Team Lead Leadership Capability

• Help uplift leadership capability to better care for Te Taiao and our people.

• Salary range between $109,160 - $143,000 depending on skills and experience.

• Permanent role, flexible location.

Our vision: Nature is thriving in Aotearoa | Te Oranga o te Ao Tūroa

The Department of Conservation Te Papa Atawhai (DOC) serves to protect and restore nature across Aotearoa. When nature thrives, we all thrive.

Ko tā Te Papa Atawhai he tiaki, he whakarauora anō hoki i te taiao puta noa i Aotearoa. He oranga taiao, he oranga tangata.

Mō te tūranga | About the role

We’re looking for a collaborative, people-centred leader to guide our Leadership Capability team and help shape DOC’s leadership approach for the future.

This role brings together big-picture thinking and practical delivery. You’ll lead a team of specialists, design and delivery high-impact leadership programmes, and partner closely with senior leaders across DOC. Through this work you’ll help grow the skills and confidence of our leaders, so they can lead well, manage effectively, live our values and make a real impact for their people and conservation.

The position will focus on:

• Leading and developing a high-performing Leadership Capability team.

• Designing and delivering leadership programmes that make a real difference.

• Influencing and advising senior leaders on current and future leadership capability needs.

• Building strong partnerships across DOC and the Public Service.

• Embedding evaluation and continuous improvement.

• Supporting meaningful Treaty partnerships in all leadership mahi.

• Actively contributing to the leadership of the wider Capability and Culture team.

Click here for Role Description

Ngā pūkenga me ngā wheako | Skills and experience

If you have some of following, we are keen to hear from you:

• Experience leading people and managing high-performing teams.

• A background designing and delivering leadership development programmes.

• Strong relationship management and stakeholder engagement skills.

• The ability to influence, advise, and work credibly with senior leaders.

• Confidence working with evaluation, data, and insights.

• Understanding of Te Tiriti o Waitangi and the Māori-Crown relationship.

Desirable:

• Public sector experience.

• Experience leading distributed teams.

Even if you don’t tick all the boxes but believe your skills and experience closely align, then we still encourage you to apply.

Mō te tīma | About the team

You’ll join our Capability and Culture team within the People and Culture Directorate.  We’re a friendly, purposeful team who care deeply about helping our kaimahi grow and thrive. As a relatively new team, bringing capability, culture, learning, and organisational development together, we work collaboratively and partner closely with groups across DOC to make a positive, organisation-wide impact.

Capability and Culture, including the Leadership Capability team, is geographically distributed across Aotearoa. This role involves regular domestic travel, both to work effectively with a distributed team and to deliver leadership programmes across DOC.

He aha ngā pāinga mōu? | What’s in it for you?

DOC places importance on developing a culture where everyone can participate, thrive, and grow.  We’re working towards being an organisation that is diverse, equitable and inclusive by default.  You can learn more about what we offer here.

We support flexible work arrangements for our kaimahi who are working in a wide variety of roles and locations across Aotearoa. Flexible options will be considered based on your role and in discussion with your leader.

Tonoa inaiānei | Apply now

Apply online with a CV and cover letter that highlights your relevant skills, experience and motivation for joining Te Papa Atawhai. Please note we are unable to accept direct or emailed applications and provide feedback to those not shortlisted.

If you require any accommodations or adjustments during the recruitment process, please let us know.

The salary range for this position is $109,160 - $143,000 with the starting salary of the successful applicant being based on their relevant skills and experience.

Eligibility to work in New Zealand is mandatory – this includes holding a valid work visa that covers the whole period of employment.

Please note that we are not engaging with recruitment agencies for this role. 

Rā whakakapi | Applications close at 11:59 pm on Monday, 16 February 2026.

Depending on the volume of applications received, we may close this advertisement early, so please submit your application as soon as possible.

Me he pātai anō, whakapā mai | For further enquiries, please contact Aleena Antony, Senior Recruitment Advisor at aantony@doc.govt.nz.