Press Secretary (Level 1) - Hon James Meager

Mō tēnei tūranga mahi | About this role

The Opportunity:

Hon James Meager, Minister for Hunting & Fishing, Minister for Youth, Minister for the South Island and Associated Minister of Transport is seeking an intermediate level Press Secretary to join his team. This role supports the Minister and his office with the development and promotion of key strategies related to the Hunting & Fishing, the South Island, Associate Transport and the Youth portfolios.

This role offers a unique opportunity to be at the heart of communicating the policies and initiatives of our new government to the New Zealand public and is likely to involve a level of domestic travel.

What can I expect?

As a Press Secretary in Hon James Meager's office, you will join a highly capable and trusted team responsible for supporting the Minister across his portfolios. Utilizing your knowledge and experience around Hunting & Fishing, the South Island, Associate Transport and the Youth 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 the parliamentary term. The salary band for this role is $94,499-$104,998 per annum.

What skills or experience would I need to be successful?

Media, communications, or journalism experience would be advantageous. You will need an understanding of the issues and initiatives of importance to the Minister and his portfolio areas, a great attitude, exceptional organisational skills, and a willingness and interest in building your knowledge and confidence in communicating on both climate change and revenue related matters.

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 in building relationships with members of the Minister's team, the press gallery, and a diverse range of 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. 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 Sunday 9^th of March 2025, however we will be assessing and interviewing suitable applicants throughout this period - early applications are encouraged. For more information, please contact james.gillespie@dia.govt.nz

To view 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.