Chief of Staff, Turitea
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Te Kunenga ki Pūrehuroa Massey University

Chief of Staff

  • Posted 2w ago
  • On Site
  • Full Time

Massey University, Turitea

Job Description

Job Title: Chief of Staff

Department: Vice Chancellors Office

Location: Manawatū campus, Palmerston North

Term: Permanent – ongoing


Te Kunenga ki Pūrehuroa Massey University is entering an ambitious new era. Our Strategy 2026–2030 - People. Place. Possibility. Tangata. Whenua. Pūrehuroa. - sets a clear course for Massey to become Aotearoa New Zealand’s most applied and connected university, globally recognised for impact and innovation.


As we move from consolidation to growth, we are sharpening our institutional focus, investing in our distinctive strengths and building the leadership, culture and organisational capability required to turn ambition into sustained impact.


We are seeking an exceptional Chief of Staff to work alongside the Vice-Chancellor and Executive Leadership Team during this pivotal period in Massey’s evolution.


Mō tēnei tūranga mahi | About this role

Reporting directly to the Vice-Chancellor, the Chief of Staff is a highly influential enterprise

leadership role at the centre of Massey’s strategy, governance and executive decision making. The mandate extends well beyond executive coordination. You will lead the integration of strategy, planning, institutional performance, governance, risk and assurance, ensuring Massey has the organisational disciplines, intelligence and alignment needed to deliver its strategic ambitions.


As a member of the Executive Leadership Team, you will help shape University-wide priorities, strengthen collective performance and ensure resources, decisions and activity remain focused on the outcomes that matter most.


You will:

  • lead Massey’s strategy, planning, governance, risk and assurance functions;
  • translate the University’s strategic direction into clear priorities, performance
  • measures and coordinated execution;
  • strengthen the effectiveness of the Vice-Chancellor, Executive Leadership Team
  • and University Council;
  • provide trusted, independent advice on complex, sensitive and high-profile
  • matters;
  • connect strategic planning, performance, risk and assurance to support timely,
  • evidence-informed decisions;
  • lead cross-University priorities and strategic initiatives on behalf of the ViceChancellor;
  • strengthen accountability, organisational resilience and continuous improvement;
  • build influential relationships with government, iwi, sector, industry and
  • community partners; and
  • represent the Vice-Chancellor and University internally, nationally and
  • internationally as required.
  • You will also provide executive leadership to Strategy and Planning, Governance, Risk and
  • Assurance, and the Vice-Chancellor’s Office.


Ko wai koe | About you

You will be an accomplished senior leader with the judgement, credibility and enterprise

perspective to operate confidently alongside a Vice-Chancellor, governing Council and

Executive Leadership Team.


You will bring:

  • significant leadership experience within higher education;
  • demonstrated success leading strategy, governance, organisational performance,
  • risk, assurance or related enterprise functions;
  • experience translating strategy into measurable institutional priorities and
  • outcomes;
  • sophisticated political judgement and the ability to navigate ambiguity, competing
  • interests and sensitive issues;
  • experience advising chief executives, boards, councils or senior leadership teams;
  • the ability to connect people and functions around a shared institutional purpose;
  • strong commercial, organisational and public-sector acumen;
  • exceptional communication, relationship and influencing capability; and
  • an authentic commitment to Te Tiriti o Waitangi and to advancing equitable
  • outcomes for Māori.


He aha te mea nui o tēnei ao? | Why Massey?

Massey’s new strategy connects people, place and possibility to advance knowledge of the living systems that sustain Aotearoa and the world.


It creates significant opportunities to strengthen lifelong learning, translate research into

impact, build deeper partnerships, re-energise our campuses and harness digital, AI and data capability. Underpinning these ambitions is a commitment to becoming a trusted, sustainable and high-performing university that delivers on its promises.

As Chief of Staff, you will help build the institutional architecture that makes this possible.


This is an opportunity to influence not only how a major university operates, but how its

knowledge, people and partnerships contribute to New Zealand’s prosperity, productivity and quality of life.


If you are motivated by purpose, complexity and the opportunity to turn strategy into enduring institutional impact, we invite you to join us.

Discover Massey University’s Strategy 2026–2030.

Desired Hard Skills

  • Data Collection
  • Data Processing
  • Health & Research
  • MS Office

Desired Soft Skills

  • Coordination
  • Communication
  • Time Management

Culture

  • 🌈 Rainbow Tick
  • 🧠 Neurodiverse
  • 💰 Wage Equality
  • 🏃 Women Leadership
  • 🤝 Unionisation
  • 🌐 INZ Accredited Employer
View All

Job Schedule

  • Monday to Friday

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