Position Description
Director, Suicide Prevention Office
Team
N/A
Group
Suicide Prevention Office
Directorate
Mental Health and Addiction
Manager
Deputy Director-General, Mental Health and Addiction
Location
Wellington, Auckland
1982
Direct reports
6-7
Indirect
0
Delegation
HR
Level 3
Finance
Level 3
authority
ACT
Date
April 2022
Job band (indicative)
21G
Security Clearance
TBC
About the Ministry of Health (the Ministry)
The Ministry is the Kaitiaki of the health and disability system in Aotearoa New Zealand. We do
this by providing a fair, effective and sustainable system that people trust.
The Ministry is responsible for:
• providing active stewardship and leadership across the health and disability system to ensure
it provides people with the highest levels of care, regardless of who they are or where they live
• prioritising equity in health outcomes and independence for Māori and all other peoples, and
engaging meaningfully with our stakeholders to achieve shared goals
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• delivering high-quality policy advice to government on the health system – this includes
maintaining the regulatory environment and national policy settings that support the health
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sector to provide quality services for New Zealanders
• working col ectively with other agencies to implement changes to the health and disability
system – we also link these changes with improvements in the broader social and economic
sectors to achieve Pae Ora – healthy futures
• partnering with iwi, hapū and Māori communities to meet our Te Tiriti o Waitangi obligations.
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Directorate description
The vision of the Mental Health and Addiction Directorate (Directorate) is for a people-centred
system that delivers improved and equitable outcomes & mental wellbeing for all.
The Directorate brings together the 'end-to-end' activities and functions for mental health and
addiction services including Strategy, Policy, Data Analysis, Service Planning and Improvement,
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Director Suicide Prevention Office, Mental Health and Addiction, 2022
Commissioning and Monitoring. The Directorate has a stewardship role to implement He Ara
Oranga: Inquiry into Mental Health and Addiction.
Group description
The Suicide Prevention Office wil be housed within the Ministry of Health (Mental Health and
Addiction Directorate) for a further period of two years, after which longer term arrangements
wil be made in consultation with the Ministry and key stakeholders:
•
Col ect, col ate, analyse and monitor suicide information and suicide prevention activity.
•
Implement the national Suicide Prevention Strategy.
•
Coordinate suicide prevention activities across Government agencies.
•
Provide dedicated program evaluation and develop research priorities and partnerships `
where appropriate.
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•
Report on progress against the national Suicide Prevention Research Strategy.
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Position purpose
Ensures that the Suicide Prevention Office including the systems, processes, roles and functions
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to fulfil its purpose, this includes leading engagement and development of the work program of
the Office, the development of key and strategic partnerships, assurance and evaluation of key
and core critical programs, research priority setting and development.
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What you’ll do
• Lead and manage the Suicide Prevention Office.
• Lead the implementation of the Suicide Prevention Strategy and Action Plan.
• Align people and resources across the team to ensure required results are delivered.
• Develop an effective evaluation framework
• Develop research priorities and partnerships where appropriate to better understand current
and emerging trends
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• Manage and support direct reports, fostering high standards in the quality of outputs, and
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promoting a quality service focus.
• Ensure all staff has an agreed annual performance and development plan and are provided
with regular feedback and support to achieve objectives and bridge development gaps.
• Monitor and manage delays, issues or risks to delivery of priority work and initiate action if
required.
• Take a ‘whole of Ministry’ view of systems / processes and improve them by encouraging staff
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to look for and implement innovative solutions.
• Ensure high quality work including Official Information Act (OIAs) questions, Parliamentary
Questions (PQs), Health Reports, service design papers, Cabinet papers and Ministerials
related to the programme of work.
• Take accountability for an agreed budget and manage finances effectively, sustainability and
in accordance with the Ministry’s delegations, guidelines and frameworks.
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Director Suicide Prevention Office, Mental Health and Addiction, 2022
• Contribute as a member of the Mental Health and Addiction Senior Leadership Team.
• Lead the development, planning and implementation of specific strategies, report on progress
and ensure objectives are achieved
• Work through their team and in partnership with wider Ministry and sector to achieve the
Ministry's strategic priorities, which may include implementing recommendations from new or
existing legislative advice/changes
• Provide senior leadership for projects and areas, working with others to ensure all work is well
planned, using work planning tools and methods which includes taking strategic and tactical
approaches to achieve results through high quality advice
• Build col aborative and positive relationships across the Directorate, Ministry, the wider health
sector, government and other external stakeholders
• Represent the Ministry at government agency meetings and other agreed forums
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• Ensure all work reflects our responsibilities to the priority of equity and meeting Treaty of
Waitangi obligations
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This position description is intended as an insight to the main tasks and responsibilities required
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in the role and may be subject to change in consultation with the job holder.
