Stepping up into a Principal Policy Advisor role is no small feat. At Beyond Recruitment, we regularly meet highly skilled Senior Policy Advisors with a strong foundation of policy expertise and technical know-how. However, today’s public sector environment demands more than that. Hiring managers are increasingly seeking candidates with both greater breadth and depth of capability.
For Senior Policy Advisors, making the jump to a Principal Policy Advisor is a true test of your leadership, strategic thinking and resilience. If your policy career has progressed quickly, you can expect hiring managers to delve deeper into the substance of your experience.
So, how do you ensure you’re ready for the move from Senior Policy Advisor to Principal Policy Advisor? Beyond Recruitment’s Kathy Claridge shares her insights from working with hiring managers and candidates in the Government and Policy space. Read on for tips on how to map your career path towards a Senior Policy Advisor role.
Anchor Yourself in the DPMC Policy Skills Framework
Before charting your path toward a Principal Policy Advisor role, it pays to revisit the Policy Skills Framework developed by the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet (DPMC). This framework is designed to guide New Zealand policy professionals in developing the competencies needed at every stage of their career.
While many of the framework’s competencies are essential, three stand out as critical when stepping into to the Principal Policy Advisor roles:
1. Strategic Policy Thinking-prove your big-picture mindset
As a Senior Policy Advisor, you’re already experienced in deep analysis and developing solidly researched advice. To move into a Principal role, however, you need to demonstrate that you can think several steps ahead. In other words, seeing both the policy issue in front of you as well as its ripple effects across government and society.
Key ways to strengthen your strategic credentials include:
Engaging confidently with senior leaders and Ministers, to provide high-level advice that shapes decision-making.
Mapping the cross-agency impacts of policy decisions and proactively flagging risks, trade-offs and opportunities.
Driving long-term policy agendas, showing that you can think beyond immediate pressures.
Ask yourself: Am I just responding to policy issues, or am I actively helping set the agenda?
2. Coaching and Mentoring-lift others as you rise
Leadership qualities are what single out people for Principal Policy Advisor roles. In addition to your policy experience, in a Principal role you are expected to build the capability of your team and be a role model. Hiring managers look for evidence that you can develop others while delivering on your own work.
To elevate your leadership profile:
Offer to mentor junior policy advisors on complex projects, providing them with guidance and sharing your wisdom.
Be the one who initiates regular feedback loops or learning sessions within your team.
Champion capability-building by identifying your team members’ development needs and helping them step up.
Tip: Keep a record of where you’ve added value in developing others, as these examples are gold in interviews.
3. Influencing and Relationship Management-broaden your impact
Another factor that marks a move from Senior Policy advisor to Principal Policy Advisor level is the power of persuasion. While Senior Policy Advisors are expected to provide sound advice, Principal Advisors must wield influence across multiple layers, internally and externally. That requires nuanced communication skills and emotional intelligence, which can be cultivated with the right effort.
To show you’ve got the influencing chops:
Build and maintain trusted relationships with a wide range of stakeholders, including NGOs, industry groups, iwi, and other government agencies.
Balance competing interests diplomatically and look to achieve consensus wherever possible.
Adapt your communication style to suit your audience - whether briefing a Minister, consulting with technical experts externally, or engaging the public.
Remember: Your ability to manage relationships with both sensitivity and strategic nous is a clear marker of Principal-level readiness.
Navigating the Hiring Process
Showing you have Principal-level skills on paper is just the start. In interviews, recruiters and hiring panels will be looking for concrete examples that demonstrate your capability in action. Demonstrating the depth of your experience will help you stand out as a candidate.
Before interviews, prepare to:
Share detailed case studies of when you led policy development on issues that are high-stakes or especially complex.
Explain how you’ve balanced competing priorities and successfully influenced key decision-makers.
Illustrate how you’ve contributed to growing the capabilities of both your team and organisation. (This is where keeping a record of your achievements comes in handy!)
In summary: Be specific, be honest, and don’t shy away from discussing challenges. Hiring managers value candidates who can reflect critically on their experiences and can demonstrate learning and growth.
Get Support in Finding Principal Policy Advisor Roles
With deliberate career planning, a focus on building your leadership skills and a big-picture mindset, you can start taking steps towards a critical leadership role.
Progressing your career in the demanding Government and Policy space can be tough at times, but you don’t have to do it alone. Here at our Beyond Recruitment base in Wellington, I’ve worked alongside policy professionals throughout their careers, helping them position themselves effectively for senior roles.
Whether you’re looking for ways to gain breadth of experience or make a career move with the right timing, having us by your side can make all the difference.
If you're thinking about your next move and want to make sure you’re truly ready for a Principal Advisor role in New Zealand, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with me or the Government and Policy team at Beyond Recruitment. We’re here to help you make it happen.
