Press Secretary (Level 1) - Office of Hon Penny Simmonds

Mō tēnei tūranga mahi | About this role

• Help communicate the policies and initiatives of our new Government
• Fast paced environment | diverse and interesting portfolios
• Unique opportunity | Based on site at Parliament'| $84,484 - $113,465

The opportunity:

Hon Penny Simmonds, Minister for the Environment, Minister for Tertiary Education and Skills, and Associate Minister for Social Development and Employment, is seeking an intermediate level Press Secretary to join her team. This role supports the Minister and her office with the development and promotion of key strategies and gives the unique opportunity to be at the heart of communicating the policies and initiatives of our new government to the New Zealand public.

What can I expect?

As a Press Secretary, you will join a tight knit and trusted team responsible for supporting the Minister across her portfolios. You will be responsible for ensuring that all media communications from the Minister's office are consistent with the agreed priorities and messages of the Government, providing a strategic outlook, and supporting the Minister with the development and promotion of key strategies. This is an intermediate level role, and you will be supported as you build your skills and experience.

This is an events-based position based on a 3-year parliamentary term. The salary band for this role is $84,484 - $113,465 per annum.

What skills or experience would I need to be successful?

The ideal candidate will come from a background in media, communications and/or public relations combined with an understanding of issues and initiatives of importance to the Minister and her portfolio areas. To compliment the skills and experience of the wider office, ideally, we would like someone with experience in, and passion for, the Environmental sector.

The role of Press Secretary requires you to move seamlessly through a range of complex material, where an eye for detail and the ability to communicate complex ideas to a variety of audiences, through a variety of channels is critical to success. The nature of this position requires a person to both anticipate a story before it happens as well as to create the narrative.

With a highly attuned awareness of both the media and the political landscape, you will be social media savvy and confident in writing speeches and press releases. You will be comfortable and confident interacting in a collegial way with members of the Minister's team, as well as a number of key internal and external stakeholders.

Interested? Apply today!

Please note applicants must be permanent residents or NZ Citizens and are required to obtain and maintain a national security clearance at a Secret level. Please assess your eligibility status using the Protective Security Requirements tool found here:'https://www.protectivesecurity.govt.nz/personnel-security/clearances/eligibility-tool/

Applications close Tuesday 7thMay 2024, however we will be assessing and interviewing suitable applicants throughout this period so early applications are encouraged. For more information, please contact ainsley.chapman@dia.govt.nz

To review the full job description, please click here.

About us

Ministerial Resourcing is the team within the Department of Internal Affairs (DIA) responsible for ensuring Ministers' offices are suitably resourced with a range of highly skilled staff, who, in turn, provide a high level of support to the Minister, and ensure the smooth day to day running of their office.

As a Ministerial office staff member, you will be employed by DIA, and supported by our dedicated team of Portfolio Managers. Our purpose is to serve and connect people, communities and Government to build a safe, prosperous and respected nation. In other words, it's all about helping to make New Zealand better for New Zealanders.