Manager External Strategy and Programmes

Mo m tou | About Us

Our Vision: Preventing Harm. Saving Lives. Securing our Future

We play a key role in the guardianship of New Zealand waterways. Were bringing together our aroha, work and skills to achieve our outcomes of sustainable supply chains and sectors, safe people and operations, secure ports and ships, and clean seas and waterways.

Our values are about who we are as individuals and the behaviours we expect from each other at Maritime NZ.

Care | Kia Tika - We care for each other and do the right thing

Connect | Kotahitanga - We unite in a common purpose

Courage | Kia M ia - We are brave, capable and confident

Mo to m tou Ropu - About the team

The CE Office, Strategy and People Group brings together strategy, governance, performance, and organisational capability to set direction and support delivery across Maritime NZ.

Within this, the External Strategy and Programmes team plays a key role in in translating strategy into coordinated, system-wide programmes that deliver meaningful outcomes across the maritime sector.

Te tunga | The role

Maritime NZ is undergoing a period of change to strengthen its sustainability and future focus. Following an organisational redesign, we are recruiting into a number of newly shaped roles that support our shift toward more efficient, digitally enabled ways of working, that brings together key capabilities, helping position us for the future.

This leadership role is responsible for turning organisational strategy and frameworks into coordinated multi-year programmes that deliver real-world impact. As Manager External Strategy and Programmes, youll take a system-wide view, across external programmes, ensuring clear direction, alignment to organisational strategy, cohesive delivery, and robust prioritisation, with a strong focus on measurable outcomes and benefit realisation.

Key areas of focus include:

• Translating organisational strategy into coherent external programmes and interventions
• Ensuring programmes are aligned, well-sequenced and focused on measurable outcomes
• Providing strategic direction on prioritisation, investment and programme design
• Maintaining a system-level view across programmes to identify gaps, overlaps and opportunities
• Supporting strong programme sponsorship and governance, delivery assurance and benefit realisation
• Embedding evidence, insight and learning into programme development and improvement
• Enabling collaboration across teams, programmes and external partners
• Partnering to ensuring the strategy hub effectively brings together internal and external strategy and performance and works closely with responsive regulatory decision-making Leading and developing a high-performing programme and strategy team

This role is critical to ensuring Maritime NZs strategic priorities are delivered in a coordinated, effective and outcomes-focused way across the system.

Nou te rourou | What you bring

Youre an experienced strategy or harm prevention programme leader who can operate at a system level, connecting strategy, delivery and outcomes. Youll bring strong leadership, influence and the ability to navigate complexity.

You will bring:

• Experience leading strategy or complex portfolios in complex environments
• Proven people leadership capability, including building high-performing teams
• Strong ability to translate strategy into practical, outcome-focused delivery
• Experience setting direction, priorities and investment across multi-year programmes
• Strong systems-thinking capability and ability to work across organisational boundaries
• Experience supporting governance, prioritisation and benefit realisation
• Strong relationship management and collaboration skills
• Excellent communication and relationship management skills, including advising senior stakeholders
• A pragmatic, outcomes-focused mindset

Mou | For you

Maritime NZ recognises and respects te Tiriti o Waitangi and we are committed to working with M ori to build strong, meaningful and enduring relationships to achieve mutually beneficial outcomes.

We aim to be a workplace where everyone feels valued, supported with a sense of belonging. We encourage our people to actively contribute to our workplace culture where we all thrive and authentically live our MNZ values.

Upon joining us youll receive a full range of benefits including Income Protection & Life Insurance. Check out our full range on our careers page to find out more about why we love working here.

Salary range

$194,797 $238,085 depending on skills and experience + superannuation.

Me pehea te tuku tono | How to apply

We are unable to accept applications via email. Please click the apply button to submit your application.

We're committed to ensuring our application process is accessible to everyone. Please reach out to our recruitment team below if there is any support we can provide to ensure the process is accessible to you.

Applications for this role close 23 rd June 2026. Please also note that you must have the legal right to live and work in New Zealand to be considered for this role.

If you have any questions please e-mail ***email_hidden***