Principal Advisor, Governance and Secretariat

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At the Civil Aviation Authority of New Zealand, the Principal Advisor, Governance & Secretariat plays a pivotal role in delivering high quality governance and secretariat services, supporting the Board and leadership, and elevating governance processes across committees. You’ll provide strategic advice, strengthen decision making and risk oversight, and mentor others to drive continuous improvement. The ideal candidate has extensive governance or secretariat leadership experience, a strong understanding of governance, risk and assurance frameworks, and a proven ability to influence senior stakeholders and partner with boards and executives. In your application, tailor your CV and a cover letter that clearly links your experience to the role’s responsibilities, highlight your impact, and note any accessibility needs; applications close 6 August 2026.

At the Civil Aviation Authority, we don’t just keep New Zealand’s skies safe and secure, we help shape the future of aviation.

• Influence governance at the highest levels of the organisation
• Provide strategic advice with organisation-wide impact
• Lead governance excellence in a collaborative environment

About the Role

As our Principal Advisor, Governance & Secretariat, you'll play a pivotal role in supporting effective governance across the Civil Aviation Authority. Working closely with the Board, Board Committees, Executive Leadership Team, and senior leaders, you'll provide expert governance advice, lead key governance processes, and help ensure the organisation meets its statutory and accountability obligations. This is an influential role where your expertise will strengthen decision-making, risk oversight, and organisational performance across CAA.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the delivery of high-quality governance and secretariat services.
• Provide strategic governance advice to senior leaders and decision-makers.
• Support governance processes across the Board, committees and Executive Leadership Team.
• Maintain and enhance governance frameworks, policies and practices.
• Oversee governance reporting, risk insights and key documentation.
• Coach and mentor others while driving continuous improvement initiatives.

The salary band for this role is $136,939 - $168,191. Starting salaries are based on knowledge, skills and experience the successful candidate brings to the role, as well as internal relativities.

For more information on the role please view the position description.

What You'll Bring

You’ll be an experienced governance professional who thrives in complex environments and enjoys partnering with senior leaders to achieve organisational outcomes. You'll bring sound judgement, a strategic mindset, and the ability to navigate ambiguity while maintaining strong stakeholder relationships.

To succeed in this role you'll demonstrate:

• Extensive experience in governance, secretariat or advisory leadership roles.
• Strong understanding of governance, risk and assurance frameworks.
• Experience working with boards, executives and senior stakeholders.
• The ability to provide trusted advice on complex and sensitive matters.
• Excellent communication, analytical and report-writing skills.
• Proven ability to influence, mentor others and drive organisational outcomes.

About Us

The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) is New Zealand’s aviation safety and security regulator. We play a critical role in protecting the travelling public, supporting the aviation sector, and strengthening New Zealand’s international reputation.

Our vision is simple and powerful: A safe and secure aviation system – so people are safe, and feel safe when they fly.

Our values — Professionalism, Respect, Integrity, Transparency, and Collaboration — guide everything we do. We’re committed to fostering a diverse, inclusive, and supportive environment where everyone feels respected, safe, and valued. Our people are central to our success.

Why Join Us?

• 5 weeks annual leave, with an additional 2 days after five years of continuous service
• Sick leave entitlements from day 1 and ten days domestic leave annually
• Matching KiwiSaver contributions up to 4%
• Vision assistance
• Flu vaccinations
• Employee Assistance Programme

Ready to Apply?

This is an outstanding opportunity to contribute to the effective governance of New Zealand’s aviation regulator while working alongside highly experienced leaders and governance professionals. If you're passionate about governance excellence, strategic advice, and making a meaningful contribution to organisational performance, we'd love to hear from you.

Apply directly by completing the online application form and submitting your CV and cover letter. Your cover letter will be a key part of our assessment process, so please highlight how your experience aligns with the requirements of this role.

We want to ensure accessibility needs are well supported, so the recruitment process is fair and equitable for all. Please let us know if there is any support we can provide to ensure the recruitment process is fully accessible to you.

If you have any questions about the role or application process, contact the Recruitment team at [email protected].

Applications close: 6 August 2026

Please be aware that we may start shortlisting as applications come in. We encourage early applications, as the advertisement may close sooner than stated.