Position title:
Reports to:
Team:
Directorate:
Senior Analyst
Manager, Analysis
Analysis
Corporate Services
Te pūtake o te tūranga | Purpose of the position
It is our people who help Te Pātaka Whaioranga | Pharmac deliver better health outcomes
for all New Zealanders. We have a culture of supporting and growing our kaimahi.
The Senior Analyst position is responsible for executing and improving the Analysis team’s
business-as-usual processes such that they run smoothly and are incrementally improved.
The Senior Analyst will take responsibility for complex systems and related business reports
and processes ensuring timely and accurate information delivery, as we as conduct peer
reviews and data controls to ensure data is accurate and complete.
Ō mātou aronga | Our purpose
The purpose of Te Pātaka Whaioranga – Pharmac is to deliver the best health outcomes
from New Zealand’s investment in medicines and medical devices.
We uphold the articles of te Tiriti, advancing Māori health and aspirations through: Tino
Rangatiratanga; Partnership; Active Protection; Options and Equity.
Ngā uaratanga | Our values
Our values ground our behaviour and guide our thinking. They help us make decisions that
create better health outcomes for New Zealanders. Learn about the meaning of our values.
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Key accountability
Key responsibility
Technical role
accountabilities
 Act as a subject matter expert for the business in relation to
high-quality and timely business modelling advice, with the
ability to translate complex data into simple and easy- tounderstand advice
 Work with the business to continually improve processes and
enhance insights to better support strategic decision-making.
 Identify and evaluate data to improve access to and/or
optimal use of medicines, vaccines and medical devices; and
other management activities undertaken by Pharmac.
 Undertake research and analysis on topics of strategic
importance for Pharmac when required. These can range
from monitoring the uptake of new drugs to investigating
reasons for disparities or sub-optimal use.
 Provide input into the development of new forecasting tools /
techniques as required.
 Ensure Pharmac staff understand numerical analytical
techniques and the messages they convey.
 Review analysts’ work to ensure consistency with internal
standards, and ensure own work is peer reviewed.
 Prioritise work to enable knowledge-sharing and delivery of
work to deadlines.
 Provide mentoring and peer coaching to support team
members’ development, facilitate process and skill training.
 Facilitate the adoption of new tools identified in the Analysis
roadmap for both analysts and wider Pharmac staff.
 Ensure full peer reviews and data controls are in place to
provide accurate and complete data.
 Support the Team Leader by investigating and advising on
data quality issues that may arise from using the data.
 Take a lead role to ensure that the expenditure for
pharmaceuticals is forecasted and monitored against budget
accurately.
 Lead and co-ordinate processes run by the Analysis team as
required.
 Evaluate and provide advice on the economic impact of
proposed changes to the Pharmaceutical Schedule.
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 Ensure key performance measures are tracked against target
and regular reports are timely, i.e. pharmaceutical
expenditure against forecast
 Carry out statistical tests and build/update financial models in
order to provide insight into trends and patterns for long-term
strategic financial planning
 Regularly review and monitor actual outcomes against model
assumptions to ensure models are optimal
 Advise on financial scenarios and areas of risk to key
stakeholders to the business by undertaking hypothesis
testing, comparing the projected outcomes of various
scenarios
 Assess a wide variety of proposals using a variety of
(complex modelling) tools, taking into account government
policy and how these may affect Pharmac.
 Work with teams across Pharmac to provide quality and
relevant data analysis advice to internal and external
stakeholders.
 Development of new systems and process to improve the
efficiency and accuracy of the Analysis team’s output.
 Complete other reasonable tasks as delegated by the
Manager, Analysis.
Personal attributes
Uphold te Tiriti o
Waitangi
As a member of the Pharmac whānau, we expect all our people
to:

Act with integrity and be guided by Pharmac values

Be ethical and professional

Respond flexibly to changing circumstances

Achieve results through efficient use of resources

Consider the broader context to develop practical solutions.

