Team Manager Shared Services

Role overview

The Ministry for Primary Industries is seeking a proactive, people-centred Team Manager Shared Services to establish and lead a new team within the Food Risk Management directorate in Wellington City. This is a permanent, full-time role focused on strengthening shared business support so regulatory teams can concentrate on their core responsibilities.

What the role involves

You will provide direction across planning, reporting, project support, business analysis, and capability development. The role partners closely with directorate leaders to improve service delivery, lift operational performance, and create better ways of working through continuous improvement and digital tools.

Key accountabilities

• Build, guide, and develop a multidisciplinary shared services team supporting the Food Risk Management directorate.
• Work with leaders to deliver planning, performance reporting, and operational support across the directorate.
• Promote ongoing improvement by strengthening business analysis, refining processes, and making practical use of digital tools.
• Oversee project management practices that help key initiatives run successfully.
• Support capability-building initiatives and contribute to strategic planning, governance reporting, and organisational performance improvement.

What you will bring

We are looking for an experienced leader who can operate effectively in a complex environment, build strong teams, and maintain productive relationships with stakeholders. You should be comfortable turning information into clear, practical advice and be confident working across planning, reporting, and business improvement work.

• Demonstrated success in leading people, running operational functions, and putting business support systems and processes in place.
• Strong stakeholder engagement and relationship-building skills, with experience influencing others and earning support.
• Solid analytical thinking and problem-solving ability, including the ability to work through complex issues and recommend practical solutions.
• Experience with planning, performance reporting, and continuous improvement activity.
• Clear communication and presentation skills, with the ability to adapt messages for different audiences.
• Understanding of regulatory and public sector settings, ideally with awareness of food safety or related regulatory systems.

Team context

This role sits under the Manager Food Act Operations within the Food Risk Management directorate of New Zealand Food Safety. The directorate is responsible for setting standards for food production, processing, importing, and exporting, identifying emerging food safety risks, and supporting an agile food compliance and response system.

The Shared Services team is made up of eight people, including analysts, advisers, and service designers, who support verifiers, evaluators, and other internal and external stakeholders across the Food Act, Animal Products Act, and Wine Act. The team is based mainly in Wellington and is described as energetic, positive, friendly, and collaborative.

Benefits

• Extra leave days provided by MPI.
• Option to buy additional annual leave.
• Annual wellness payment.

Additional information

MPI is committed to partnership under Te Tiriti o Waitangi and works closely with iwi, hapū, whānau, and hāpori. The organisation welcomes applicants from all backgrounds and identities and aims to be a great place to work for everyone.

Applicants are asked to include information in their cover letter about their values, motivation for the role, relevant strengths, personal attributes, and the different perspectives they would bring, including experience gained outside the workforce.

The successful applicant must have the right to work in New Zealand or be eligible to obtain it.

Applications close at 11:59pm on Sunday 19 July 2026. For questions about the role, contact Abby.Walker@mpi.govt.nz.

The job advert also references the MPI Careers site and social media channels.

Salary

The salary range for this position is General Salary Range C: NZD 119,376 to NZD 139,700, depending on skills and experience.

Employer overview

The Ministry for Primary Industries partners with New Zealand's food and fibre sector to support its position as a trusted provider of high-value food and fibre products.