Head of Stakeholder Partnering and Management

• Shape WorkSafe’s enterprise-wide stakeholder partnering strategy 
• Build a purposeful, coordinated approach to engagement across Aotearoa 
• Permanent senior leadership role based in Auckland or Wellington

About Us
He aha te mea nui o tēnei ao? He tangata, he tangata, he tangata.
Hello, Kia ora, Noa’ia, Talofa lava, Mauri, Mālō e lelei, Tālofa, Ni Sa Bula Vinaka, Fakaalofa lahi atu, Mālō ni, Kia orana, nǐ hǎo, Kamusta.

WorkSafe New Zealand | Mahi Haumaru Aotearoa is the primary workplace health and safety regulator. Our vision is that everyone who goes to mahi comes home healthy and safe. We live by our values:

• Whakakotahi – we are united in a strong purpose
• Kōrero mai – we engage meaningfully
• Tiakina mai – we are entrusted with a duty of care

About your team / Ko te tīma
Enterprise Planning and Implementation is a new group established at WorkSafe to strengthen planning, coordination and implementation across the organisation, particularly to improve how work is prioritised, sequenced and supported through to delivery.

Stakeholder Partnering and Management brings together segment relationship leadership, Māori relationships and stakeholder management capability. The function will help WorkSafe engage more deliberately across the health and safety system, connect enterprise direction with regional activity, and make better use of partnerships to extend its reach.

You will lead six direct reports in a function at an early stage of maturity. While some foundations are in place, there is considerable scope to shape the team, clarify how its different capabilities work together, and establish an approach that can evolve with WorkSafe’s needs.


About the role / Ō te tūranga
As Head of Stakeholder Partnering and Management, you will set WorkSafe’s enterprise-wide direction for stakeholder partnering, including how relationships are segmented, prioritised and supported.

Your initial focus will be on establishing practical ways of working between central and regional teams and helping leaders and kaimahi move towards a more structured and purposeful approach. This will require strong influence and change leadership, particularly as you balance greater organisational coordination with the need for people to maintain effective everyday engagement.

Rather than personally owning every relationship, you will create the frameworks, partnerships and organisational capability that enable others to engage effectively. You will provide oversight and direct support for high-risk, sensitive or complex relationships, and work with key partners to extend WorkSafe’s influence through their networks and channels.


What You’ll Do / Ko tōu ake mahi

• Set WorkSafe’s enterprise-wide stakeholder partnering strategy 
• Establish segmentation, prioritisation, frameworks and guidance 
• Design clear ways of working across central and regional teams 
• Coordinate engagement to reduce duplication and conflicting approaches 
• Lead change towards purposeful, disciplined stakeholder partnering 
• Oversee high-risk, sensitive and complex stakeholder relationships 
• Use stakeholder insights to strengthen planning and improvement 
• Lead, coach and develop a cohesive stakeholder partnering function 

What You’ll Bring / Ko ngā pukenga ōu

• Enterprise-level leadership of stakeholder partnering or engagement 
• Experience embedding segmentation, prioritisation and partnering approaches 
• Strong influence and change leadership in a complex environment 
• A structured, methodical approach to building new capability 
• Experience managing sensitive relationships with competing interests 
• Strong people leadership, coaching and capability-building skills 

Experience in a regulatory, public sector or safety-critical environment is desirable, as is experience engaging with Māori and diverse communities in a way that reflects Te Tiriti o Waitangi principles. Detailed health and safety regulatory expertise is not required, although an understanding of regulatory environments would be useful. 

Nāu te rourou, nāku te rourou, ka ora ai te iwi. 


Salary range / Awhe utu
The expected appointment base salary for this role is $229,219. KiwiSaver or SSRSS employer contributions are additional.
From 1 April 2026, our KiwiSaver employer contribution increased to 3.5%.
We offer a range of benefits including:

• Free life insurance for the duration of your employment
• Health insurance and eyecare discounts
• $400 home workstation contribution
• Five weeks’ annual leave
• 15 days’ sick leave
• A Reward and Recognition Framework that celebrates the impact our kaimahi make
• Professional development opportunities
• Employee-led networks supporting our diverse communities 

Location
Auckland or Wellington is preferred. The role requires regular travel and a willingness to invest time in building relationships across WorkSafe and with stakeholders throughout Aotearoa.


How to apply / Me pēhea te tono
While we are recruiting for the permanent position we are also looking for someone to step into a 3 month secondment (internal or interagency). As part of your application please let us know if you are interested in an acting opportunity.

Click Apply and upload your CV and cover letter.

AI can be a helpful tool when preparing your application, but what matters most to us is you. Please ensure your CV, cover letter and responses reflect your own skills, experiences and perspective. We want to hear your real story, your passion, your personality and what makes you unique. Don’t let AI do all the talking. Let it support you, not replace you.

WorkSafe Mahi Haumaru is an equal opportunity employer. We value diversity and actively welcome applicants from all backgrounds, including people with disabilities and those who are neurodivergent. 

We believe different perspectives strengthen our mahi and help create an inclusive environment where everyone can thrive.

If you encounter accessibility barriers in completing the application or require adjustments or support to ensure the recruitment process is accessible to you, contact worksafe@inside.co.nz for a confidential kōrero. 

This vacancy has been established as part of changes to WorkSafe's organisational structure after a review of WorkSafe's operating model identified opportunities to improve role clarity, ways of working and organisational effectiveness. As part of these changes, WorkSafe has established a number of new roles to ensure we are well placed to meet expectations now and in the future.


Applications close: 5pm, 17th September, 2026.