Leadership profile: Director
Works through their team and in partnership with the wider Ministry and sector to achieve the
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Ministry’s strategic priorities.
Lead self
Lead others
Lead the Ministry
•
•
Champion an inclusive,
Be an exemplar of the
•
Demonstrate stewardship through
Ministry’s desired culture and
diverse and safe workplace
the way you engage with the
Public Sector Spirit of Service
where people thrive
health and/or public sector
•
•
Convene and collaborate
stakeholders, building their trust
Role model and promote
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change fitness and the ability
with key stakeholders within
and confidence in the Ministry
to navigate complexity and
the Ministry and externally
•
Engage your team in the Ministry’s
change
•
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Prioritise regular coaching
strategy and vision and how their
•
and development of your
role fits in to the bigger picture
Continuously develop and
improve your leadership
team and encourage your
•
Take a systems view of the work
capability and keep up to
direct report leaders to do
you’re responsible for and ensure
date with industry/sector
the same
you understand the broad
trends
•
Address any conduct,
connections and impact of your
performance or behavioural
work
issues quickly and effectively
•
Actively manage the people,
•
Actively manage critical
finance and other business
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process, resources and risk you are
successors for future role
accountable for and work within
•
your delegated authority
Manage the capability and
capacity of your team to
deliver on current and future
work priorities
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Director Suicide Prevention Office, Mental Health and Addiction, 2022
Leadership Success Profile
Te Kawa Mataaho Leadership Success Profile (LSP) describes what ‘good’ leadership looks like at
all levels within the New Zealand public sector. While all elements of the LSP are important, the
fol owing leadership competencies are particularly relevant to your leadership role. The
leadership competencies are underpinned by the leadership characters in the LSP.
Leadership Competencies
Leadership Characters
•
Leading strategically
•
Curious
•
Leading with influence
•
Honest and Courageous
•
Developing talent
•
Resilient
•
Enhancing Ministry performance
•
Self aware and agile
• Enhancing system performance
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You can find further information on the LSP here:
https://www.publicservice.govt.nz/resources/leadership-success-profile
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Public Service Purpose / Te Aronga o te Ratonga Tūmatanui
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Ka mahitahi mātou o te ratonga tūmatanui hei painga mō ngā tāngata o Aotearoa
i āianei, ā, hei ngā rā ki tua hoki. He kawenga tino whaitake tā mātou hei tautoko i te Karauna i
runga i ōna hononga ki a ngāi Māori i raro i te Tiriti o Waitangi. Ka tautoko mātou i te
kāwanatanga manapori. Ka whakakotahingia mātou e te wairua whakarato ki ō mātou hapori, ā, e
arahina ana mātou e ngā mātāpono me ngā tikanga matua o te ratonga tūmatanui i roto i ā
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mātou mahi.
Mō ētahi atu kōrero hei whakamārama i tēnei kaupapa, haere ki
(https://www.publicservice.govt.nz/about-us) In the public service we work col ectively to make a meaningful difference for New Zealanders
now and in the future. We have an important role in supporting the Crown in its relationships
with Māori under the Treaty of Waitangi. We support democratic government. We are unified by
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a spirit of service to our communities and guided by the core principles and values of the public
service in our work.
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You can find out more about what this means a
t (https://www.publicservice.govt.nz/about-us) Your health, safety and wellbeing
At the Ministry of Health, we expect al of our Directors to:
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• Ensure health and safety is part of the organisational culture
• Lead and champion the observance and implementation of health and safety systems and
process in accordance with the Ministry’s Health and Safety Plan.
• Acquire and keep up-to-date knowledge of work health and safety matters
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Director Suicide Prevention Office, Mental Health and Addiction, 2022
Diversity and Inclusion
The Ministry of Health welcomes and supports people of all gender identities, ages, ethnicities,
sexual orientations, disabilities and religions. A requirement of this role is to actively support and
promote our diversity and inclusion principles.
What you’ll bring to the role
• A tertiary qualification in a relevant field or relevant sector experience is desired but not
necessary
• Knowledge of suicide prevention and the suicide prevention sector in Aotearoa
• People leadership experience in a complex and diverse organisation
• A respected leader with demonstrated experience working at a senior management level
across large and complex programmes of work
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• Excellent written and oral communication skil s
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• Understanding of the health legislative and regulatory environment
•
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The ability to analyse complex technical information to provide advice to a wide range of
audiences
• The ability to pull together clear ideas and conclusions from large amounts of technical data
• The ability to manage your own workload.
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• Expertise in leading and influencing highly skilled senior management and professional teams
in a diverse, complex and demanding environment
• Significant people leadership experience in the public sector
• A strong understanding of and commitment to the principles of the Te Tiriti o Waitangi and
delivering services effectively for Maori
• Lived experience of mental health and/or addiction is highly regarded.
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Director Suicide Prevention Office, Mental Health and Addiction, 2022
