ILEINI TALOA
Wellington,New Zealand
Summary
Intentional leader with strong project management and interpersonal skills. Proven ability to navigate ambiguity while effectively managing multiple priorities. Accomplished senior advisor with a track record of providing sound direction based on extensive experience and data analysis. Adaptable and forward-thinking in addressing challenges and concerns. Passionate about serving Pacific communities, with deep cultural insight and lived experience that informs inclusive, values-based engagement. Committed to advancing equity and wellbeing through culturally responsive policy, service design, and strategic program delivery.
Overview
15
15
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
Senior Advisor, Engagement & Service Delivery Team
Public Service Fale
Wellington, Wellington
10.2023 - Current
- Led provision of timely, evidence-based advice within Pacific constitutional and public management contexts.
- Maintained up-to-date knowledge of political dynamics in Pacific Island Countries for effective support.
- Developed understanding of challenges facing public management systems in Pacific nations.
- Ensured transparent engagement with Pacific Public Service Commissioners for effective collaboration.
- Aligned initiatives with regional activities of New Zealand government departments and international organizations.
- Reported priorities and progress to Manager Service Design through Public Service Fale framework.
- Built trusted relationships with Pacific Public Service Commissioners and relevant governance bodies.
- Supported delivery of practical public sector management solutions for identified issues.
Senior Advisor, Customer Experience Team, Te Whakatairanga Service Delivery
Ministry of Business Innovation and Employment
Wellington, New Zealand
04.2022 - 10.2023
- Reviewing campaigns to ensure messaging and communications complies with the Treaty of Waitangi, resonates with Pacific communities, accessible to all, and inclusion.
- Reviewing the Customer Team's working group to ensure its fit for purpose. This involves engaging, interviewing, and managing relationships with key stakeholders internally.
- Fostering relationship across the branch to enable effective delivery of working programme improving customer experience.
- Supporting relationship between Relationship Managers with TWSD and INZ to ensure flow of information and insight supporting positive change meeting business objective.
- Manage contractual agreements, relationship, and projects with the Citizen Advice Bureau.
- Managing the TWSD Accessible priority.
- Leading, managing projects and initiatives contribute to the Customer Experience work program and deliverables.
- Reviewing New Zealand Travel Declaration to ensure fit for purpose and user friendly.
- Raising awareness of customer experiences impacts and best practices and provides high quality advice to all TWSD group public-facing activity.
- Leading and/or supporting complex and strategic projects as requested by Customer Experience General Manager.
- Working across teams to understand how we can use data to inform our decision and understand our service delivery effectiveness and design improved service experiences.
- Assisting other business unit design high level framework to meet Ministry's strategic priorities.
- Coach and mentor junior staff.
Senior Advisor, Pacific Team, Curriculum Pathways & Progress
Ministry of Education
Wellington, New Zealand
07.2021 - 04.2022
- Managing relationship and established trust within the Pacific community to enable collaboration to better and grow Pacific community in the education space.
- Engaging with Community to identify ways to support their learnings.
- Providing timely, quality advice and support, as well as practical solutions in supporting core curriculum, teaching, and learning development and initiatives for Pacific whanau.
- Research, implement activities, reporting, analysis of documents produced to support future curriculum, initiatives, and design activity.
- Provide input to policy design, contribute to building products and services ensuring alignment to Pacific Action Plan and Pacific Language Strategy.
- Providing timely update to the Minister on the deliverables ensuring priorities are on track.
- Providing response to Parliamentary questions and media queries concerning Pacific Education.
Senior Adviser, Office of Deputy Secretary
Ministry of Education
Wellington, New Zealand
11.2020 - 07.2021
- Review and quality check Ministerial correspondence, Official Information Act requests, Parliamentary Questions, and media responses.
- Supporting the Estimates and Annual Review processes and providing administrative support across the wider Te Poutāhū team.
- Advising Business Units on parliamentary processes and the Machinery of Government.
- Develop new process to help grow the team capacity, capability, and timeliness.
- Mentoring, coaching and development support to advisors.
- Provides support and feedback to Manager in relation to advisor's development.
- Responded proactively and positively to rapid change.
- Cross-trained and backed up for manager.
- Increased efficiency and performance by monitoring team member productivity and providing feedback.
Business Advisor, Border Visa Operation
Immigration New Zealand, Ministry of Business Innovation and Employment
Wellington, New Zealand
05.2019 - 11.2020
- Managing visa services relationship with other Government and non-Government Agencies.
- Providing support for the Minister and Associate Minister of Immigration through briefing notes and aide memoir's.
- Providing policy advice and policy interpretation supporting visa service Offices when assessing visa applications.
- Preparing responses and managing Official Information request, Parliamentary Questions and Ministerial Policy.
- Providing student visa information for use in media enquiries.
Technical Advisor
Immigration New Zealand, Ministry of Business Innovation and Employment
Palmerston North, New Zealand
01.2017 - 05.2019
- Providing student visa Immigration policy advice.
- Providing technical Support to all Immigration Officers ensuring best practice service delivery to the clients.
- Providing feedback and support on staff progress.
- Assisting external stakeholders to ensure immigration standards are met.
- Performing quality check on applications decided by Immigration Officers and Senior Immigration Officers conducting monthly checks per officer to ensure workstreams progress and identify areas requiring training.
- Completing special directions allowing those are banned from entering New Zealand to apply for a visa.
- Monitoring the immigration application process.
- Assess all types of complex student visa cases.
- Champion end-to-end customer engagement and experience culture.
