Portfolio Lead

Kainga Ora; Wellington; On-site; NZD 120,000 - 150,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Five weeks leave

Insurance benefits

Flexible working arrangements

Career development

Job summary

Kāinga Ora is seeking an experienced Portfolio Lead to guide our Transformation and Technology Operations portfolio. You will shape plans, assure delivery, and provide insights to keep initiatives aligned with our goals across a complex tech environment.

You will influence senior stakeholders, balance strategy with execution, and drive improvements that deliver real outcomes for New Zealand communities. This is a permanent role with five weeks leave and comprehensive insurance benefits.

Qualifications

• Proven experience leading portfolios, delivery assurance and governance across transformation and technology projects.
• Strong ability to influence planning, prioritisation and delivery decisions across diverse stakeholders.
• Experience in large, complex organisations, ideally in the public sector.

Responsibilities

• Lead portfolio improvement and delivery to enable successful transformation.
• Partner with Executive/Senior leaders and delivery teams to support governance, planning and execution.
• Shape portfolio plans, assure delivery performance, and provide insights to strengthen prioritisation and decision making.
• Drive continuous improvement and alignment of initiatives with operational and strategic objectives.

Skills

Senior portfolio management

Delivery assurance

Governance

Stakeholder influence

Strategic/operational balance

Public sector experience

Job description

Jora New Zealand will close on 9th September 2026. Thank you for being with us, we are cheering you on as you continue your career journey.

• Lead portfolio improvement & delivery and enable successful transformation
• Partner with Executive/Senior leaders & delivery teams to support effective portfolio governance, planning & execution
• Permanent role, 5 weeks leave + insurance benefits

Te whiwhinga mahi - Our opportunity

Kāinga Ora is seeking an experienced Portfolio Lead to play a critical role in ensuring our Transformation and Technology Operations portfolio is realistic, integrated, and achievable. This is an exciting opportunity to influence the successful delivery of Transformation and Digital IT initiatives that support our people, partners, and customers across Aotearoa New Zealand.
As Portfolio Lead, you will be responsible for shaping portfolio plans, assuring delivery performance, and providing valuable insights that strengthen planning and prioritisation decisions. Working across a complex transformation and technology environment, you will help ensure initiatives are set up for success and remain aligned to operational and strategic objectives.

Ngā pūmanawatanga ōu - What you will bring

You are a strategic thinker with strong portfolio management expertise and a passion for enabling successful delivery. You thrive in complex environments, can balance competing priorities, and are skilled at turning data and insights into practical actions that improve outcomes. We're looking for a highly capable portfolio professional who can confidently navigate complex technology environments and drive successful delivery outcomes across a diverse portfolio of initiatives.
Most importantly, you'll be passionate about driving continuous improvement, fostering collaboration, and helping our teams deliver meaningful results for New Zealand communities.

Here’s what you will bring to the role:

• Proven experience in senior portfolio management, delivery assurance, and governance across transformation and technology projects and programmes
• Strong understanding of technology operations, including infrastructure, platforms, service delivery, and Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC) framework
• Demonstrated success in influencing planning, prioritisation, and delivery decisions across a broad range of stakeholders, building alignment and momentum in complex environments
• Experience working within large and complex organisations, ideally within public sector experience
• Analytical, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills, enabling you to identify risks, uncover insights, and drive practical solutions that improve portfolio performance
• Ability to balance strategic thinking with operational execution, ensuring plans are realistic, achievable, and aligned to organisational priorities

Nōu te rourou - What's in it for you?

We offer competitive salaries, five weeks' annual leave and a benefits package including a range of insurances, flexible working arrangements and career development. These benefits are described in more detail here https://careers.kaingaora.govt.nz/a-great-place-to-work/benefits
As a Kāinga Ora - Homes and Communities employee, we want to make sure that you have all the tools and support you need. We want to ensure you are healthy and have work-life balance. We also want to support and grow your personal and career development through on-the-job learning, training courses, secondments and study opportunities.

Mō mātou - Our Organisation

At Kāinga Ora, ours is the important responsibility of transforming New Zealand’s housing choices, outcomes and the entire housing sector by creating homes and communities that allow New Zealanders to thrive.
What is exciting about working for Kāinga Ora is getting the chance to make a real and positive impact on New Zealanders’ lives. With skills, planning and purposeful action, our people are creating the homes and neighbourhoods that will build the future of Aotearoa.
We are passionate about transforming New Zealand for the better. That includes being a trusted partner for Māori and iwi, protecting and enabling their rights, interests and aspirations under the guidance of Te Tiriti o Waitangi.

Our values were developed by us, for us. They unite us as an organisation and guide how we work every day. Our values are:

• Manaakitanga – People at the Heart

Together

• Whanake – Be Bold

Ō tātou uara - Our values

Our values were developed by us, for us. They unite us as an organisation and guide how we work every day. Our values are:

• Manaakitanga – People at the Heart
• Mahi Tahi – Better

Together

• Whanake – Be Bold

Applications close Wednesday 16th September at 11:55pm.

We value diversity and are committed to working with each other and our customers in an inclusive and respectful way. We welcome applicants from all walks of life and appreciate the richness of experience that your point of difference brings to the organisation. If you don’t tick all the boxes in this listing but think that you could be a great fit based on your unique background and skillset, we would welcome an application from you.

Don’t hesitate, as we may review applications as they are received and reserve the right to close.