Executive Assistant, to DCE Assurance

Job Title: Executive Assistant to DCE, Assurance

Type: Permanent

Location: Wellington

• Application Closing Date: 5pm Thursday 15th January 2026

This varied role is to provide the DCE, Assurance with dependable personal executive, secretarial support, and some wider administrative Support to NEMA’s Executive Office. NEMA's work is fast-paced and you will get to be involved in Emergency Management at National level.

Mō tēnei tūranga mahi | About this role

The purpose of the Executive Assistant is to provide the DCE, Assurance with dependable personal executive, secretariat support and to provide some wider administrative support.

This role sits in the Executive Office and will see you managing the DCE’s working day to enable them to filly meet the demands of their position. 

As NEMA is an operational agency, there may be a requirement to respond to emergency activations in the event of a national emergency response.  This may include potentially long hours and challenging working conditions, e.g. an emergency could occur at any time of the day or night and may require working shifts and/or working weekends. NEMA provides thorough training prior to you being required to assist in a response. NEMA will do all in its power to support staff in meeting their work and family responsibilities during an emergency. The welfare and wellbeing of our staff is of utmost importance.

Due to the nature of our role in Emergency Management, NEMA has a very dynamic work environment and as a small agency, staff are often required to pivot and change focus on their work at short notice. Attributes of adaptability, agility, resilience and curiosity are all required on a daily basis, in and out of times of emergency response.

Ko wai koe | About you

We are looking for a candidate with the following skills and attributes:

• Essential skills and attributes:
• Demonstrated experience providing efficient and effective administration support.
• Demonstrates they are a team player with experience working closely with senior leadership teams and other business units.
• A high level of computer literacy in Microsoft packages, with the ability to adapt to new technologies. Experience with designing reports in Power BI is highly desirable. 
• Excellent secretarial and process management skills with experience in taking minutes or willingness to learn. 
• Experience drafting communications and an understanding of business reporting.
• Experience in working with multiple internal and external stakeholders and negotiating and managing their variable needs to support the Manager’s deliverables.
• Ability to multitask, reprioritise and react to issues that arise during the day whilst keeping calm and professional in demanding situations. 
• Ability to influence without authority to ensure work is completed effectively and on time.
• An ability to deliver high quality work output under pressure
• Excellent relationship management skills, able to deal in the appropriate manner with a wide range of staff, senior stakeholders and regional and community leaders

Ko wai mātou | About us

The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) provides national leadership to New Zealand's distributed emergency management system. NEMA's primary focus is on the performance and capability of the emergency management system as a whole, across all hazards and all risks and the 4 Rs of risk reduction, readiness, response and recovery. 

NEMA values diversity and inclusion. We want our workforce to reflect the diversity of our communities. We value and respect the contributions of our people with diverse backgrounds, experiences, skills and perspectives. 

We are committed to doing our part to deliver on the Crown's commitments to Māori under Te Tiriti o Waitangi. We strive to actively build te Ao Māori perspectives and capability into our day to day work, values and practices.

Ta matou e tuku | What we offer

We pride ourselves on the quality of our staff and understand the importance of fostering a working environment where excellence is recognised and where staff are encouraged to develop their own talents and potential. We welcome diversity, in all its forms and we believe it is a strength.

NEMA values staff health, safety and wellbeing, and a positive work life balance is encouraged.

The indicative base salary range for this role is $80,241 - $84,804. NEMA offers other benefits such as Department leave, Wellbeing allowance, Vision allowances and more. 

Whakaritenga Haumaru | Security Requirements

Due to the security requirements of this role, applicants must be a New Zealand citizen or New Zealand Permanent Resident. 

Me pehea te tono | How to apply

Please select 'Apply' to download a position description or apply. If you have any questions, contact us on email NEMATalent@nema.govt.nz. Please note, nobody will be available to answer questions until January 12th. We do not accept unsolicited approaches from agencies or 3rd parties.

To view the full description please click here.

Applications close 5pm Thursday 15th January 2026.