Principal Advisor

The Crown Response Office was established in September 2024 to coordinate and facilitate cross-government decision making and implement the Crown's response to the Abuse in Care Royal Commission of Inquiry. The Office sits within the Public Service Commission. The creation of the Office within a central Government agency was a key recommendation in the Royal Commission's final report, Whanaketia - through pain and trauma, from darkness to light.

The Crown Response Office plays an important strategic, advisory and coordination role to ensure the Crown is joined up and focused on the right priorities.

We are looking for a Principal Advisor to join our Specialised Assessment Unit in Wellington, providing leadership and oversight of the Serious Offender Process and the Independent Review Function.

The Serious Offender Process, established under the Redress System for Abuse in Care Act 2026 and overseen by the Independent Redress Officer, supports decisions on whether survivors with certain serious convictions are eligible for financial redress. The Independent Review Function gives survivors the opportunity to have the outcome of their eligible redress claim independently reviewed, with the Independent Reviewer making non-binding recommendations to the redress agency.

This is a 2-year position, available on a fixed term or secondment basis, to help build a fair and survivor-centred redress process and lead work on complex and sensitive matters that require sound judgement, care and attention to detail.

Reporting to the Manager Redress Programme, you will provide functional leadership, quality assurance and operational oversight across the unit. You will give senior advice on complex legislative, operational, privacy, natural justice and procedural matters, and help ensure the specialist assessment and review functions are lawful, transparent, survivor-centred and operationally effective. You will also protect the independence of the Independent Redress Officer and the Independent Reviewer. The role has no direct reports, but you will coach and guide colleagues.

You will engage with a range of people and organisations, including survivors and their representatives, redress agencies, the State Redress Service, the Ministry of Justice, courts, Corrections and other justice sector agencies. The work involves highly sensitive and potentially distressing information, including criminal conviction and sentencing information that is needed to consider Serious Offender Process applications, so you will need to be comfortable working with it. You will apply legislation, policy and procedural requirements in situations where sound judgement and procedural fairness are critical.

Key responsibilities include:

Providing functional leadership and oversight of the Serious Offender Process and Independent Review Function, ensuring statutory and administrative requirements are met.

Undertaking complex and sensitive case work, including expert analysis of criminal conviction and sentencing information for Serious Offender Process applications, and of eligibility and review matters.

Preparing and quality assuring complex case materials, referrals, submissions, correspondence and decision-support material.

Leading the resolution of complex operational issues that require judgement across legislative, policy, privacy and procedural fairness considerations.

Overseeing secretariat support for the Independent Redress Officer and the Independent Reviewer, including applications, hearings, reviews and records management.

Providing authoritative guidance to redress agencies and building strong working relationships with the State Redress Service, the Ministry of Justice, courts, Corrections and other stakeholders.

Monitoring service performance, risks and demand trends, and leading continuous improvement in guidance, workflow, quality assurance and reporting.

Coaching colleagues and building capability and consistent practice across the team as the functions mature.

You will ideally bring:

Significant experience in complex operational, regulatory, statutory, legal, justice sector, claims or case management work, preferably within a public sector environment.

Significant experience leading or improving complex operational, statutory, regulatory, review or case management functions.

Experience supporting review, complaints, dispute resolution, investigation, administrative decision-making or similar processes, including designing fair and impartial processes.

The ability to interpret and apply legislation, policy and procedural requirements, and to provide sound senior advice on complex or ambiguous matters.

Excellent written communication skills, with the ability to prepare and quality assure complex case analysis, briefings, guidance and decision-support material.

Proven ability to manage a large and varied workload, prioritise competing demands, manage risks and issues, and follow work through to completion.

Strong relationship leadership skills and the ability to work effectively across agencies and influence practice.

Experience handling highly sensitive personal information with discretion and care, and an understanding of privacy, information security, natural justice and confidentiality obligations.

Understanding of te ao Maori, tikanga and Te Tiriti o Waitangi, or a commitment to building capability in these areas.

Significant experience working with, or designing services and processes for, survivors, claimants, advocates or representatives in sensitive contexts, with a strong understanding of trauma-informed, survivor-centred and culturally responsive practice.

* Experience coaching and mentoring others in complex operational, review or case management environments.

The full-time salary for this role is between $132,000 and $184,203 depending on skills and experience.

This is a 2-year fixed term position to support the initial operating period for the Serious Offender Process and the Independent Review Function. During this time the role will help embed operational processes and build capability while the longer-term operating model is considered.

Applications will close at midnight on Sunday 15 November 2026.

To apply for this role you must have the right to live and work in New Zealand. For questions or if you are having technical difficulties applying online please email [email protected].