Director, People and High Performance

Permanent | Wellington

We are seeking to appoint a Director, People and High Performance to join our team, based in Wellington and reporting to the General Manager, People and High Performance.

This is a key leadership role responsible for leading strategic business partnering across Oranga Tamariki and strengthening the value our people function delivers to the organisation.

The opportunity

This role will partner with leaders across the business to deliver a proactive, insight-led and value-adding people service. You will need to operate confidently across a complex environment, with the ability to influence and engage at multiple levels—from senior leadership through to frontline teams.

We are looking for a leader who brings a strong strategic lens with an operational bent—someone who can set direction while remaining grounded in delivery and outcomes.

Key areas of focus include

• Strategic business partnering leadership – leading a high-performing team to provide trusted, practical and impactful advice
• Workforce planning – embedding forward-looking, evidence-based approaches that inform real workforce decisions
• Leadership development – lifting leadership capability through aligned frameworks, programmes, and talent strategies
• People change and transformation – enabling and supporting effective organisational change that is practical, well-led and sustained

What You Will Bring

• Experience leading strategic HR or business partnering functions in complex environments
• Ability to work across a multitude of levels, building credibility with senior leaders while staying connected to operational reality
• A strategic mindset with a strong delivery focus, able to translate direction into actionable outcomes
• Proven strength in workforce planning, leadership development, and supporting change
• Strong relationship-building and influencing skills, with a focus on adding measurable value
• A commitment to delivering clear, integrated and outcome-focused people services

Why this matters

This role is critical to strengthening how we partner with the business and ensuring our People and High-Performance function delivers real impact—supporting leaders, lifting capability, and enabling better outcomes for tamariki, rangatahi and whānau.

Me pēhea te tuku tono | How to Apply

Apply online with your CV and Covering Letter. A strong cover letter should complement your CV by telling a compelling story about why you're the right fit for the role, why you want the role, why Oranga Tamariki and to and what you bring.

If you are an Oranga Tamariki employee already, please ensure you apply with a log in using your Oranga Tamariki email address.

If you have any questions about role, please contact Liam O'Sullivan - Senior Talent Partner via

Hurry as applications for this role close at midnight on Sunday 24th May 2027

If you are interested in any of our vacancies, please ensure that you make yourself familiar with our code of conduct as it sets out our expectations for our kaimahi and requires you to present at work free from the influences of both drugs and alcohol.