Strategic Team Lead — Business Operations

Nz Ministry For Primary Industries; Wellington; On-site; NZD 122,000 - 142,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Annual Wellness payment

Bi-annual paid eye test and cost of ey

Career development and internal opps

Job summary

The Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) seeks an experienced people leader and operational strategist to head Team Manager Business Operations within New Zealand Food Safety's Verification Services directorate in Wellington. You will lead workforce planning, governance, and operational support to ensure frontline verification and certification services run efficiently across the network.

You will manage a small team, build cross-functional relationships with MPI shared services, drive

Qualifications

• Demonstrated experience leading people and business operations functions, including workforce planning and resource management.
• Experience delivering operational, strategic, or business planning initiatives that improve organisational performance and service delivery.
• Strong analytical skills to assess risks, synthesise complex information, and provide clear evidence-based advice.
• Experience supporting national, regional, or multi-site operations.
• Excellent communication, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills.
• A tertiary qualification or equivalent relevant experience.

Responsibilities

• Lead the delivery of a nationally coordinated relief scheduling strategy that ensures frontline operational capability is maintained across Verification Services.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with MPI shared services, including fleet, facilities, procurement, and corporate functions, to ensure effective service delivery.
• Drive the optimisation of business logistics and associated risk management practices to enhance operational efficiency, ensure compliance, and support consistent delivery outcomes across VS teams.
• Prepare high quality briefing papers, advice, and decision support papers, and develop clear, timely communications to support effective messaging to frontline teams.
• Oversee governance, secretariat, and business support functions that enable informed and timely decision-making.
• Improve systems, processes, policies, and operational procedures to support efficient and consistent service delivery.
• Lead projects and business improvement initiatives from planning through to implementation.
• Lead, coach, and develop a high-performing Business Operations team while fostering a positive and engaged team culture.

Skills

People leadership

Workforce planning

Stakeholder management

Analytical thinking

Communication skills

Problem solving

Education

Tertiary qualification

Job description

The Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) seeks an experienced people leader and operational strategist to head Team Manager Business Operations within New Zealand Food Safety's Verification Services directorate in Wellington. You will lead workforce planning, governance, and operational support to ensure frontline verification and certification services run efficiently across the network.

You will manage a small team, build cross-functional relationships with MPI shared services, drive