Lead one of Aotearoa New Zealand's most significant post-settlement organisations through its next phase of strategic evolution and iwi impact.
TE MATARAE | CHIEF EXECUTIVE
Te Ohu Kaimoana | Te Whanganui-a-Tara
Te Ohu Kaimoana is the organisation established to protect and advance Maori interests in fisheries, aquaculture, and the wider marine environment following the Maori Fisheries Settlement. It is the successor to the Treaty of Waitangi Fisheries Commission and was established under the Maori Fisheries Act 2004.
Working alongside 58 Mandated Iwi Organisations, we support iwi priorities through leadership, advocacy, expertise and innovation, helping to protect and enhance settlement assets and opportunities for current and future generations.
As the Māori fisheries settlement landscape continues to evolve, Te Ohu Kaimoana is entering an important new phase. Recent legislative change, shifting governance arrangements and increasing expectations from iwi require a clear strategic direction, strong organisational alignment and confident leadership focused on long-term outcomes.
He angitūtanga | The opportunity
Reporting to the Board of Directors, Te Mātārae’s central focus of the role will be ensuring Te Ohu Kaimoana continues to deliver meaningful value for iwi while strengthening its contribution within an evolving settlement landscape.
Success in this role will require more than executive leadership. It will require the ability to work alongside the Board to develop strategy, build alignment across a complex stakeholder environment and lead the organisation in delivering agreed priorities. You will ensure organisational resources, capability, systems and culture are aligned to strategy and positioned to achieve enduring impact.
You will lead through influence, building trusted relationships across iwi, settlement entities, government agencies and industry stakeholders. You will bring people together around shared aspirations, navigate competing perspectives and help drive collective progress across a complex and interconnected system.
You will also play an important role in protecting and enhancing Treaty settlement outcomes, supporting iwi aspirations, contributing to policy and advocacy activity, and ensuring Te Ohu Kaimoana continues to be a respected and trusted voice across the fisheries and aquaculture sectors.
He kōrero mōu ake | About you
You will be a highly regarded senior executive with proven experience working alongside Boards to shape organisational strategy and a track record of successfully delivering that strategy within complex organisations, systems and stakeholder environments.
You understand how to build productive governance relationships, provide high-quality strategic advice and help Boards navigate periods of change, complexity and opportunity. Equally, you have demonstrated success translating strategic priorities into organisational action, aligning people, resources and capability to achieve measurable outcomes.
We are particularly interested in leaders who bring strong experience within Treaty settlement, post-settlement or iwi governance environments. You will understand the opportunities and challenges that arise as settlement entities evolve over time and have a demonstrated ability to balance strategic, political, commercial and cultural considerations to achieve durable outcomes.
You will bring: