General Manager Delivery and Performance

About the opportunity

This senior leadership role offers the chance to contribute to the future of justice in New Zealand by guiding a major transformation programme. The Ministry of Justice is looking for an outstanding General Manager Delivery and Performance to support Te Au Reka, an initiative focused on modernising how courts and tribunals work.

Te Au Reka is a significant programme delivered jointly by the Ministry and the judiciary. It aims to move court operations from manual processes to digitally enabled ways of working. The programme is highly complex, visible, and important, with the goal of improving service and outcomes for people who use the court system every day.

Based in Wellington, this position sits at the centre of one of New Zealand’s most important change programmes. The role will help keep delivery aligned and on track while also fostering a culture of high performance, collaboration, and accountability.

If you enjoy working in complex environments, are motivated by meaningful transformation, and want your leadership to influence long-term change, this opportunity offers broad impact.

What you will do

• Lead coordinated programme delivery across multiple workstreams, keeping priorities aligned, maintaining progress, and supporting the realisation of long-term benefits.
• Develop and maintain strong, trusted relationships across the Ministry, judiciary, sector partners, suppliers, and internal teams to manage complexity and deliver results.
• Set up effective programme practices that support strong performance, clear reporting, disciplined risk management, and ongoing improvement.
• Provide clear, high-level advice to senior leaders, governance groups, and ministers on delivery progress, risks, and available options to improve outcomes.
• Act on behalf of the Deputy Secretary in important governance settings and contribute to decisions that influence programme direction and delivery success.
• Keep services and delivery methods centred on user needs, with a focus on better access to justice and improved user experience.

What you will bring

The ideal candidate will have strong leadership, sound judgement, and a strong delivery orientation in a demanding, high-profile environment. Experience in the following areas will be important:

• Leading major transformation initiatives or business-critical programmes with many moving components, competing demands, and high visibility.
• Building credible relationships and influencing effectively at executive and board level, including across organisational boundaries.
• Bringing structure and forward movement to complex delivery settings while balancing strategy with operational realities.
• Managing and motivating high-performing multidisciplinary teams in a culture that values accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement.
• Working with governance, risk, and performance frameworks in large and complex organisations, preferably within the public sector or a similarly intricate environment.
• Exercising sound judgement, resilience, and confidence when making decisions in ambiguous and complex situations.
• Being driven by the opportunity to deliver work that creates meaningful impact for communities across Aotearoa New Zealand.

Application information

You can access a detailed position description and submit an online application by attaching your CV and cover letter.

This executive search is being handled in partnership with Robert Walters. Any applications submitted through the Ministry of Justice or government careers sites will be shared with Robert Walters and considered as part of the same selection process.

If you have questions, please contact recruitment@justice.govt.nz.