General Manager Performance and Delivery

About the opportunity

The Ministry of Justice in New Zealand is looking for a senior leader to guide delivery and performance for Te Au Reka, a major programme reshaping how courts and tribunals function. This initiative is being delivered jointly by the Ministry and the judiciary, with the goal of moving court operations away from manual processes and toward digitally enabled ways of working.

Based in Wellington, this position plays a central role in one of the country’s most significant transformation efforts. The successful person will help keep the programme coordinated, aligned and focused on delivery outcomes, while fostering a strong culture of accountability, collaboration and high performance.

This role is well suited to someone who thrives in complex environments, is motivated by meaningful transformation, and wants to contribute to change that will have long-term impact for communities across Aotearoa New Zealand.

What you will do

• Lead coordinated delivery across several programme workstreams, keeping activity aligned to strategy, maintaining momentum, and supporting long-term benefits to be achieved.
• Develop and maintain strong, trusted working relationships with people across the Ministry, judiciary, sector agencies, suppliers and internal teams so complex issues can be navigated effectively.
• Establish the conditions for strong performance through clear programme discipline, open reporting, effective risk controls and ongoing improvement.
• Offer well-reasoned advice to senior leaders, governance groups and ministers on delivery progress, risks and options to improve results.
• Step in for the Deputy Secretary in important governance settings and contribute to decisions that influence programme direction, delivery and performance.
• Keep service design and delivery approaches centred on users, with the aim of improving access to justice and creating a better experience for people using the system.

What you will bring

• Proven experience leading large transformation programmes or other business-critical initiatives with many moving parts, competing demands and high visibility.
• A strong track record of building trust and influencing effectively at executive and board level, including across organisational boundaries.
• The ability to bring structure, focus and momentum to complicated delivery settings while balancing long-term goals with day-to-day realities.
• Experience leading high-performing multidisciplinary teams and shaping a workplace culture grounded in accountability, teamwork and continuous improvement.
• Confidence working with governance, risk and performance frameworks in large and complex organisations, ideally in the public sector or a similar environment.
• Sound judgement, resilience and the ability to make decisions confidently when the environment is uncertain and complex.
• A strong motivation to lead work that makes a meaningful difference for communities across New Zealand.

Application process

Applicants are asked to review the detailed position description and complete the online application by submitting a CV and cover letter.

This executive search is being supported by Robert Walters. Applications submitted through the Ministry of Justice or Government Jobs careers channels will be shared with Robert Walters and handled as part of the wider selection process.

For questions, contact recruitment@justice.govt.nz.