Head of Business Performance and Operations – DDAI

Westpac New Zealand Ltd; Auckland; On-site; NZD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Job summary

Westpac New Zealand Ltd. in Auckland seeks a senior leader to head Business Performance and Operations within the DDAI portfolio. The role unites strategy, planning, investment and performance into a clear business agenda with strong executive reporting and governance.

You will partner across Digital, Data, AI, Payments and Risk, guiding priorities into measurable outcomes while strengthening cross‑functional delivery and enterprise accountability.

Qualifications

• Significant leadership experience in business performance, strategy execution, operations or transformation within a large, complex organisation.
• Experience operating in a regulated environment.
• Proven track record as a trusted adviser to an executive and contributor to a senior leadership team.
• Experience translating strategy into practical plans, priorities, investment choices and measurable outcomes.
• Strong commercial and financial acumen, including planning, prioritisation and value realisation.
• Experience shaping operating models, governance and decision‑making disciplines.
• The ability to lead cross‑functional initiatives and influence outcomes without direct authority.
• Confidence providing constructive challenge to senior leaders.
• Excellent executive and Board‑level communication skills.
• The ability to turn complex information into clear insight and practical recommendations.
• Sound judgement, risk maturity and discretion when working with sensitive matters.
• Experience leading and developing teams through ambiguity and change.
• A relevant tertiary qualification or equivalent experience would be advantageous.

Responsibilities

• Integrating domain strategies and delivery commitments into a single DDAI business plan aligned with enterprise priorities.
• Leading annual and rolling planning with Finance, People, Transformation and other enterprise partners.
• Running the cross-DDAI prioritisation process and recommending trade-offs across strategic value, customer outcomes, capacity, risk and dependencies.
• Owning the integrated DDAI performance framework, scorecards and executive reporting.
• Bringing together strategic, financial, workforce, risk and delivery insights to provide a clear view of business performance.
• Identifying emerging issues and opportunities, challenging material variances and tracking agreed corrective actions.
• Coordinating the consolidated tracking and challenge of DDAI investment benefits.
• Strengthening business‑management governance, operating routines and cross‑functional interfaces.
• Improving decision clarity, accountability, simplification and productivity across the function.
• Leading executive and Board papers that require integrated DDAI advice and insight.
• Leading and developing the Business Performance and Operations team and its capability.

Skills

Leadership experience

Regulated environment

Executive advisory

Strategy translation

Financial acumen

Cross-functional leadership

Communication with executives/board

Judgement & discretion

Change management

Tertiary qualification or equivalent

Education

Relevant tertiary qualification

Job description

About the role

The Head of Business Performance and Operations is a member of the DDAI Leadership Team and a strategic partner to the Chief Data, Digital, AI and Payments Officer. This role brings together strategy, business planning, investment and performance into a clear and executable DDAI business agenda. You will lead the operating rhythm across Digital, Data, AI, Payments and Risk, helping senior leaders turn priorities into effective decisions, clear ownership and measurable outcomes. You will provide the Chief Data, Digital, AI and Payments Officer and Leadership Team with an integrated view of business performance, finances, workforce, risk and delivery. Through independent insight and constructive challenge, you will help identify emerging issues, resolve cross-functional dependencies and support informed trade-off decisions. You will also strengthen the business‑management disciplines that enable DDAI to operate effectively, while respecting the specialist accountabilities held by domain leaders and enterprise partners.

What you’ll be responsible for

• Integrating domain strategies and delivery commitments into a single DDAI business plan aligned with enterprise priorities.
• Leading annual and rolling planning with Finance, People, Transformation and other enterprise partners.
• Running the cross-DDAI prioritisation process and recommending trade-offs across strategic value, customer outcomes, capacity, risk and dependencies.
• Owning the integrated DDAI performance framework, scorecards and executive reporting.
• Bringing together strategic, financial, workforce, risk and delivery insights to provide a clear view of business performance.
• Identifying emerging issues and opportunities, challenging material variances and tracking agreed corrective actions.
• Coordinating the consolidated tracking and challenge of DDAI investment benefits.
• Strengthening business‑management governance, operating routines and cross‑functional interfaces.
• Improving decision clarity, accountability, simplification and productivity across the function.
• Leading executive and Board papers that require integrated DDAI advice and insight.
• Leading and developing the Business Performance and Operations team and its capability.

What will you bring?

You will be an experienced senior leader who combines enterprise-level strategic thinking with disciplined execution. You will be comfortable working across complex portfolios, bringing together different perspectives and constructively challenging leaders to achieve better decisions and outcomes.

• Significant leadership experience in business performance, strategy execution, operations or transformation within a large, complex organisation.
• Experience operating in a regulated environment.
• A proven track record as a trusted adviser to an executive and contributor to a senior leadership team.
• Experience translating strategy into practical plans, priorities, investment choices and measurable outcomes.
• Strong commercial and financial acumen, including planning, prioritisation and value realisation.
• Experience shaping operating models, governance and decision‑making disciplines.
• The ability to lead cross‑functional initiatives and influence outcomes without direct authority.
• Confidence providing constructive challenge to senior leaders.
• Excellent executive and Board‑level communication skills.
• The ability to turn complex information into clear insight and practical recommendations.
• Sound judgement, risk maturity and discretion when working with sensitive matters.
• Experience leading and developing teams through ambiguity and change.
• A relevant tertiary qualification or equivalent experience would be advantageous.

Our Organisation

At Westpac, we’re working together to build a fairer and stronger New Zealand for our people, customers, and communities. For over 160 years we’ve been driven by our purpose to Create Better Futures Together. What makes us unique are the incredible people we’re lucky enough to have walk through our doors every day. The giant ‘W’ on our building doesn’t just stand for Westpac – it says, double you. We’re a place that values, rewards and recognises individuality. Where you can be your whole self, your true self, and your best self. We’re recognised as a place where talent is developed, where passions are fuelled and where ambitions of all shapes and sizes thrive. And it all starts with you! It starts with us – we believe that when we care deeply and do our best for our people, they’ll do their best for our customers. We encourage people from all walks of life to apply, including those who are neurodivergent, have chronic health conditions or disabilities – your attitude and passion are as important to us as your experience, qualifications and capabilities.

Together Greater

Applications close: 7 November 2026

Our culture is rich with stories of how our people like to help, our customers, our community and each other. This is reflected through flexible working arrangements to ensure that our people have a balance in their life with those things that are important to them. Through ensuring that we provide opportunities to everyone regardless of what society throws at them, we are a safe place to work where you are treated equally and appreciated.