Chief People Officer

About This Role

This Chief People Officer role leads the Ministry's people and workforce strategy during a period of significant change, including rising expectations, fiscal pressure, rapid technological advancements, and major transformation across courts and justice services. The position requires an enterprise leader who can provide a clear people perspective on key decisions and translate strategy into sustained action across the organization.

Responsibilities

• Set the strategic direction for People Experience
• Lead the development, delivery, and review of the Ministry's people and workforce strategies
• Ensure workforce priorities anticipate future needs and enable technology-led and operating-model change, including Te Au Reka and Te Pae Tāwhiti
• Provide strategic challenge and trusted, evidence-informed advice on organizational performance, workforce opportunities, and emerging people risks
• Anticipate future workforce, leadership, and capability needs
• Shape the workforce response to transformation and new ways of working
• Embed workforce insight, forecasting, and evidence in enterprise decisions
• Deliver connected, responsive, and high-quality people services
• Provide authoritative leadership on employment relations, organizational change, and complex people matters
• Build a high-performing leadership team and a culture of accountability, inclusion, and continuous improvement

Requirements

• Strong record of setting and delivering enterprise people and workforce strategies
• Experience translating organizational strategy into clear workforce, leadership, and capability priorities
• Success leading a broad people function that combines strategic influence with trusted operational delivery
• Deep expertise in employment relations, organizational change, and contemporary people practice
• Ability to turn workforce data and insight into sound enterprise decisions
• Strong understanding of the machinery of government and the wider public sector environment
• Judgment, courage, and credibility to influence chief executives, executive teams, and senior leaders
• Record of building high-performing leadership teams and achieving results through others
• Commitment to Te Tiriti o Waitangi, strengthening cultural capability and inclusion, and creating an environment where people can thrive

Important Details

• Application deadline: Sunday 15 November 2026

Application Process

• Submit your CV and cover letter
• Applications will be reviewed as they arrive, and candidates may be invited to interview before the closing date

About the Company

At Te Tāhū o te Ture—the Ministry of Justice—the work strengthens people's trust in the law of Aotearoa New Zealand. Its People Experience team builds the systems, leadership, and workplace practices that enable its people to deliver accessible, effective justice services.