Position Description Position Title Unit Manager and Deputy Chief of Protocol Unit Visits and Events Division Protocol Group Multilateral Group and Legal Affairs Group (MLG) Location Wellington Reports to Divisional Manager/Chief of Protocol Last Review Date March 2018 About the Ministry The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade works to make New Zealand's voice heard overseas and contributes directly to the security and well-being of all New Zealanders. Our purpose is to create the international conditions and connections for New Zealand and New Zealanders to thrive. Our work: Leadership amplifies New Zealand s influence and standing in the world; Prosperity delivers improved prosperity for New Zealand and our region; Kaitiakitanga delivers solutions to global challenges, for the benefit of present and future generations; Stability delivers security and resilience to our country, our people, and our region. Our values are professionalism, leadership, respect, collaboration and innovation. About the Division The Protocol Division has two main responsibilities. First, it is responsible for ensuring that the Government s responsibilities and obligations under the Vienna Conventions on Diplomatic and Consular Relations are met, including by managing the diplomatic corps in New Zealand, New Zealand appointment processes, and administering privileges and immunities. Second, it is responsible for ensuring high quality delivery of visits and events which support the Government s foreign policy priorities, both by delivering and supporting visits and events and through coordination and oversight of whole of government visit processes
About the Position The Unit Manager Visits and Events Unit (VELU) is responsible for providing strategic direction and leadership and for managing a team of staff to ensure the achievement of visit and event outcomes in support of the strategic priorities and high level outcomes in the Ministry s Strategic Framework. The Unit Manager Visits and Events is responsible for providing leadership to the team, managing key external relationships, ensuring that objectives are met by outsourced providers, providing operational oversight of the visits and events programme, and contributing to the unit s strategic planning process. Delegations The position is responsible for the management of a team of 5 The position s full delegations are set out in the Schedule of Delegations. These include: Human Resources Recruitment of staff in adherence with Ministry policy Financial As delegated by Divisional Manager Relationships The position is required to build and maintain the following relationships: Internal (within MFAT) Unit Manager Diplomatic Protocol Unit, All divisions within the Ministry, including offshore posts CE s office Senior Leadership Team External (outside MFAT) Ministry s Panel Suppliers for Visits and Events Government House Prime Minister s Office Ministers offices Parliamentary Services including office of Mr Speaker Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet Department of Internal Affairs (VCO) Ministry of Primary Industries Customs Department NZ Police NZ Trade and Enterprise Ministry of Defence Royal New Zealand Airforce (RNZAF) Diplomatic missions and Consular posts in New Zealand and offshore Outsourced service providers Business, academia, regional and international institutions, Māori and the New Zealand community Key Accountabilities The following key accountabilities of this role assist in delivering the Ministry s vision and mission. Visits and Events Programme Advance New Zealand s foreign policy interests by ensuring visits and key events are well planned and supported MFAT In Confidence Page 2 of 6
Lead the coordination, planning, implementation and management of the Visits and Events Programme Manage programmes effectively and within the agreed framework, procedures and guidelines Ensure Ministry hosted visits and events comply with health and safety legislation and, planning and preparation includes risk identification and appropriate mitigation measures. Manage the Ministry s Overseas Visitors Fund (OVF) Provide visit planning and management for Guests of Government and Partial Guests of Government visits Provide, as requested, guidance to other departments and NZ Inc. agencies in regard to their portfolio of visits and events which may impact New Zealand s bilateral relationships Lead or manage sensitive and complex issues which arise during a visit or event and have the potential to impact on the successful delivery; or impact on New Zealand s bilateral relationship Advocate and support prioritisation of Head of State or Head of Government visits Deputise for Chief of Protocol, when required, as senior New Zealand Government representative for visit by Heads of State, or senior VIPs; as senior MFAT representative in ceremonies hosted by local diplomatic missions; for ceremonies or events where diplomatic corps are meeting Governor General, or the Prime Minister Deputise for Chief of Protocol in chairing interagency planning meetings for visits by Heads of States, Heads of Government or high profile guest of government visits Contract Management Monitor and manage the outsourced contracts to ensure all key performance indicators are met by the providers Liaise with the events management service provider/s ensure the implementation of business improvements Liaise with outsourced contractors and suppliers to ensure compliance with Health and Safety legislation Ensure in-house managed visits and events are well coordinated, meet customer expectations and are within allocated budgets In liaison with the Chief of Protocol, assist with the planning, management and implementation of the Governor-General s international travel programme Policy Development and Delivery In consultation with DM: Lead the development of policy advice on issues involving sensitivity, conflict, risk and complexity, identifying and leading processes for resolving problems. Represent the Ministry in senior level policy discussions and domestic outreach particularly in regard to planning and delivering national interest events Contribute to the development of Ministry s health and safety policy, specifically risk analysis and evaluation framework Lead the consultation, and preparation of the submission for the Governor General s annual international travel programme People Leadership Recruit, retain and develop high performing staff to ensure the Ministry has the necessary expertise required by their team MFAT In Confidence Page 3 of 6
