General Manager, Ministry Operational Improvement & Change

Ministry of Education New Zealand; Wellington; On-site; NZD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Job summary

Ministry of Education New Zealand is seeking a General Manager to lead the Ministry Operational Improvement and Change in Wellington. The role drives a coordinated programme, strengthening capability, performance and impact across the Ministry.

Working with the Secretary for Education and senior leaders, you will translate strategic priorities into practical delivery, establish a new delivery team and ensure sustainable improvements across people, process, systems and culture.

Qualifications

• Extensive experience in programme leadership and organisational change across a large, multifaceted environment.
• Proven ability to translate strategic priorities into practical delivery with measurable benefits.
• Strong governance, portfolio, planning and reporting capability.
• Data-informed decision making to assess performance, risk and opportunities.
• Ability to coach leaders and foster collaborative action across teams.
• Experience building trusted relationships with internal and external partners.
• Sound political awareness and knowledge of government processes.

Responsibilities

• Lead a coordinated programme of organisational improvement and change.
• Strengthen capability, performance and impact across the Ministry.
• Turn strategic direction into integrated and enduring delivery.
• Establish and lead a new team to drive the programme forward.

Skills

Programme leadership

Senior leadership

Transformation programmes

Governance and planning

Data driven decision making

Change coaching

Stakeholder relationships

Political awareness

Public Service standards

Job description

General Manager, Ministry Operational Improvement and Change

Date advertised: 8 Sept 2026

Job Type: Permanent

Location: Wellington, NZ

This position is Wellington based. Applicants outside Wellington will only be considered if they are prepared to work a minimum of four days per week in Wellington.

• Lead a coordinated programme of organisational improvement and change
• Strengthen capability, performance and impact across the Ministry
• Turn strategic direction into integrated and enduring delivery

Strengthening Education

The Ministry of Education plays a critical role in shaping New Zealand’s education system to deliver equitable and excellent outcomes for all learners.

Achieving excellence is about supporting every student to experience success at every stage of their learning journey, from early learning and schooling, right through to tertiary, training and employment. A focus on equity is critical in the New Zealand context. It means recognising and responding to the diverse circumstances and needs of all our learners.

We are now reshaping the way the Ministry is organised so that we are better positioned to deliver on the goals of equity and excellence. This means being focused on our core role and doing it well; being deliberately outward-facing and forward-looking; utilising evidence and data to make informed decisions; and supporting a strong organisational culture.

As the stewards of our education system, the Ministry is looking for experienced and outstanding leaders who are driven, curious, open to different perspectives and adaptable to lead our people through system and organisational change.

About this role | Mō tēnei tūranga

The General Manager, Ministry Operational Improvement and Change will drive the delivery of a coordinated programme of work already underway that strengthens organisational capability, performance and impact in support of the Strengthening Education outcomes.

Working closely with the Secretary for Education and senior leaders across the Ministry, you will lead the implementation of agreed initiatives that improve how the Ministry delivers services to the education sector. You will bring together activity across people, process, systems and culture, maintaining a clear focus on delivery, intended outcomes and strategic priorities.

The role will establish and lead a new team with the capability and focus required to drive the programme forward. You will coordinate delivery across multiple workstreams, support leaders to implement change successfully and ensure improvements are practical, sustainable and embedded into the Ministry’s ongoing operations.

This is an implementation-focused leadership role. Success will come from building trusted relationships, creating clear ownership and accountability, and ensuring the programme delivers meaningful and enduring improvements in operational effectiveness, capability and service delivery.

About you | Mōhou ake

You are an experienced programme and transformation leader who has delivered complex organisational change and capability development in a large and multifaceted environment. You bring a strong implementation focus and can connect strategic direction, governance, detailed planning and operational delivery.

You operate confidently at executive level, presenting recommendations, managing challenge and progressing decisions at pace and quality. You build trusted relationships across senior leaders, delivery teams and external partners, and you have the judgement to balance transformation priorities with effective ongoing service delivery.

You will bring:

• Extensive experience in programme leadership, organisational change and capability development.
• Senior leadership experience within a large and complex environment.
• Experience establishing and delivering integrated transformation programmes across people, process, systems and culture.
• A strong record of implementing, monitoring and improving organisational systems, frameworks and processes.
• Experience translating strategic priorities into practical delivery and sustainable organisational outcomes.
• Strong programme, portfolio, planning and governance capability.
• The ability to use data and insights to assess performance, benefits, risks and opportunities.
• The ability to coach and constructively challenge leaders, build change capability and foster collaborative action.
• Strong experience building trusted relationships across organisations and with key external partners.
• Sound political awareness and knowledge of government processes, with the ability to navigate ambiguity.
• The ability and willingness to adhere to and promote the Public Service Standards of Integrity and Conduct.

Copy and paste the following URL into your browser to access the Standards of Integrity and Conduct:

https://www.publicservice.govt.nz/guidance/standards-of-integrity-and-conduct

Are you ready to make a difference? | Kua rite koe mō tēnei mahi?

Applications close at 12:00pm, Friday 18th September.

We want our candidates to feel valued for their unique qualities and have a sense of belonging. If you require assistance or adjustments to fully participate in the recruitment process, please let us know.