Board appointments

MBIE manages board appointment processes for a large number of Crown entities, Crown entity companies, statutory bodies and advisory boards on behalf of responsible Ministers.

Recruiting to fill board vacancies

Chair and board member vacancies are generally advertised on MBIE's website.

Current board vacancies

MBIE communicates with you at each stage of the recruitment process, and lets you know if you have been shortlisted by the responsible Minister.

Email MBIE if you:

have a problem submitting your application
do not receive confirmation that your application has been received
want to withdraw your application after it has been submitted
have a question about the recruitment process.

Email MBIE about board appointments

Public sector boards perform important governance functions, which means the recruitment process usually takes longer than a standard job vacancy.

MBIE board applicant customer journey [PDF, 436 KB]

How to register for a board role

MBIE usually lets nominating agencies know when it has a board vacancy. This is another way you may find out there is a suitable board vacancy.

You can register with any of the following nominating agencies:

Registering with a nominating agency will not necessarily mean that your name is put forward for a board vacancy. Agencies only nominate candidates who they consider meet the specific requirements of the role.

You can also register with The Treasury, but they do not offer a nominations service.

Board appointments(external link) — The Treasury

Pre-application checks

Before applying for a board role check that you:

have the appropriate skills and experience
meet the requirements set out in the position description
have time to carry out the role's duties, such as board meetings and meeting preparation, on top of your other commitments (most board roles are part-time, but some are full-time)
are aware of the individual and collective responsibilities expected from board members, for example:
- Code of Conduct for Crown entity board members(external link) — Te Kawa Mataaho Public Service Commission
- Code of Conduct for the Directors of Public Finance Act 1989 Schedule 4A Companies(external link) — Te Kawa Mataaho Public Service Commission

Anyone can apply for a board role, unless they:

are disqualified under section 30 of the Crown Entities Act 2004 for Crown entity boards or section 151(2) of the Companies Act 1993 for companies, or
are a public servant from a core government department applying for a role on a Crown board, although Ministers may exercise discretion to allow appointments (see Cabinet Office circular CO(02) 5), or
do not have the legal right to work in New Zealand.

Section 30 of the Crown Entities Act 2004(external link) — New Zealand Legislation

Section 151(2) of the Companies Act 1993(external link) — New Zealand Legislation

Cabinet Office circular CO(02) 5(external link) — Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet (DPMC)

Appointment and reappointment

Appointment decisions are made by the responsible Minister or by the Governor-General on the responsible Minister’s recommendation.

If appointed, you will not be in an employment relationship with either MBIE or the entity whose board you have been appointed to.

Reappointment

Before the end of your term, you should let the board Chair and the Board Appointments and Governance team know if you are open to being reappointed for another term.

You should not necessarily expect to be reappointed. In some cases, legislation sets out the maximum amount of time a board member can serve. The Minister has to decide that there are sound reasons for your reappointment.

Board member fees

Your board member fees will be paid in accordance with either:

the Cabinet Fees Framework set out in Cabinet Circular CO (22)2, or
fees set by the Remuneration Authority, or
fees set by the shareholding Minister in accordance with the Crown Company Fees Methodology.

Cabinet Circular CO (22) 2 Cabinet Fees Framework [PDF 827KB](external link) — Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet (DPMC)

Your board member fees will be subject to withholding tax — Income Tax Act 2007.

Income Tax Act 2007(external link) — New Zealand Legislation

Good governance practice in the public sector

If you want to learn more about good governance practice in the public sector, or conflicts of interest, guidance is available from the Office of the Auditor-General:

Elements of effective governance(external link) — Office of the Auditor-General New Zealand (oag.parliament.nz)

Managing conflicts of interest: A guide for the public sector(external link) — Office of the Auditor-General New Zealand (oag.parliament.nz)