Manage staff so they are empowered to make decisions, while consulting on issues that need wider consideration Ensure effective flow of information occurs both vertically and horizontally, within the division and group, including Post/s, and across the Ministry Build strong team spirit and level of engagement, acknowledging team contribution and achievement as appropriate Ensure the performance management framework is implemented for self and team members, actively managing both strong and poor performance Formally coach and mentor team members by fostering high standards in the quality of outputs and ensuring a culture of learning, sharing experiences and constructively challenging thinking Using the Learning and Career Development framework, policies and programmes, identify and encourage team members to develop specialised skills, knowledge and experience in priority areas as required to deliver the Ministry s Strategic Framework Provide opportunities and support staff to lead delegations offshore and to represent the Ministry onshore Business and Programme Management Lead the unit s delivery of its planned and agreed activity stream to realise its strategic priorities and high level outcomes Manage the unit s programme of work to ensure that resources are appropriately distributed and managed within budget Forecast, manage and monitor the unit s budget and report against variances Lead the preparation and implementation of the unit s strategic and business planning processes Relationship Management Develop and influence a clear map of relationships with decision-makers, policymakers and thinkers that advance the division s objectives Develop and maintain relationships with key internal and external stakeholders in order to advance the Ministry s objectives Develop and maintain relationships with senior members of the Diplomatic Corps in order to ensure New Zealand meets its obligations pursuant to the Vienna Conventions Develop and maintain relationships with the Governor-General and key members of Government House Develop and maintain good working relationships with the Department of Internal Affairs Visits and Ceremonies Office Work closely with the relevant Ministry divisions when planning and undertaking visits and events and ensure clear allocation of roles and responsibilities Ensure that the unit s network is regularly reviewed and refreshed in light of developments in strategic priorities Seek feedback from the relevant divisions on the success of particular visits and events Ministerial Servicing Ensure the unit s input to the Executive Services Division is given the necessary priority and meets the high standard required Organisational Responsibilities Demonstrate and lead alignment with the organisation s values, goals, policies and procedures Understand and apply the strategic context in which the Ministry operates, including priorities and perspectives of the Ministers, partner agencies and external stakeholders MFAT In Confidence Page 4 of 6
Actively input into and support the Ministry s strategic priorities and high-level outcomes framework Contribute to the preparation and reporting requirements of the Ministry s accountability documents Foster strong working relationships across the Ministry Contribute to Ministry-wide projects and emergency response situations. Apply tikanga and Treaty of Waitangi principles, ensuring staff also have a good understanding and are able to apply the Ministry Māori dimension in a way that is relevant to the context of our business and underpinned by Ministry values Actively lead and promote Ministry health and safety policies and procedures Knowledge Management Contribute to the continuous development of the Ministry s knowledge base by using the Ministry s internal systems, sharing information and data with relevant internal stakeholders, including contributing to/presenting at internal learning and development opportunities Qualifications, Skills, Knowledge and Experience You must have the following qualifications, skills and experience: Relevant tertiary qualification or equivalent experience Demonstrated leadership and management acumen. This includes: - Ability to bring out the best performance in others, including setting expectations, providing feedback, encouraging high performance, and addressing underperformance - Ability to coach and develop people, to ensure that staff have the right skills to do their jobs well and progress in their careers - Shows the drive and resilience to lead proactively and deliver sustainable high performance - Demonstrates the drive and ability to improve own capability. Includes selfawareness and self-improvement focus - Ability to lead, implement and champion organisational change Experience in managing external service providers and suppliers Experience in visits and event management at a Government level Experience managing high level/high profile visits of foreign dignitaries Strong focus on providing high quality, professional services to others Ability to establish credibility with senior members of the Diplomatic Corps and Government Strong customer focus Excellent written and verbal skills Ability to build, maintain and leverage relationships with key internal and external contacts Strong project management skills, planning and organising skills, and the ability to manage a work programme Strong understanding of tikanga and Treaty of Waitangi principles Competent in Microsoft Office suite of products A strong understanding of the Machinery of Government and the Government decision making process An understanding of Government procurement processess Financial and business planning skills and knowledge desirable Ability to work effectively with colleagues within the division and across the Group A high level of judgement and decision making skills Demonstrated credibility across NZ Inc. and/or Government agencies in area of expertise Ability to work effectively with a diverse group of people from a range of cultures and backgrounds MFAT In Confidence Page 5 of 6
Ability to think strategically and contribute to Group decision making Ability to maintain a calm and professional attitude in all situations Ability to anticipate issues and problems and think of creative solutions You must also: Hold New Zealand citizenship Be able to obtain and maintain an appropriate New Zealand Government security clearance MFAT In Confidence Page 6 of 6