A strong customer and business partnership focus, with the
ability to communicate effectively with a range of people
 Uphold te Tiriti o Waitangi, including the preamble and the
three articles, along with the Ritenga Māori declaration to
advance Māori health and aspirations
 Demonstrate an understanding of the role of Pharmac and
the health sector in reducing health disparities and improving
health outcomes for Māori
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 Involve Māori in the design and delivery of relevant Pharmac
operating policies and procedures
 Actively incorporate knowledge of te ao Māori into work and
show a commitment to develop individual cultural capability.
Engagement and
Communication
 Ensure that consultation and engagement processes meet
Te Arawhiti guidelines for engagement
 Comply with the Health Quality and Safety Commission NZ
code of expectations when engaging with consumers and
whānau
 Clearly explain and present ideas through either written or
verbal communication
 Display active listening and allow others time to speak
 Keep stakeholders informed of progress in a timely manner
and seek feedback to ensure their needs are met
 Ensure a high degree of professionalism is used at all times
when interacting with stakeholders, and that integrity and
appropriate communication tools are used
 Maintain a “no surprises” approach to the direct manager.
Diversity, equity and
inclusion
 Demonstrate a commitment to understand and support
initiatives including, but not limited to, addressing bias and
improving diversity and inclusion
 Be responsive and respectful to diverse experiences,
perspectives, values and beliefs by listening to others’
individual viewpoints
 Incorporate an equity lens across role responsibilities.
Self-leadership
 Complete a self-assessment of the Māori Crown Relations
capability framework designed by Te Arawhiti (Office for
Māori Crown Relations)
 Actively engage in personal professional development
activities and seek and respond to regular feedback
 Undertake development work as agreed with your manager
and proactively take opportunities as they arise
 Plan and coordinate own work to ensure outcomes are met
 Be prepared to express your views and be open to receiving
feedback and commit to change
 As a senior team member, provide expert guidance and
support to other Pharmac team members
 Act as a mentor to other team members.
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Health & Safety at work
 Take reasonable care of your own health and safety and
ensure that your actions don’t cause harm to you or others
 Comply with any reasonable instructions, policies or
procedures on how to work in a safe and healthy way
 Report any health and safety hazards to a health and safety
committee representative or your manager, and, if possible,
take immediate action to minimise harm.
Budget delegations
 Not applicable
Ngā tino hononga | Key relationships
Internal
External
 Therapeutic Group Managers
 Ministry of Health, in particular Sector
Services
 Pharmaceutical Funding team
 All staff and managers
 Te Whatu Ora Funding Managers and
Analysts
 Te Whatu Ora and Te Aka Whai Ora
shared services
Ngā tohu me pupuri te tangata | Qualifications required:
 A tertiary qualification ideally in commerce, economics or quantitative analysis and/or
extensive and comparable relevant experience.
The ideal person for this role would have skills, broad experience and/or knowledge
in several areas:
 Experience using data visualization and analysis tools.
 High level of analytical skills and numerical skills.
 Experience in analysing and manipulating large data sets and able to make data and
analysis meaningful to others.
 Use of ICT tools and applications to deliver analyses and information:
o
Advanced MS Excel skills
o
Strong T-SQL skills
o
Familiarity with R, Qlik would be an advantage
 Understanding of accounting concepts such as expense accruals, balance sheets,
forecasting
 A strong customer and business partnership focus, with the ability to communicate
effectively with a wide range of people. Is proactive and responsive to customer needs.
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 A creative thinker, able to develop new approaches and solutions.
 Team worker – able to work collaboratively with the Pharmac team
 Strong communication skills – both written and verbal
 Understanding of the health sector and issues in the pharmaceutical and or/medical
industries
 Political awareness, experience and comfort working within the political context including
experience working within machinery of government processes.
 Strong knowledge of Māori health issues and how to strengthen the positive role
subsidised medicines can play in the health and well-being of Māori
 Understanding of te ao Māori and te Tiriti o Waitangi or display a willingness and
commitment to learn.
Whakapiki ake te Tiriti | Our commitment to te Tiriti o Waitangi
Te Pātaka Whaioranga acknowledges Te Mana o Te Tiriti o Waitangi and is committed to
uphold te Tiriti across all our work. Through our mahi on behalf of Aotearoa New Zealand,
we strive to improve equitable health outcomes for Māori.
As part of the Health and Disability sector, we seek to align with the overarching Māori
Health Strategy, He Korowai Oranga, and the Government’s vision for Māori Health, Pae
Ora.
The concepts of Tino rangatiratanga, ōritetanga, active protection, options and partnership
are woven through how we work:
Tino rangatiratanga
We recognise and respect the right of Māori to have control over their own health and
wellbeing.
Ōritetanga | Equity
Māori are our priority population for all equity work. We actively work to achieve equitable
health outcomes for Māori.
Whakamaru | Active Protection
We actively protect tino rangatiratanga through increasing Māori participation in governance,
leadership, management, and decision-making.
Kōwhiringa | Options
We deliver for and work with whānau Māori in a sustainable, enduring and culturally
appropriate way that recognises & supports the expression of mātauranga Māori.
Pātuitanga | Partnership
We work in utmost good faith with Māori in all that we do to ensure our mutual goals are
met.
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He wāhanga mātou o te Ratonga Tūmatanui | We are part of the
Public Service
Ka mahitahi mātou o te ratonga tūmatanui
kia hei painga mō ngā tāngata o Aotearoa. I
āianei, ā, hei ngā rā ki tua hoki. He
kawenga tino whaitake tā mātou hei tautoko
i te Karauna i runga i āna hononga ki a ngāi
Māori i raro i te Tiriti o Waitangi. Ka tautoko
mātou i te kāwanatanga manapori. Ka
whakakotahingia mātou e te wairua
whakarato ki ō mātou hapori, ā, e arahina
ana mātou e ngā mātāpono me ngā tikanga
matua o te ratonga tūmatanui i roto i ā
mātou mahi.
In the public service we work collectively to
make a meaningful difference for New
Zealanders now and in the future. We have
an important role in supporting the Crown in
its relationships with Māori under the Treaty
of Waitangi. We support democratic
government. We are unified by a spirit of
service to our communities and guided by
the core principles and values of the public
service in our work.
This position description sets out the key requirements of the job. Specific duties within the
scope of this role may change as we respond to the environment that Pharmac operates
within.
Position description last updated: September 2023
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