Joey Sauer

Senior Communications Advisor with a proven track record of driving impactful communications strategies across local and central government sectors. Exceptional leadership in work programme management, change process communications, and executive representation. Skilled in fostering positive stakeholder relationships and delivering positive results in complex, high-pressure environments. I’m seeking a new challenge in the UK where I’m eligible to live and work.

Senior Communications Advisor (Aug 2022 - Jul 2025)

Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE), Wellington

Led strategic communications across five portfolios in the Market Integrity and Employment Services branches, supporting MBIE's regulatory and operational functions.

Areas of responsibility

• Media relations: Responded rapidly to media enquiries, managed MBIE's press office, and developed proactive media releases. Built strong relationships with journalists and supported spokespeople across the business.
• Internal communications strategy: Designed and implemented a comprehensive internal communications plan, aligning messaging with business priorities. Monitored reach and engagement based on analytics, noting a sizeable increase in staff intranet engagement following strategy implementation.
• Content development: Developed and refined speeches, newsletters, staff videos, talking points and intranet content for the Deputy CEO and senior leadership team.
• Leadership and collaboration: Chaired MBIE's internal communications working group, ensuring cross-business alignment and a consistent tone of voice.
• Change support: Led communications supporting/which supported internal restructures, technology rollouts, and business process changes. 

Senior Advisor - Prime Minister’s Education Excellence Awards (Apr 2021 - Aug 2022)

Ministry of Education, Wellington

Areas of responsibility:

•  Communications and engagement: Supported teacher wellbeing with the roll-out of a specialised support toolkit, international recruitment initiatives, working across agencies and with key sector groups.
• Event and project coordination: Oversaw project timelines, prepared Ministerial briefings, and managed logistics and delivery of the awards ceremony.
• Stakeholder relationships: Maintained relationships with judges, applicants, and finalists; collaborated with suppliers including a marketing agency and video production team.
• Marketing and website management: Developed and maintained accessible, bilingual content in plain English and Māori. Increased nominations from the previous year, targeted to specific areas.

Ministry of Education

Supported government to increase teacher supply and implement workforce planning initiatives through communications, stakeholder engagement and content coordination.

Areas of responsibility:

• Ministerial communications: Drafted Ministerial responses, media material, and weekly updates; responded to external enquiries and maintained up-to-date teacher supply data.
• Approvals and content coordination: Managed content approvals for the Associate Deputy Secretary of Education, editing and prioritising material across the division.
• Stakeholder engagement: Chaired cross-agency recruitment meetings and liaised with recruitment companies and professional bodies.
• Marketing and digital: Co-designed campaigns, managed website content, and led the redevelopment of the TeachInNZ site, a project several years in the making.

Advisor - Office of the Chief Executive (January 2015 - June 2018)

Wellington City Council, Wellington

Areas of responsibility:

• Executive communications: Produced speeches and internal messaging for the CE, served as a key communicator during crisis and emergency events such as a sizeable 2016 earthquake.
• Strategic initiatives: Oversaw a Council awards review and led a “social outcomes” project aimed at improving community wellbeing. This focused on identifying which of the Council’s projects specifically aligned to the organisation’s strategy and prioritising them.
• City partnerships: Developed and managed the sister city relationship with Canberra, coordinating exchanges, events, and collaborative targets.
• Stakeholder engagement: Organised stakeholder forums on city resilience and maintained external relationships with civic and business leaders.
• Data and insights: Maintained an internal data directory with key city and economic stats to support communications.

Huayu Enrichment Scholarship (2018 - 2019), National Taiwan Normal University

Full-time Mandarin language study for a year. Over 80% grade maintained as per scholarship terms.

Bachelor of Arts (2011 - 2013), Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand