Project Manager, Funding Reviews and AI Enablement
Ministry of Social DevelopmentJobsCloseBy Editorial Insights
An experienced Project Manager is sought by the Ministry of Social Development’s Social Investment Agency to lead a programme at the intersection of funding reviews, investment insight and AI enablement. Based in Wellington onsite, you will coordinate delivery across SIA and partner agencies, shape the discovery phase, manage risks and dependencies, and pilot AI enabled methods in a policy environment. You will build delivery capability, provide reporting to senior leaders, and work across policy, data, privacy and security to keep activity safe. To apply, click Apply Now and review the position description via the link; applications close 3 August 2026, with possible early interviews. Please share accessibility needs if relevant.
Location: Wellington | Reports to: Director System Investment and Performance | Group: System Performance and Investment Advice
It is an exciting time to join the Social Investment Agency as we lead change across the public service to implement social investment and support Government to achieve better outcomes from social sector spending. Our purpose is to shift the system using data and evidence, so the system invests earlier and more effectively to improve the lives of New Zealanders.
Our people are at the centre of what we do. They are curious, agile and hardworking, and instinctively care about the wellbeing of others. We are committed to a safe and inclusive workplace, value the diversity everyone brings and support flexible working arrangements. If you have support or access requirements, we encourage you to tell us when you apply so we can assist you through the recruitment process.
About the team
The System Performance and Investment Advice (SPIA) group is responsible for delivering SIA’s central agency responsibilities and influencing the system to adopt social investment approaches. The group works closely with Ministers and agencies to provide advice on system design, investment opportunities, and how performance in one part of the system affects other parts.
The System Investment and Performance team within SPIA focuses on investment and performance advice, system performance insights, and system monitoring. We use data, evidence, qualitative and quantitative insights, and systems thinking to make credible, practical recommendations about how investment can improve outcomes across the social sector.
About the role
We are looking for an experienced Project Manager to lead a high-priority programme of work at the intersection of funding reviews, investment insight and AI enablement. This is an exciting opportunity to help shape how SIA improves visibility of social sector spending, supports better investment decisions, and tests new technology-enabled ways of working in a live policy and delivery environment.
Reporting to the Director System Investment and Performance, you will lead delivery planning and coordination for Funding Reviews and AI Enablement. The role will help bring structure, pace and delivery discipline to work that connects policy, data, digital, privacy, security, procurement, communications and partner agency input. You will help test what can be done safely and credibly now, and what foundations are needed to support an enduring capability over time.
What you will do
- Develop and lead a clear delivery plan for the discovery phase, including scope, milestones, governance, resourcing, dependencies, risks, investment requirements and decision points.
- Coordinate delivery across SIA, partner agencies and specialist contributors, ensuring the work is well-planned, well-governed and aligned.
- Support the application of contract analysis and AI-enabled methods in a live funding review context, ensuring outputs are practical, credible and appropriately assured.
- Work with policy, data, technology, privacy, security, legal, procurement, communications and relationship management specialists to identify what is needed to deliver the work safely and effectively.
- Help build SIA’s internal delivery, analytical and AI capability by creating repeatable approaches, tools, practices and learning that can support future work.
- Provide high-quality reporting, advice and escalation to senior leaders, including clear updates on progress, risks, decisions and trade-offs.
- Contribute to a test-and-learn approach that supports stronger system visibility, investment insight and future shared social investment capability.
What you will bring
- Strong project management experience in complex, ambiguous or cross-agency environments, with the ability to turn strategic intent into practical delivery.
- Experience leading discovery, design, implementation or change activity where there are multiple stakeholders, dependencies and decision points.
- Excellent planning, coordination, risk management and reporting skills, with a strong focus on delivery discipline and quality.
- Confidence working with policy, data, digital, analytical or technology-enabled initiatives, including an understanding of how to manage uncertainty, assurance and governance.
- Sound judgement, curiosity and comfort working with emerging approaches such as AI-enabled analysis, including awareness of privacy, security, ethical and assurance considerations.
- Strong relationship management and communication skills, including the ability to work across disciplines and bring people together around a shared delivery pathway.
- A collaborative, pragmatic and learning-oriented approach, with the confidence to raise issues early, navigate trade-offs and keep momentum in a fast-moving environment.
Why join us?
This is a rare opportunity to work on a programme that matters — helping government make smarter decisions about social sector investment and supporting better outcomes from social sector spending. You will be joining a group with a strong sense of purpose, a broad system mandate, and a willingness to test new approaches while staying grounded in public sector stewardship, trust and accountability.
If you enjoy bringing structure to complexity, working across disciplines, and helping create something new and useful for the system, we would like to hear from you.
Utu-ā-tau | Salary: $153,344.00 - $216,485.00
Ko wai mātou | About us
The Social Investment Agency is a central agency, set up to lead the social investment approach to improve people’s lives and to support the Government to achieve better outcomes from social service expenditure. Social investment involves using data to understand people’s needs and the best prevention points, implementing evidence-based approaches to improving outcomes, and testing that they’ve been successful. The Agency has a particular focus on cross-sector work to address the most pervasive social sector challenges.
We are committed to have a safe and inclusive workplace and we value the diversity everyone brings. We welcome applications from everyone, regardless of gender identity, age, ethnicity, sexual orientation, disability, or religion. If you have any support or access requirements, we encourage you to tell us when you apply so we can assist you through the recruitment process.
Tono mai | How to Apply
To apply for this role please click the ‘Apply Now’ button and follow the online process. To view a copy of the position description please click here.
Applications close at 11.59pm on Monday 3 August 2026; however, we will review applications as they come in and may invite people to interview before the close date. We reserve the right to close the vacancy early if an ideal person is found before the close date.
If you have any questions, please email [email protected]
We look forward to receiving your application.