Principal Assurance Advisor

About the role

A central government organisation in New Zealand is setting up a new assurance function to strengthen investment decision-making, and is looking for a Principal Assurance Advisor. You will lead high-profile investment assurance reviews that influence major public sector decisions, working with senior executives, review panels, project sponsors and government stakeholders. The role is not a traditional project management position nor purely risk and assurance focused.

Key responsibilities

• Lead the end-to-end coordination of major assurance reviews
• Establish and maintain review plans, schedules and governance processes
• Manage review logistics, documentation, data rooms and stakeholder engagement
• Coordinate independent reviewers and assurance specialists
• Identify and manage delivery risks, issues and dependencies
• Analyse findings and turn assurance insights into practical recommendations
• Build trusted relationships with executives, programme leaders and government agencies
• Contribute to the development of assurance frameworks, guidance and operating practices

Required profile

• Significant experience across major projects, programmes or investments
• Backgrounds such as major infrastructure or capital investment programmes, gateway or investment assurance environments, large-scale transformation programmes, portfolio or programme governance, or consulting, advisory or assurance roles
• Strong assurance, governance or review-management capability
• Exceptional stakeholder engagement and influencing skills
• Ability to bring structure to ambiguity, sound judgement and political awareness
• Experience in or alongside the New Zealand public sector is highly advantageous

Required skills

• Familiarity with Better Business Cases, Gateway Reviews or investment decision frameworks is beneficial

What we offer

• Immediate start available
• Fixed-term opportunity ending February 2027
• High-profile work impacting major government investments
• Opportunity to help establish a new assurance function from the ground up
• Potential permanent opportunities as the function evolves