Director - Private Business

PwC International; Wellington; On-site; NZD 250,000 - 350,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Discretionary bonus opportunities

AI tools and training

Sonder/EAP/Headspace

Job summary

PwC New Zealand is seeking a Management Level Director to lead the Wellington Private practice within the national PwC Private network. You will oversee a portfolio of privately owned businesses, coach teams, and drive growth while embedding AI-enabled delivery.

Reporting to Private partners, you will shape strategy, manage engagements, pricing, resourcing and profitability, and work across Private, Tax and the wider firm to deliver across accounting, tax and advisory services.

Qualifications

• Extensive experience in accounting, tax, and advisory services.
• Experience working with complex privately owned businesses.
• Strong technical and/or commercial capability across financial statements, tax and business advisory.

Responsibilities

• Lead a significant portfolio of privately owned businesses, including property, large trading, and high-growth businesses.
• Build trusted relationships with business owners, entrepreneurs, and CFOs, and provide practical commercial judgement.
• Lead high-quality accounting, tax and advisory engagements, including statutory reporting, forecasting, and board reporting.
• Originate new business and participate in commercial growth and strategic direction of the Wellington Private practice.

Education

Relevant tertiary qualification in Accounting, Commerce, Business, or related discipline

Job description

Management Level Director Job Description & Summary Kia ora, Do more than take the next step. Take the next leap. Explore careers at PwC New Zealand. Be a catalyst for transformation. Shape the future at PwC New Zealand. At PwC, our purpose is clear: to build trust in society and solve important problems. This is a place to keep growing. You will learn from the best, take on meaningful challenges, and make a lasting impact for our clients, our communities, and Aotearoa.

About the role

This is an opportunity to take on a key leadership role in PwC New Zealand’s growing Private practice in Wellington / Te Whanganui-a-Tara as part of a broader national PwC Private business with strong growth ambitions. Working alongside two Private partners and four Tax partners as part of a highly collaborative Wellington Private and Tax practice of approximately 40–50 people, you will also connect with colleagues across our national Private network to bring the best of PwC to clients. You will lead complex client work, build trusted relationships with business owners, entrepreneurs, and CFOs, and help shape the Private practice’s next phase of growth. You will combine technical credibility with commercial thinking, practical advice, collaborative leadership, and a strong focus on originating new opportunities across a significant portfolio of privately owned businesses.

Your day-to-day could include:

• Lead a significant portfolio of privately owned businesses, including property, large trading, and high-growth businesses, acting as a senior trusted adviser across accounting, tax, business advisory, and broader commercial matters.
• Build enduring relationships with business owners, entrepreneurs, CFOs, and other senior stakeholders, bringing practical commercial judgement to complex client needs.
• Lead high-quality accounting, tax and advisory engagements, including statutory reporting, forecasting, financial modelling, board reporting, virtual CFO support and systems and process improvements.
• Originate new business, identify market opportunities, and play a central role in the commercial growth and strategic direction of the Wellington Private practice.
• Take accountability for engagement scope, pricing, resourcing, work in progress, recoverability, billing, and profitability.
• Coach and develop talented team members, collaborate across Private, Tax and the wider firm, and help lead our AI First approach by embedding AI-enabled ways of working across client delivery and the practice.

Skills you will bring or develop in this role

Extensive experience in accounting, tax, and advisory services, ideally within a Big Four or comparable professional services environment or senior commercial finance role, and experience working with complex privately owned businesses.

Strong technical and/or commercial capability across a combination of financial statements, tax and business advisory, paired with sound commercial judgement and the ability to provide clear, practical advice.

A proven record of building trusted senior relationships and generating growth through strong networks, market awareness, and client origination.

A personable, collaborative leadership style, with demonstrated experience of coaching and developing people across multiple engagements.

Excellent communication, analytical and problem-s solving skills, with the confidence to engage business owners, entrepreneurs, CFOs, partners, and other senior stakeholders.

A forward-thinking approach and genuine interest in technology, AI-enabled delivery, and new ways of working; a relevant tertiary qualification in Accounting, Commerce, Business, or a related discipline is essential, and CA or CPA membership is desirable.

Highlights of working at PwC NZ

• Rewards - Discretionary bonus opportunities; generous referral bonuses; retail discounts & deals
• Growth - Global network; leadership development; AI tools and training; formal learning pathways
• Wellbeing - $250 annual wellbeing allowance; Life & income protection; Sonder/EAP/Headspace; 15 days' paid sick leave; group-rate health insurance (eligibility applies)
• Reputation - PwC is known for shaping tomorrow. Join us and you'll accelerate your career while helping clients and communities solve their most important problems.
• Flexibility - Flexible working; supportive coaching culture
• Time off - Two paid recognition days off provided each year during our annual summer shutdown period; purchase up to two extra weeks' annual leave
• Whānau & community - Paid parental leave for all parents with flexible options and financial planning support; inclusive networks; paid volunteering leave

Motuhake / Independence

Maintaining independence is fundamental to demonstrating that PwC has not been influenced by any relationships or situations that undermine our objectivity. This role requires an independence review process.

Travel Requirements

Up to 20% available for work visa sponsorship? No

Your questions answered

We're not currently partnering with recruitment agencies for this role.

Grow here. Go further.

We encourage early applications: This role may close before the listed date if we identify a suitable candidate.

Te whakamahinga o te atamai hangahanga / AI usage: Please note that secure, AI-enabled tools may support parts of our recruitment process, but all applications are reviewed and all decisions are made by our people.

Are you ready to make a difference? Want to unlock new value by applying your unique perspective and talents? You can grow exponentially at PwC. Here, you can uncover hidden talents, build lifelong relationships rooted in trust and empathy and turn challenges into opportunities for innovation. We'll help you grow your skills through challenging, meaningful work so you can go further.