Chief People Officer at The Audit Office, Wellington - Wairarapa

Mō tēnei tūranga mahi | About this role

The Controller and Auditor-General aims to improve trust and confidence in public services by giving New Zealanders an independent view of government spending and performance. As the statutory auditor of all public organisations, from councils to schools, The Audit Office's work plays a major part in ensuring that our public sector remains one of the most trusted in the world.

We're looking for an experienced people leader to join the Audit Office as our Chief People Officer.

This is a significant leadership opportunity for someone who is passionate about creating an environment where people can grow, succeed, and contribute their best. You'll bring a strong track record of delivering results and building trusted relationships across an organisation.

As Chief People Officer, you'll lead and shape our people strategy, workforce and leadership capability, organisational design, and people systems to support the delivery of our strategic objectives.

Working closely with the Assistant Auditor-General, Enablement, you'll be a trusted advisor to the Auditor-General and Senior Leadership Team, helping drive enterprise-wide decision-making and strengthen organisational performance, leadership, and culture.

In this role, you'll:

• lead and develop a high-performing People and Capability function;
• partner with leaders to deliver people initiatives that support organisational success;
• shape and implement a future-focused People Strategy;
• align workforce planning with organisational priorities and capability needs;
• foster inclusive leadership, wellbeing, and a high-performing culture;
• ensure people policies, frameworks and practices remain fit for purpose; and
• build influential relationships across the public sector and key stakeholder groups.

To succeed in this role, you'll be an open, collaborative, and credible leader who understands that effective people leadership is grounded in trust, empathy, sound judgment, and a genuine commitment to helping others succeed.

You'll bring:

• proven experience leading and developing high-performing teams;
• significant experience in senior People and Capability or HR leadership roles;
• a strong understanding of the public sector environment;
• experience developing and implementing successful people, culture, and organisational development strategies;
• credibility to provide trusted advice to senior and executive leaders;
• the ability to adapt your approach to different leaders, teams and organisational needs; and
• strong knowledge of employment-related legislation and employee relations practice.

This is a unique opportunity for a people leader who builds trust, fosters growth, and partners with others to deliver meaningful outcomes.

We offer our staff:

• Ongoing learning and professional development opportunities.
• Supportive hybrid working arrangements (flexible hours/days).
• Health and well-being benefits.

Read more – including about staff networks, annual leave, and family benefits – on our website:  ao.parliament.nz/about-us/careers/benefits-for-employees

What we stand for

People matter | Our independence is critical | We act with integrity and courage | We're here to make a difference

We have a diverse and inclusive team that helps us understand the issues faced by the public sector and how these impact the lives of New Zealanders. We warmly welcome applicants from all backgrounds. If you have any support or access requirements, we encourage you to inform us when applying so we can assist you throughout the recruitment process.

For more information, please email recruitment@ao.parliament.nz.

We value originality and effort. Although AI can be helpful in some circumstances, we require you to submit a cover letter and CV that reflects your own voice and experiences.

Applications close 5pm, 7 September 2026.

Note: You must apply online through jobs.govt.nz (you'll find the application form and position description there, too).

If you are experiencing issues logging into jobs.govt.nz please email jobsiteadministrator@dia.govt.nz