Senior Advisor Communications

Permanent Full time

Wellington based

Ko wai mātou About Us:

Whaikaha – Ministry of Disabled People has a unique mandate of having responsibility to steward change across Government, while commissioning disability support services, as well as transforming how these services are delivered.

Disabled people expect to have greater choice and control over the supports and services they receive to lead their best life. We are committed to this by strengthening relationships and working in partnership with disabled people, tāngata whaikaha Māori, Pacific disabled people and their whānau.

Whaikaha presents an exciting opportunity to make a real difference. The call for “Nothing about us, without us” is an integral part of our operation.

Mō te tūnga About the Role:

The Senior Advisor, Communications provides strategic communications and engagement advice to Whaikaha and contributes to the development and implementation of digital and social media strategies, accessible and inclusive content creation, and stakeholder engagement.

This role is well suited to people who not only enjoy the strategic side of their work but like to roll up their sleeves and do the mahi.

Day to day you will work on a full range of communications work including but not limited to:

Stakeholder engagement including media and speech writing

Communications planning

Creating, editing and managing content across digital platforms – including the intranet, social media, and external websites – that meets New Zealand Government Web Standards

Developing and executing digital and social media plans, using analytics and insights to improve reach and accessibility

Mōu About You:

You will be an experienced communications generalist with a broad background in communications and engagement, and expertise in digital strategy, content development, and digital channel management.

You will have a successful track record of providing technical leadership and senior expertise on a complex communications, media or stakeholder engagement programme.

You will have extensive knowledge managing media queries and relationships, with a key understanding of the New Zealand public sector and political environment.

Your successful experience and knowledge of stakeholder relationship management will be paired with experience influencing and engaging stakeholders, including an appreciation of the wide range of communities that we serve.

You will be familiar with using plain language, accessibility principles, and inclusive design to reach diverse audiences effectively.

You’ll be confident leading digital projects and contributing to the continuous improvement of digital platforms, ensuring they are engaging and accessible.

To undertake this role successfully, you will either be a disabled person or be able to establish credibility and trust with the disability community.

He Whakaahuatanga Tūnga Position Description:

The job description can be found here Senior Advisor Communications Position Description

Salary range: $102,533.00 - $124,402.00

Tono Mai We encourage you to apply:

Joining Whaikaha means being part of a whānau that celebrates the diversity that each individual brings. Currently, just over 40% of our people identify as disabled people and we want this number to grow. We care about the wellbeing and success of our people and provide a supportive and inclusive working environment where people can thrive and be who they really are. We are committed to the application of Te Tiriti o Waitangi in all levels of our work.

Me He Pātai Anō Further Enquiries:

We encourage you to talk to us about any support you need. We want you to present this information in a way that plays to your strengths. For example, you may prefer to use video instead of traditional CV and cover letter. You might want whānau or a friend to tell us about you or use social media or a PowerPoint presentation. Let's kōrero about what you need to feel supported in your application.

Contact us about the best way for you to apply by emailing us at:

Te Tono Application:

Please click the 'Apply' button to submit your application.

If you work for Whaikaha - Please apply through the myHR portal. You can do this by clicking the ‘Apply’ button to complete the online application form and upload your CV and cover letter. This will ensure that your employee profile is visible as an internal candidate.

Ka Kati Ngā Tono Applications Close: Wednesday 7th May, 2025.

Whaikaha has adopted the Ministry of Social Development's (host agency) COVID-19 vaccination policy. This policy applies to all Whaikaha employees and encourages, but does not require, employees to be fully vaccinated for COVID-19 and its variants, unless the role is identified as requiring vaccination at the time.