Manager Commercial and Sectors

Discover a career with purpose at MBIE

• Help shape New Zealand’s economic future - Join a busy and passionate leadership team 
• Lead a diverse, high-value portfolio and make an impact through leadership and influence
• Take on genuinely challenging and varied work
• Full-time, permanent role based in Wellington CBD
• Salary: $132,417 to $160,472 +KiwiSaver +Wellness benefits

Standards New Zealand is seeking an accomplished commercial leader for a demanding, challenging and highly varied and rewarding role at the heart of New Zealand’s standards system and quality and economic infrastructure.

As New Zealand’s internationally recognised national standards body, Standards New Zealand develops, adopts, publishes and provides access to standards that support safety, quality, productivity, innovation, trade, competition, market access, consumer protection and regulatory compliance outcomes. This role offers the opportunity to strengthen the commercial sustainability and public value of an organisation whose work contributes directly to New Zealand’s economic growth, and societal safety and wellbeing. 

The Manager Commercial and Sectors is a key and influential member of the Standards New Zealand leadership team. This is not a conventional people-management position. It combines strategic and commercial leadership with substantial hands-on delivery, independent commercial judgement and responsibility for a broad portfolio of commercially and institutionally significant work.

Why this role matters

• Contribute to New Zealand’s economic infrastructure and growth, standards support productivity, innovation, competition, regulatory systems, trade, and access to domestic and international markets.
• Shape the commercial future of Standards New Zealand, including pricing, revenue, products, licensing, international participation, intellectual-property protection and emerging digital and AI access models.
• Exercise genuine influence, representing Standards New Zealand with senior clients, regulators, government agencies, industry organisations and international standards partners.
• Lead a small specialist internal team, while coordinating approximately a dozen Ministry shared-service providers and managing a significant portfolio of external client and partner relationships.
• Help lead the business, bringing commercial, market, sector and international perspectives to strategy, business planning, risk management, pricing, business development, contract negotiations, and organisational decision-making.

About the Role - Tēnei tūranga:

You will:

• lead commercial strategy, pricing, revenue activity, and business development activities;
• oversee copyright, licensing, subscriptions, intellectual-property protection and new standards-access arrangements;
• negotiate and manage proposals, contracts, partnerships, sponsorships, memoranda of understanding and commercial agreements;
  lead strategic client, sector and account relationships across government, regulatory, industry and commercial markets;
• oversee New Zealand’s participation in international standardisation and maintain relationships, with organisations including international standards bodies, Standards Australia and Pacific partners, via a Senior Advisor International Engagement within your team;
• lead or support significant commissioned programmes, special projects and emerging-technology initiatives, via a Senior Advisor within your team;
• coordinate delivery through Ministry shared services provision, covering legal, finance, procurement, communications, marketing, customer services and digital channels; and
• coach and lead a capable specialist team (5 direct reports) while maintaining accountability, wellbeing, responsiveness and a strong delivery culture;
• contribute to business strategy, risk management, and service delivery as part of Standards New Zealand’s leadership team.

Ngā pukenga me ngā wheako e hiahiatia ana -

Skills and Experience Required
 

We are looking for someone with strong commercial acumen and demonstrated expertise in stakeholder engagement, relationship and account management, commercial negotiation, pricing, products and services, contracts and business development. You will possess sound judgement, resilience, excellent communication and influencing skills, and the ability to maintain momentum across competing priorities, constrained resources and complex delivery dependencies. You won’t be afraid to roll your sleeves up and do the doing, each and every day. 

Knowledge and experience of standardisation, conformity assessment, intellectual property, licensing or the wider quality infrastructure would be a significant advantage but is not essential. More important is your ability to learn quickly, build trust and credibility, solve difficult problems and bring commercial discipline, energy and practical leadership to work that creates enduring value for New Zealand.

This is challenging work, varied work and critically important work, in tough economic conditions. It is a great opportunity to help shape how standards contribute to New Zealand’s economy, society and future prosperity.

Please refer to the following online information:  Home: Standards New Zealand

About MBIE - Ētahi kōrero mō MBIE:

MBIE's goal is to create a resilient and high-performing economy that delivers real and ongoing quality of life for all New Zealanders.

We do this by working with others to create an environment that supports businesses to be more productive and internationally competitive, enables all New Zealanders to participate in the economy through improved job opportunities and by working to ensure quality housing is more affordable.

People are at the heart of our mahi, our way of working is guided by our values which shape our behaviours.

• Mahi Tahi – Better Together
• Māia – Bold and brave
• Pae Kahurangi – Build our Future
• Pono Me Te Tika – Own It

Our aspirations are echoed in our Māori identity – Hīkina Whakatutuki – which broadly means ‘lifting to make successful'.

MBIE recognises the partnership founded under Te Tiriti o Waitangi between Māori and the Crown and is committed to giving effect to Te Tiriti o Waitangi. We will do this through enduring, meaningful and effective partnerships with iwi, Māori, other Māori groups/organisations and the Crown, as this is critical to enable economic and social development, both for Māori and for wider Aotearoa New Zealand. We are committed to continuing to partner with iwi in order to find new sustainable solutions to address long standing systemic and cross-cutting issues facing Māori and wider Aotearoa New Zealand and we are also committed to identifying opportunities for iwi to lead and creating an enabling environment for iwi to leverage these opportunities.

E mōhio ana a Hīkina Whakatutuki i puea ake te kōtuinga I waenganui i a ngāi Māori me te Karauna i Te Tiriti o Waitangi, ā, kei te whai ia ki te whakaū ake i Te Tiriti o Waitangi. Mā te whai kiko o ngā kōtuinga ahunga roa o ngā iwi, o ngāi Māori, me ētahi atu rōpū Māori ki te Karauna, ka tutuki tēnei. He āhuatanga nui tēnei e āhei ai ngā mahi whanaketanga ā-ohanga, ā-pāpori hoki ki a ngāi Māori me Aotearoa whānui. E whai tonu ana mātou ki te kōtui atu ki ngā iwi mō te rapu huarahi hou ki te whakaara i ngā kaupapa kua roa nei e tāmi ana i a ngāi Māori me Aotearoa whānui, ā, e whai ana hoki ki te tautohu i ngā āheinga kōkiritanga mā ngā iwi, me te tautoko i ngā iwi kia whai mana ake ai ēnei āheinga.

How to Apply - Me pēhea te tono:

Click here to view a position description.  When you are ready to apply please send a CV and cover letter telling us why you're the perfect fit for this role. All applications must be submitted via our online process.

Email Sarah Hutcheson at sarah.hutcheson@mbie.govt.nz quoting ref MBIE/20197 if you have any further questions.

Applications close on Monday 19th October 2026 at 5pm