Strategic Team Lead: National Conservation Planning

New Zealand Government; Christchurch; Hybrid; NZD 94,000 - 127,000; Full time

Job summary

New Zealand Government leads a nationally significant conservation planning programme from Christchurch, with other locations considered. This Team Lead role focuses on enabling a dispersed team to deliver planning outcomes that support conservation across Aotearoa.

You will balance people leadership, strategic delivery, and trusted advice, coordinating with policy, regulatory and operations teams to progress Treaty partner relationships and system improvements.

Qualifications

• Proven experience leading and developing high-performing teams.
• Strong programme or project leadership capabilities.
• Ability to understand broad regulatory and political contexts and provide sound judgement.
• Experience building trusted relationships across iwi, government and other stakeholders.
• Excellent communication skills translating complex information into practical advice.
• Experience working in government, natural resource planning or policy environments.
• Willingness to learn Maori tikanga and Te Tiriti o Waitangi concepts.

Responsibilities

• Lead the delivery of national management planning programmes and priorities.
• Enable your team to work effectively with Treaty partners to promote Maori engagement.
• Build strong relationships with iwi, stakeholders, Conservation Boards, government agencies and internal partners.
• Provide strategic advice and navigate complex conservation, policy and regulatory issues.
• Drive continuous improvement through better systems, planning tools, and efficient processes.
• Manage risk, competing priorities and programme delivery across multiple workstreams.

Skills

People leadership

Programme leadership

Policy & regulatory

Stakeholder engagement

Strategic advising

Change management

Job description

New Zealand Government leads a nationally significant conservation planning programme from Christchurch, with other locations considered. This Team Lead role focuses on enabling a dispersed team to deliver planning outcomes that support conservation across Aotearoa.

You will balance people leadership, strategic delivery, and trusted advice, coordinating with policy, regulatory and operations teams to progress Treaty partner relationships and system improvements.