04th November, 2025
Fire and Emergency New Zealand (FENZ) is a Crown Entity responsible for reducing unwanted fires, responding to structural and vegetation fires and other emergencies including motor vehicle crashes, medical emergencies, hazardous substance related incidents, natural disasters, and supporting increased community resilience.
Our vision is to build stronger communities and protect what matters most to the people within them.
We are seeking a senior leader to join our Executive Leadership Team as Deputy Chief Executive – Prevention, guiding our organisation’s proactive approach to reducing fire risk and related harm across Aotearoa. This is a key, future-focused position responsible for shaping and leading Fire and Emergency’s prevention strategy. You’ll drive innovation and excellence across education, regulation, technical expertise, and community partnerships, embedding prevention at the core of everything we do.
As Deputy Chief Executive – Prevention, you will:
- Lead a nationally unified approach to fire prevention, ensuring consistent and effective delivery of prevention services across the country.
- Shape and enhance frameworks, policies, and systems that underpin Fire and Emergency’s prevention and regulatory functions.
- Integrate prevention intelligence into strategic and operational planning across all levels of the organisation.
- Provide strategic oversight of regulatory-related policy and readiness across branches.
- Work and partner with iwi and other relevant community groups to build resilience for communities at most risk.
- Embed prevention-focused strategies that empower our people, paid and volunteer, to make meaningful contributions to community safety.
We are seeking an experienced senior executive who has operated at a Deputy Chief Executive level and can demonstrate a successful track record in leading and shaping regulatory frameworks within a large complex organisation.
You will demonstrate a depth of understanding and insight into regulatory strategy, prevention, and governance with a strong understanding of emergency management principles.
Your track-record of building high performing teams and influencing across diverse sectors will see you recognised as a credible and resilient leader, and you will bring clarity, and confidence when guiding others through complex or sensitive situations that reflects a commitment to prevention.
This is an exciting executive opportunity to help shape the future direction of Fire and Emergency New Zealand by embedding prevention at the heart of our work and strengthening community safety and resilience across the country.
This search is being managed by Rothley Partners on behalf of Fire and Emergency New Zealand.
For a candidate information pack, please email info@rothley.co.nz.
To have a conversation in confidence, please contact Marc Schmid on 021 102 6192 or Kirsty Brown on 021 660 757 or apply through Seek with a cover letter and CV.
Applications close at 5.00PM on Sunday 30 November.
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