Executive Director Operations

UCOL - Te Pūkenga; Manawatū-Whanganui; On-site; NZD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Job summary

UCOL - Te Pūkenga in New Zealand seeks an experienced Executive Director Operations to provide leadership across People and Culture, Digital Services, Facilities, Health & Safety and Risk. You will align enabling functions with organisational priorities, develop managers, and strengthen service performance for learners, campuses and communities.

You will join a collaborative ELT, influence organisation-wide decisions, and drive future-ready operating models while upholding Te Tiriti o Waitangi,

Qualifications

• Substantial executive or senior operational leadership experience within a complex organisation.
• Experience leading and developing specialist managers and integrating enabling functions.
• Broad understanding of people and culture, digital services, facilities, safety and risk.
• Experience leading organisational change and developing effective operating models.
• Strong governance, public-sector accountability and regulatory compliance knowledge.
• Clear operational advisory ability to the Chief Executive and ELT.
• Commitment to Te Tiriti o Waitangi, equity, te reo, tikanga and mātauranga Māori.

Responsibilities

• Integrated Operational Leadership: lead the enabling-function portfolio and align services with UCOL direction.
• Manager Leadership and Support: set priorities, budgets and outcomes with functional managers.
• Organisational Capability: drive improvements for quality, efficiency and resilience.
• People and Culture: support workforce planning, capability and people services.
• Digital Services: lead digital strategy, cybersecurity, systems and tech investment.
• Property and Facilities: oversee facilities services and asset planning.
• Health and Safety: sponsor safety culture and address critical risks.
• Risk and Assurance: lead enterprise risk, compliance and procurement.
• Transformation and Improvement: sponsor cross-organisational process improvements.
• Executive Leadership: contribute to ELT decisions and future direction.

Skills

Executive leadership

People & culture

Digital services

Governance & risk

Change management

Te Tiriti o Waitangi

Education

Tertiary qualification in business/management

Job description

Jora New Zealand will close on 16th September 2026. Thank you for being with us, we are cheering you on as you continue your career journey.

Focus: Organisational capability, integrated services and future-focused operations

This is an exciting time to join UCOL. We are in our first year of operation as a re-established standalone entity, with renewed autonomy and a clear focus on building an agile, resilient and future-focused organisation.

We are seeking an experienced and collaborative Executive Director Operations to join our Executive Leadership Team. Reporting directly to the Chief Executive, this role will provide executive leadership across People and Culture, Digital Services, Facilities Management, Health and Safety, and Corporate Assurance and Risk.

The Executive Director Operations will bring these enabling functions together around shared organisational priorities. The role will support and develop specialist managers, strengthen service performance and ensure UCOL has the people, systems, infrastructure and operating arrangements required for the future.

This is an opportunity to influence UCOL’s organisation-wide direction while leading a diverse portfolio that directly supports our kaimahi, learners, campuses and communities.

Key Responsibilities

• Integrated Operational Leadership: Provide executive leadership across the enabling-function portfolio, ensuring services operate cohesively and support UCOL’s direction.
• Manager Leadership and Support: Work with functional managers to agree priorities, plans, budgets and outcomes, while supporting them to retain professional, technical and day-to-day responsibility for their functions.
• Organisational Capability: Lead operational priorities and improvements that strengthen service quality, efficiency, resilience and organisational capability.
• People and Culture: Support the People and Culture Manager to lead organisational culture, workforce planning, employment relations, capability, recruitment, retention and people services.
• Digital Services: Support the Digital Services Manager to lead digital strategy, infrastructure, cybersecurity, systems, innovation and technology investment.
• Property and Facilities: Support the Facilities Manager to lead facilities services, capital works, building works, asset planning and property divestment.
• Health and Safety: Provide active executive sponsorship and support, working closely with the Health and Safety Senior Advisor to address critical risks and strengthen UCOL’s safety culture.
• Risk and Assurance: Support the Corporate Assurance and Risk Manager to lead enterprise risk, assurance, compliance, procurement, contract management and business continuity.
• Transformation and Improvement: Sponsor cross-organisational systems and process improvements and champion future-focused ways of working.
• Executive Leadership: Contribute an organisation-wide operational perspective to collective ELT leadership, investment decisions and UCOL’s future direction.

What Will You Bring?

• A relevant tertiary qualification in business, management, public administration, human resources, operations or a related discipline, or equivalent senior leadership experience.
• Substantial executive or senior operational leadership experience within a complex, multi-functional organisation.
• Experience leading and developing specialist managers and integrating a broad portfolio of enabling functions.
• Broad understanding of People and Culture, Digital Services, Facilities Management, Health and Safety, and Corporate Assurance and Risk.
• Experience leading organisational change, service improvement, transformation or the development of effective operating models.
• Strong understanding of governance, public-sector accountability, regulatory compliance and organisational risk.
• Proven ability to provide clear operational advice to a Chief Executive, executive team and governing body.
• A demonstrated commitment to Te Tiriti o Waitangi, equity and the use of te reo, tikanga and mātauranga Māori in the workplace.
• Knowledge of tertiary education, government agencies or vocational education would be advantageous.

Why Join Us?

This is an opportunity to help shape how UCOL operates as a standalone organisation. You will play a central role in connecting our enabling functions, strengthening our systems and capability, and ensuring our people and infrastructure are ready to support UCOL’s future.

You will join a collaborative Executive Leadership Team and work alongside the Chief Financial Officer as a peer, bringing a dedicated operational perspective to organisation-wide decisions.

If you are an enterprise leader who can connect people, functions and ideas while supporting specialist managers to succeed, we would welcome your application.