Commercial Manager at Ministry for Primary Industries, Wellington City
Mō tēnei tūranga mahi | About this role
Commercial Manager
Role type: Permanent, Full-time
Location: Wellington
Salary band & range: General Salary Procurement Band C: $128,944 to $150,943 depending on skills and experience
About the Role - Kōrero mō te Tūranga
This is an exciting newly created opportunity to lead the commercial strategy and oversight of complex, high-risk contracts across Te Uru Rākau – New Zealand Forest Service.
You'll play a key role in shaping how we partner with strategic suppliers—driving value, strengthening performance, and ensuring our commercial practices are fit for purpose. Working closely with senior leaders, you'll provide trusted advice, bring clarity to complexity, and help lift commercial capability across the organisation.
Key responsibilities include:
- Leading commercial oversight of high-value, complex contracts, including IT and research partnerships
- Driving negotiations for complex contracts and variations to achieve strong commercial outcomes
- Providing expert advice on contract structures, pricing models, and performance frameworks
- Advising leaders on contract performance, risk, and supplier strategy to support informed decision-making
- Strengthening assurance, reporting, and portfolio-level visibility across contracts
- Building capability by coaching others and embedding commercial best practice
About You - Mōu
You're an experienced commercial professional who enjoys shaping outcomes through strong relationships, clear advice, and sound judgement. You're comfortable working at pace and influencing at senior levels, while staying across detail.
You will bring:
- Significant experience leading complex, high-value contract and supplier portfolios in a large or complex environment
- Proven ability to lead negotiations and drive strong supplier performance and value
- Strong relationship management skills, with the confidence to influence, challenge constructively, and build trust across all levels
- Well-developed commercial judgement, financial acumen, and a sharp eye for detail
- A passion for lifting capability, with experience coaching others and embedding best practice
- The confidence and credibility to advise senior leaders, while balancing competing priorities and navigating ambiguity
If you're looking for a role where you can make a real impact and shape how we deliver value across Te Uru Rākau, we'd love to hear from you.
You do not need to meet all of the role requirements to apply. We offer a breadth of development and learning opportunities and will welcome an application if you think you could make a great fit.
Credit check - Tirotiro nama
Please note, given this position is identified as carrying financial risk, the preferred candidate(s) will be required to satisfactorily pass a credit check.
About the Team - Mō tō mātou Rōpū
You'll join the Strategy, Enablement and Māori Partnership directorate within Te Uru Rākau – New Zealand Forest Service. The team works collaboratively across Wellington and beyond, partnering closely with contract owners, leaders, and procurement specialists. The mahi supports strong stewardship of public funds and delivery of forestry outcomes that benefit Aotearoa now and into the future.
About MPI - Mō te Manatū Ahu Matua
Our role includes seizing export opportunities for our food and fibre sector, improving sector productivity, ensuring the food we produce is safe, increasing sustainable resource use, and protecting New Zealand from biological risk.
Benefits of working at MPI - Ngā hua o te mahi i te Manatū Ahu Matua
- Additional MPI leave days
- Ability to purchase extra annual leave
- Annual Wellness payment
Are you ready to make a difference? - Kua rite koe mō tēnei mahi whaitake?
We are committed to being a good partner under Te Tiriti o Waitangi which includes working closely with iwi, hapū, whānau and hāpori.
We aspire to reflect the diverse communities we serve, so we welcome applications from individuals of all backgrounds, and identities. As an organisation, we are committed to making Manatū Ahu Matua Ministry for Primary Industries a great place to work for all.
In your cover letter we'd like to know about you, your values; your interest and motivations for this role; the abilities, strengths, personal attributes, and diverse perspectives you will bring to the role and this organisation, which may have also been gained outside of the workforce.
To view the position description and/or apply online, please click “APPLY FOR THIS JOB” or visit the MPI Careers Site. To apply, you must hold the right to work in New Zealand or be eligible to obtain it – click here to find out more about work visa eligibility and options.
Applications close at midnight at 11.59pm on Sunday 31 May.
If you have any questions about the role, please email Jenna.McNally@mpi.govt.nz
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Ngā taipitopito tūranga mahi | Job details
| Employer: | Ministry for Primary Industries |
| Location: | Wellington City |
| Position type: | Permanent |
| Category: | Project/Procurement/Risk Assurance |
| Date listed: | 15-May-2026 |
| Salary range: | 128,944 - 150,943 |
| Closing date: | 31-May-2026 |
| Reference: | NZ/1916262 |
| Attachment: | Commercial Manager PD Jan 26.docx (Word, 155KB) Job Specification |
| File links: | |
| Website: |
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