude to join our team and help us deliver for wāhine women.
We value our Ko wai mātou (ways of working) which reflect who we are and what's important to us; they guide and influence how we work as individuals, as teams and as one Ministry to achieve the best outcomes for those we serve.
Our Ko wai mātou are: * Kia Māia - we are brave and courageous in all we do. * Tuia mai - we embrace and support wāhine from all communities. * Whakamanawa - we lead with heart to achieve the best outcomes for wāhine. Mō tēnei tūranga mahi | About this role This role presents a great opportunity to leverage your extensive policy experience and work across a broad and interesting strategic work programme. Our work spans economic empowerment, health and wellbeing, safety, and leadership, and our international work protects and promotes the rights of wāhine women and kōtiro girls.
This role presents a great opportunity to leverage your extensive policy experience as part of the Mana Wāhine Kaupapa Inquiry team, while contributing to a broad and engaging strategic work programme across the Ministry. Our work spans economic empowerment, health and wellbeing, safety, and leadership, and our international work protects and promotes the rights of wāhine women and kōtiro girls.
In this role, you will provide high-quality analysis and advice on complex issues to government and across the sector, making effective use of data and insights and taking an end-to-end policy approach, including implementation and delivery. The primary focus of the role for the first 18 months will be supporting the Mana Wāhine Kaupapa Inquiry, helping to progress this important kaupapa through robust policy analysis, stakeholder engagement, and strategic advice. You will work collaboratively with members of the policy and engagement teams and across the Ministry to design and test policy and delivery options. You will also develop strong networks and working relationships with other agencies and represent the Ministry on inter-agency working groups.
Ko koe tēnei | About you The ideal person for this role will be an experienced policy professional with expertise in policy analysis and with an interest in designing, delivering, and testing policy options. You will also have excellent policy writing skills with the ability to provide quality papers and briefings to Ministers. You'll enjoy working on a broad programme of policy projects and have the skills and experience to turn a 'great idea' into a workable solution. You can articulate the value of new ideas to decision makers and broader stakeholders and can visualise, interpret and communicate data and insights to a diverse audience.
In addition to policy analysis and policy writing skills, you will bring: * Experience developing and designing a range of policy options. * Strategic and tactical nous and understanding of political context. * Coaching and mentoring expertise. * A sound understanding of Te Tiriti o Waitangi and the ability to apply this within the work that you do. Me pēhea te tuku tono | How to apply This is a full time permanent role. The salary range for this role is $104,574 to $126,740. A copy of the full job description and application form can be found on the Manatū Wāhine website.
To apply for this position, email your completed application form, a cover letter and CV to Kylie Fletcher, Mana Wāhine Kaupapa Inquiry Manager via [email protected] Applications close at 9am, Tuesday 25 August 2026. We are committed to providing a working environment that values inclusion, diversity, and accessibility. We embrace the unique perspective and capabilities of our current and future employees, which will help us to improve outcomes for wāhine women and kōtiro girls. If you have any support or access requirements, we encourage you to tell us when you apply so that we can assist you through the recruitment process.