Project Lead – Legislative Reform Implementation at National Emergency Management Agency

Wellington, Wellington, New Zealand -

Full Time

Start Date

Immediate

Expiry Date

25 May, 26

Salary

183812.0

Posted On

24 Feb, 26

Experience

5 year(s) or above

Remote Job

Yes

Telecommute

Yes

Sponsor Visa

Skills

Leadership, Project Management, Stakeholder Engagement, Organisational Skills, Collaboration, Policy Implementation, Planning, Interpersonal Skills, Communication, Relationship Building, Adaptability, Agility, Resilience, Facilitation, Change Management

Industry

Description

Project Lead – Legislative Reform Implementation Term: Fixed Term or Secondment until December 2026 Location: Wellington Applications Close: 5pm Wednesday 4th March Play a critical role in implementing legislative reform of the new emergency management system. Use your leadership, project management, and engagement skills working with stakeholders to support successful implementation. We have an exciting role for a highly organised collaborator and leader to help NEMA and our partners across the emergency management sector and turn new legislation into action. Ko wai mātou | About us The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) provides national leadership to New Zealand's distributed emergency management system. NEMA's primary focus is on the performance and capability of the emergency management system as a whole, across all hazards and all risks and the 4 Rs of risk reduction, readiness, response and recovery. NEMA values diversity and inclusion. We want our workforce to reflect the diversity of our communities. We value and respect the contributions of our people with diverse backgrounds, experiences, skills and perspectives. We support flexible ways of working that bring out the best in you. We are committed to doing our part to deliver on the Crown's commitments to Māori under Te Tiriti o Waitangi. We strive to actively build te Ao Māori perspectives and capability into our day-to-day work, values and practices. Mō tēnei tūranga mahi | About the role You will be part of NEMA’s Policy Unit which provides emergency management-related policy advice to Government, the emergency management sector, and wider national resilience system. This is a fixed term role, reporting directly to the Policy Unit Manager. It’s an exciting time for our Unit particularly, as we look to deliver emergency management legislative reform. You will play a critical role in the implementation of new emergency management legislation. The purpose of this role is to work collaboratively with NEMA Business Units and external stakeholders to identify, plan for, and assist in the delivery of the work required to implement the legislation. Once the legislation is passed, you will support immediate implementation activities, and assist transition of longer term delivery work into business-as-usual work programmes. You will help shape the foundation of the emergency management system to enable better on-the-ground outcomes for communities before, during and after disasters. NEMA is an operational agency which is always ready to respond if a national emergency happens. While in this role you would not be expected to work in response, NEMA’s dynamic work environment mean staff you will be working with are often required to pivot and change focus on their work at short notice. Attributes of adaptability, agility, and resilience are essential. Ko wai koe | About you We are looking for candidates with the following attributes: Proven experience managing complex legislative or policy implementation projects in a public service context. Strong project management and planning skills. Proven stakeholder engagement capabilities. Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to build relationships and influence at all levels. Desirable Formal project management qualification (e.g., P3O, MSP, PRINCE2, PMI, Agile). Experience working with diverse groups, including iwi/Māori, local and central government agencies, and community organisations. Experience in operational policy development and machinery of government processes, including ministerial servicing. Understanding of the emergency management system. Knowledge of business needs analysis and change management principles and practices to support organisational adaptation for successful implementation. Personal Attributes Excellent interpersonal skills with a wide range of staff and stakeholders. Comfortable facilitating a collaborative work environment, with a constant eye on meeting the objectives and goals of the project. Ability to deliver high quality work, maintain professionalism and composure under pressure, and adapt to changing circumstances. Demonstrates NEMA’s values: Courageous, Connected, Committed, Respect. Ta matou e tuku | What we offer We pride ourselves on the quality of our staff and understand the importance of fostering a working environment where excellence is recognised and where staff are encouraged to develop their own talents and potential. We welcome diversity, in all its forms and we believe it is a strength. The indicative base salary range for this role is $168,333 - $183,812, depending on experience. Whakaritenga Haumaru | Security Requirements Due to the security requirements of this role, applicants must be a New Zealand citizen or New Zealand Permanent Resident. Me pehea te tono | How to apply To review the full job description, please click here. If you are unable to follow the link, please review the full job description on our careers website. Apply via the link. If you have any questions, contact Kim Thwaites on email NEMATalent@nema.govt.nz. We do not accept applications from Agencies or 3rd Parties. Applications close 5pm Wednesday 4th March 2026. National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) is a departmental agency of the Department of Internal Affairs (DIA). NEMA provides leadership in reducing risk, being ready for, responding to and recovering from emergencies. The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) is the Government lead for emergency management. We help build a safe and resilient Aotearoa New Zealand by empowering communities before, during and after emergencies. Emergencies can have consequences for people, communities, property, infrastructure, the economy and the environment. NEMA works with central and local government, communities, iwi, and business to make sure responses to and recoveries from emergencies are effective and integrated. Depending on the emergency, NEMA leads or supports the response and recovery. NEMA’s key functions are steward, operator and assurer of the emergency management system. As steward, we provide strategic leadership for risk reduction, readiness, response and recovery activities, and build emergency management capability and capacity. As operator, we lead or support the response to and recovery from emergencies while also supporting the operation of the emergency management system.

Responsibilities

The role involves working collaboratively with internal Business Units and external stakeholders to identify, plan, and deliver the work required to implement new emergency management legislation. This includes supporting immediate implementation activities post-legislation passing and assisting in transitioning longer-term delivery work into standard operational programs.