Team Manager, Procurement Services - Wellington

Kumara Vine; Wellington; Hybrid; NZD 121,000 - 182,000; Full time

Job summary

The Ministry of Education seeks a Team Manager, Procurement Services in Wellington to lead a talented team of procurement professionals. You will shape sourcing approaches, manage risk, and drive value for New Zealand’s education system.

This role blends people leadership with commercial expertise in a fast‑paced, relationship‑driven environment. You will influence senior stakeholders, develop category strategies, and ensure best‑practice procurement outcomes across a broad portfolio.

Qualifications

• Experience leading procurement teams.
• Strong commercial judgment and strategic mindset.
• Ability to influence stakeholders across senior levels.
• Experience developing procurement strategies and category plans.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic leadership across a diverse procurement portfolio.
• Lead a high‑performing procurement team and drive continuous improvement.
• Develop category strategies and sourcing approaches aligned to priorities.
• Influence procurement decisions with senior stakeholders to deliver value.
• Ensure governance, probity, and best‑practice procurement outcomes.

Skills

Procurement leadership

Stakeholder management

Team management

Contract management

Procurement lifecycle

Job description

Team Manager, Procurement Services - Wellington

We work to shape an education system that delivers equitable and excellent outcomes

Our organisation is made up of talented and committed people around Aotearoa, from a wide range of backgrounds and cultures. While we work in different groups and on different things, we all strive every day to make the biggest difference we can for our students in our education system.

This is a full-time permanent role based in Wellington.

Lead a talented team of procurement professionals and play a key role in delivering better outcomes for New Zealand's education system.

As Team Manager, Procurement Services, you'll provide strategic leadership across a diverse portfolio of procurement activity, helping shape sourcing approaches that deliver value, manage risk, and support organisational priorities. You'll work closely with senior stakeholders across the Ministry, influencing procurement decisions, developing category strategies, and ensuring best-practice procurement outcomes.

This is an opportunity to combine people leadership with commercial expertise, building capability within your team while driving continuous improvement and innovation across procurement services. You'll engage with suppliers and the market, strengthen partnerships, and help position the Ministry as a client of choice.

If you're passionate about leading people, delivering strategic procurement outcomes, and creating lasting impact through strong commercial decision-making, this is a role where you can make a real difference.

Salary range: $121,139 - $181,709 per annum + Kiwi Saver.The successful candidate will be appointed at a salary which reflects individual skills and experience.

You're an experienced procurement leader who thrives in a fast-paced, relationship-driven environment. You bring strong commercial judgment, a strategic mindset, and a proven ability to lead teams to achieve meaningful results.

You know how to balance operational delivery with long-term planning, and you're confident influencing stakeholders, navigating complexity, and driving procurement excellence. Most importantly, you're a collaborative leader who empowers others, builds trust, and creates an environment where people can perform at their best.

You will also offer:

• Proven experience leading and developing high-performing procurement or sourcing teams.
• Strong expertise across the full procurement lifecycle, from strategy development through to contract award and supplier engagement.
• The ability to build trusted relationships and influence a wide range of stakeholders to achieve shared outcomes.
• Commercial acumen with the confidence to identify opportunities, manage risk, and deliver value-for-money outcomes.
• Experience developing procurement strategies, work programmes, and improvement initiatives aligned to organisational objectives.
• Strong analytical skills, using data and insights to support sound decision-making and drive better commercial outcomes.
• A practical understanding of governance, probity, and procurement best practice within a complex environment.
• A collaborative leadership style that fosters inclusion, capability development, and continuous improvement.
• Excellent communication skills, with the ability to engage effectively across all levels of an organisation.
• A commitment to professional growth, ethical practice, and delivering high-quality customer-focused services.

Join a collaborative and values-driven environment that invests in people and leadership development. You'll have the opportunity to lead a highly capable team delivering meaningful procurement outcomes and influence strategic decisions across a large and complex organisation. In so doing, you'll shape procurement practices that support better outcomes for learners across Aotearoa.

Te Pou Rangatōpū has two key roles which operate together:

keeping the Ministry safe by delivering essential Ministry-wide statutory and corporate functions and

delivering improvements to how the Ministry works, so we can achieve our priorities and support the Ministry to deliver the current Government’s priorities.

The Procurement division holds the strategic lead on all procurement matters across the Ministry. This includes leading the procurement strategy and monitoring all procurement activities to align with broader best-practice government procurement direction and guidance.

We are responsible for the full lifecycle of procurement from market engagement and market awareness, supporting procurement processes, administering contractual agreements, and maintaining commercial, contractual and strategic relationships with suppliers.

We want our people 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.