Immigration Officer
Immigration New Zealand, Ministry of Business Innovation and Employment
Auckland, New Zealand
02.2015 - 12.2016
- Processing Skill Migrant Residence Visa Applications - Processing Residence Applications for clients that have employment on New Zealand's skill shortage areas.
- Conduct interviews with clients verifying skill employment to ensure applicants meet immigration requirements to be granted Residence as Skilled Migrant.
- Providing quality customer service to both external and internal clients in responding to their email in accordance with business needs and dealing with applications in a professional manner.
- Ensuring workflows are up to date so that every case has been actioned within the required timeframe.
- Ensure that clients are kept up to date with the progress of their application.
Technical Advisor
Immigration New Zealand
Nukualofa, Tonga
01.2013 - 01.2015
- Responsible for visa quality assurance, ensuring immigration policy has been applied correctly.
- Providing Immigration Policy advice to ensure clarity for customers during an application process.
- Managing relationship with government departments.
- Managing and responding to complaints regarding a visa decision.
- Provide training for immigration officers and support officers.
- Conduct verification on documents submitted with an application.
- Interview clients with complex cases.
Immigration Officer
Immigration New Zealand
Nukualofa, Tonga
06.2011 - 12.2012
- Processing visitor, student, work, Recognized Seasonal Employee (RSE) Visas and Resident Visa Applications (Partnership Category, Dependent Child Category and Pacific Access Category).
- Conduct interviews with clients, gaining further information for application.
- Answer visa queries for customers through face to face, on the phone and via email.
Support Officer
Immigration New Zealand
Nukualofa, Tonga
04.2010 - 09.2010
- Responding to client's general enquiry by phone, email and at reception.
- Accept, lodge, and receipt all visa applications both temporary and residence application.
- Performing data entry on all visa applications.
- Assist Immigration Officers to locate files and further submissions.
- Assist in filing and managing referrals to other branches.
Education
Diploma - Business Management and Marketing
Tupou Tertiary Institute
Tonga09.2009
Skills
- Proven expertise in Pacific engagement and culturally responsive approaches grounded in Pacific values and worldviews
- Strategic delivery of programs and initiatives aligned with public sector priorities and community outcomes
- Strong stakeholder engagement and relationship management across government, community, and service sectors
- High level of cultural competency, with a focus on equity, inclusion, and diverse population needs
- In-depth knowledge of immigration operations, including processing, policy interpretation, and customer service
- Skilled in policy analysis, framework review, and translating complex legislation into accessible advice
- Experienced in coaching and mentoring, supporting capability development and team growth
- Effective expectation management and issue resolution in high-pressure environments
- Committed to diversity and inclusion, ensuring all voices are heard and respected in decision-making
- Strong communication proficiency, with the ability to engage across cultures and contexts
- Familiar with government operations, systems, and cross-agency collaboration
- Skilled in tracking emerging issues and delivering timely, people-centered responses
Accomplishments
- Senior Advisor, Customer Experience Team, Te Whakatairanga Service Delivery (TWSD), 08/01/22 - 12/31/22, Chosen from TWSD to lead Immigration Call Centre (ICC) and customer voice in the Incident Management Team stood up for Immigration New Zealand., Intent was to use data and insights from ICC to influence positive changes within INZ towards a more customer centric approach., Successfully identified gap to improve relationship between INZ and ICC allowing a joint up approach to better serve our people.
- Pacific Staff Village, Immigration New Zealand, Wellington, 01/01/18 - 12/31/18, Along with several members, successfully created a Pacific village forum in MBIE allowing a safe space for Pacific employees to come together and share their experience and seek career advice to build capability supporting career progression and aspirations., Mentor - I also became a mentor at the time to new Pacific employees, supporting their journey.
- Technical Advisor, Immigration New Zealand, Palmerston North, 01/01/17 - 12/31/17, Successfully changed branch process to ensure immigration officers assess immigration application in accordance with the policy intent., This change is currently implemented to date.
Languages
Tonga, Native or Bilingual
Certification
Completed the IAP2 Australasia Certificate in Engagement, gaining practical and strategic skills in public participation, and developed expertise in designing inclusive engagement plans, applying diverse methods, and facilitating meaningful stakeholder dialogue.Strengthened capabilities in ethical decision-making, navigating power dynamics, promoting equity, and cultural responsiveness, equipped to evaluate engagement outcomes and lead transparent, trust-based processes across complex environments.
Timeline
Senior Advisor, Engagement & Service Delivery Team
Public Service Fale
10.2023 - Current
Senior Advisor, Customer Experience Team, Te Whakatairanga Service Delivery
Ministry of Business Innovation and Employment
04.2022 - 10.2023
Senior Advisor, Pacific Team, Curriculum Pathways & Progress
Ministry of Education
07.2021 - 04.2022
Senior Adviser, Office of Deputy Secretary
Ministry of Education
11.2020 - 07.2021
Business Advisor, Border Visa Operation
Immigration New Zealand, Ministry of Business Innovation and Employment
05.2019 - 11.2020
Technical Advisor
Immigration New Zealand, Ministry of Business Innovation and Employment
01.2017 - 05.2019
Immigration Officer
Immigration New Zealand, Ministry of Business Innovation and Employment
02.2015 - 12.2016
Technical Advisor
Immigration New Zealand
01.2013 - 01.2015
Immigration Officer
Immigration New Zealand
06.2011 - 12.2012
Support Officer
Immigration New Zealand
04.2010 - 09.2010
Diploma - Business Management and Marketing
Tupou Tertiary Institute
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