Team Leader, Strategic Policy at National Emergency Management Agency

Wellington, Wellington, New Zealand -

Full Time

Start Date

Immediate

Expiry Date

31 May, 26

Salary

159701.0

Posted On

02 Mar, 26

Experience

5 year(s) or above

Remote Job

Yes

Telecommute

Yes

Sponsor Visa

Skills

Resilience, Agility, Curiosity, Strategic Policy Projects, Policy Development, People Management, Coaching, Mentoring, Strategic Advice, Operational Advice, Risk Identification, Communication, Influencing, Relationship Building, Written Capability, Problem-solving

Industry

Description

Team Leader, Strategic Policy (Tier 4 Leader) Type: Permanent Location: Wellington only Applications Close: 5pm Tuesday 17th March 2026 Come and be part of a Policy Unit that navigates and influences the government policy interface that enables all of NEMA’s roles. Mō tēnei tūranga mahi | About this role The purpose of the Team Leader, Strategic Policy is to: * Lead the development and delivery of NEMA’s strategic policy work programme. * Provide day-to-day people management for three policy staff, within a unit of fourteen, ensuring quality of policy research, analysis and advice, in line with organisational and business unit priorities. Contribute to high quality policy advice to Ministers, NEMA, and wider government during emergency responses and recoveries As NEMA is an operational agency, there may be a requirement to respond to emergency activations in the event of a national emergency response. This may include potentially long hours and challenging working conditions, e.g. an emergency could occur at any time of the day or night and may require working shifts and/or working weekends. NEMA provides thorough training prior to you being required to assist in a response. NEMA will do all in its power to support staff in meeting their work and family responsibilities during an emergency. The welfare and wellbeing of our staff is of utmost importance. Your response/operational role will be in the Policy Function, during Response and Recovery phases. Due to the nature of our role in Emergency Management, NEMA has a very dynamic work environment and as a small agency, staff are often required to pivot and change focus on their work at short notice. Attributes of adaptability, agility, resilience and curiosity are all required on a daily basis, in and out of times of emergency response. Ko wai koe | About you We are looking for a candidate with the following attributes: * Resilience, agility and curiosity * Proven experience delivering strategic policy projects and leading the development of high‑quality policy products * Demonstrated experience managing and developing policy professionals, including coaching, mentoring, and guiding complex work programmes * Ability to provide sound strategic and operational advice, identify risks and opportunities, and ensure alignment with organisational priorities * Strong communication and influencing skills, with the ability to build and maintain effective relationships across the emergency management and national security sectors * Excellent written capability to present complex ideas in an easily understood format Huanga Whaiaro | Key requirements * Ability to think strategically with strong initiative and problem‑solving abilities * Ability to work autonomously and exercise sound judgement * Ability to adapt in rapidly changing circumstances * Ability to deliver high‑quality work output under pressure * Confident, reliable, resilient demeanour * High standards of professionalism, integrity and accountability 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 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. 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. NEMA values staff health, safety and wellbeing, and a positive work life balance is encouraged. The indicative BASE salary range for this role is $146,253 - $159,701. NEMA offers other benefits such as Department leave, Wellbeing allowance, Vision allowances and more. Whakaritenga Haumaru | Security Requirements Due to the security requirements of this role, applicants must be a New Zealand citizen or New Zealand Permanent Resident. Me pehea te tono | How to apply If you have any questions, contact Kim via email at NEMATalent@nema.govt.nz [NEMATalent@nema.govt.nz] . We do not accept unsolicited approaches from agencies or 3rd parties. To review the full job descri ption, please click here [https://www.dia.govt.nz/job-description/NEMA_Team_Leader_Strategic_Policy_JD/$file/NEMA_Team_Leader_Strategic_Policy_JD.pdf]. If you are unable to follow the link, please review the full job description on our careers website. Applications close 5pm Tuesday 17th 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 Team Leader, Strategic Policy will lead the development and delivery of NEMA’s strategic policy work programme and provide day-to-day people management for three policy staff members. This role also contributes to high-quality policy advice for Ministers, NEMA, and government during emergency responses and recoveries.