Workforce Manager

New Zealand Defence Force; Wellington; On-site; NZD 100,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Fully funded life cover

Critical illness protection

Discounted insurances

Free will services

Mortgage guidance

Job summary

New Zealand Defence Force in Wellington is seeking an experienced Workforce Manager to support the Cyber workforce planning, development and readiness.

Working within the Director Information Warfare Integration, you will partner with Defence stakeholders to strengthen workforce readiness and talent pipelines, delivering strategic advice and long-term planning.

This role may require travel and offers competitive pay with extensive benefits.

Qualifications

• Experience in workforce strategy and capability development.
• Strong analytical skills including forecasting and modelling.
• Ability to develop workforce frameworks and governance approaches.
• Excellent stakeholder engagement and relationship management.

Responsibilities

• Lead workforce planning, forecasting, analytics and reporting.
• Develop workforce frameworks, pathways and training pipelines.
• Identify future workforce requirements and capability gaps.
• Provide strategic workforce advice to senior leaders and governance forums.

Skills

Workforce planning

Cyber/Defence experience

Forecasting & modelling

Stakeholder engagement

Governance & policy development

Job description

New Zealand Defence Force – Wellington, North Island

The New Zealand Defence Force is seeking an experienced Workforce Manager to support the planning, development and readiness of the Cyber workforce.

Cyber capabilities play an increasingly important role in enabling military operations, protecting information, understanding the information environment, and supporting decision-making across Defence.

Working within the Director Information Warfare Integration function, you will partner with stakeholders across Defence to support workforce planning, talent pathways and workforce readiness across Cyber capabilities.

This is an exceptional opportunity to provide strategic workforce advice, contribute to long term workforce planning, and support capability outcomes across a critical operational domain.

This will include:

• Supporting workforce strategy, planning and governance for the Cyber capabilities.
• Developing workforce frameworks, career pathways and training pipelines.
• Leading workforce planning, forecasting, analytics and workforce reporting.
• Identifying future workforce requirements and capability gaps.
• Partnering with stakeholders to strengthen workforce readiness and talent pipelines.
• Providing workforce advice and recommendations to senior leaders and governance forums.

You will be a strategic and collaborative professional with experience in workforce planning, capability development, organisational design, workforce strategy or related disciplines.

You will be comfortable working across complex stakeholder environments, translating workforce challenges into practical solutions, and providing informed advice to senior decision makers.

You will bring:

• Experience in workforce strategy, workforce planning or capability development
• Strong analytical capability, including workforce modelling and forecasting
• Experience developing workforce frameworks, policies or governance approaches
• Excellent stakeholder engagement and relationship management skills
• Experience supporting workforce planning, career pathways, workforce systems or talent development initiatives within complex organisations
• Experience working across complex organisational environments
• Strong communication, influencing and problem solving skills
• Experience in cyber, ICT, Defence or related environments desirable
• Relevant qualifications or professional certifications advantageous

This role may require occasional travel to support operational and business requirements.

Nōu te rourou | What's in it for you

Your skills and dedication deserve recognition, and NZDF delivers with competitive pay matched to your experience. But that's just the beginning – safeguard your loved ones with a fully funded life cover of up to $300,000 and critical illness protection. Other benefits include discounted additional insurances, free will services and savings schemes for the Defence community. Get expert financial guidance and mortgage broker services. Find all our benefits and more on the Force 4 Families website.

NZDF champions diversity and inclusivity, valuing every member and fuelling their success. We embrace uniqueness, understanding that diverse teams drive creativity, innovation, and excellence. With an open door to all – irrespective of gender, ethnicity, ability, age, or family dynamics – NZDF offers a flexible, empowering work environment. Join us in shaping a brighter future, where everyone thrives.

Applications close on Tuesday 1 September 2026.

To be eligible for the required level of government security clearance with the NZ Defence Force, you need to meet certain citizenship and residency criteria. Here's what you need to know:

Higher Level Security Clearance

• You must be a New Zealand citizen or you must hold New Zealand Permanent Residence or have a current New Zealand Residency Class Visa.
• At minimum, you must hold New Zealand Permanent Residence or have a current New Zealand Residency Class Visa, and you must be a citizen of and have lived in Australia, Canada, United Kingdom, United States of America or New Zealand continuously for the last ten (10) years.
• You must have a ten (10) year background history that can be verified and assessed appropriately by the NZ Security Intelligence Service (NZSIS) to determine if you are suitable for a security clearance at this level.

If you do not meet the minimum criteria, unfortunately, your application will not be accepted. We do welcome your application at a time when you will meet the requirements.