Executive Assistant - Wellington
Help shape the future of Education
We work to shape an education system that delivers equitable and excellent outcomes
Our organisation is made up of talented and committed people around Aotearoa, from a wide range of backgrounds and cultures. While we work in different groups and on different things, we all strive every day to make the biggest difference we can for our students in our education system.
About this role | Mō tēnei tūranga
This is a permanent full-time role based in Wellington.
We’re looking for an Executive Assistant to provide one-on-one support to the Hautū | Deputy Secretary of Te Pou Kaupapahere | Policy Group. While you’ll often work behind the scenes, you’ll always be ahead of the game making sure that the tier-two leader has the support they need to deliver whole-of-system, end-to-end policy across early learning, schooling, and tertiary education, including Māori medium, te reo Māori, Pacific, and learning support.
You’ll be part of a connected, collaborative and supportive Business Support team, in the office of the Hautū. The role is highly varied and every day you’ll work across the Ministry of Education and externally. You’ll be responsible for providing professional support that helps the Hautū to focus on delivering high quality policy advice to the government of the day.
You’ll think two steps ahead to make sure all the little details are taken care of. This includes.
owning the changing and often conflicting diary
overseeing and proactively managing the busy inbox
triaging requests so that urgent and required tasks are attended to and others are delegated
preparing for meetings with meeting pack chasing and inputting
passing on your expertise to others through peer mentoring opportunities.
Your trustworthy, reliable and proactive support and risk radar is integral to the smooth running of our business unit and our Hautū. The wider Business Support team will be there to support you, and you’ll have the opportunity to mentor and grow others.
Our work is challenging and rewarding. We’re a tight-knit, friendly team with great chat, who know how to make things happen, pride ourselves on being 2 steps ahead and we’d love to have you on board.
Salary range: $74,815 - $90,347 per annum + 3% kiwi saver. The successful candidate will be appointed at a salary which reflects individual skills and experience.
For more details about the role, you can view the Job Description here Executive Assistant
About you | Mōhou ake
The ideal candidate will have:
Proven strength of experience providing executive support to a senior leader (Tier 2 ideally) in a complex organisation.
Experience managing the diary of a senior leader, arranging appointments and organising papers to support meetings.
Strong organisational, relationship, administrative and time management skills.
Knowledge of and experience of the Machinery of Government and/or public sector
High proficiency in Microsoft products, including Microsoft Teams
The ability and willingness to adhere to the Public Service Standards of Integrity and Conduct.
In return, we can offer you the opportunity to contribute to an excellent team culture, a strong focus on the development of our people, and the ability to contribute to real change across education.
About our group and team | Mātau rōpū ake
Te Pou Kaupapahere | Policy is responsible for whole-of-system, end-to-end policy integration covering early learning, compulsory schooling, and tertiary including Māori medium, te reo Māori, Pacific and Learning Support and international education policy.
We hold the relationship with all education Ministers and provide integrated policy advice to them. We collaborate across government organisations so our advice to Ministers is joined up.
We work to develop strong internal relationships as well as working closely with other central education agencies and other parts of the government. We use high quality research and evidence of what works and are informed by knowledge held by our frontline colleagues.
Our group works closely with other groups across the Ministry of Education, and together we hold relationships with iwi, hapū, hapori and Māori peak bodies, that support the development of policy that honours te Tiriti o Waitangi.
We hold the regulatory stewardship function, taking a whole-of-system, life-cycle view across for the entire education system, as well as for each regulatory subsystem.
Are you ready to make a difference? | Kua rite koe mō tēnei mahi?
If this opportunity interests you, please submit your cover letter and resume by using the ‘apply' button. In your cover letter we’d like to know about you, your values, or anything else you’d like to share. We’re keen to understand your motivations, strengths, transferable skills, and the diverse perspectives you will bring to the role.
For further information, please contact Alexandra Grace, Executive Support Manager at Alexandra.Grace@education.govt.nz.
Applications close Midnight Sunday 8 February 2026
We want our people to feel valued for their unique qualities and have a sense of belonging. If you require assistance or adjustments to fully participate in the recruitment process, please let us know.
