Manager Business Services and Products

Tēnei tūranga – About the role

Standards can play a key enabling role to grow value for New Zealand by facilitating trade, market access and business productivity, protecting the health, safety, security and well-being of New Zealanders, and defining quality and performance requirements across a range of products, services and occupations.

The Manager Business Services and Products plays a critical role in helping ensure Standards New Zealand meets both its strategic and operational goals and priorities and day to day statutory functions and responsibilities. The key deliverables of the role include ensuring that the Standards NZ’s business, customer services, sales operations and corporate related activities are efficient, effective, customer centric, and aligned to organisational strategic priorities. This includes leading the team responsible for our e-commerce sales, the maintenance of New Zealand’s standards catalogue, working with internal and external stakeholders and vendors to maintain platforms and systems that are fit for purpose, and the provision of timely and insightful reporting for effective decision making and budget management.

As a member of the Standards New Zealand management team, the role also contributes to business-wide initiatives, strategic planning, continuous improvements efforts, and team culture.

Ngā herenga – Requirements of the role

Personal specifications

• A minimum of 10 years’ leadership experience, managing business systems or projects with proven ability to build, develop, and motivate high-performing teams.
• Demonstrated ability to foster a collaborative, inclusive, and customer-focused team culture.
• Strong understanding of performance management and continuous improvement frameworks, including Agile methodology.
• Experience in strategic direction setting together with strategic and operational management experience at middle to senior level within a corporate or public sector environment.
• Extensive experience in service delivery and operations, ideally in a Government context, with proven ability to successfully deliver through collaboration with dependent services and through performance of others, internally and externally.
• Good understanding of the issues and challenges facing Standards New Zealand, international and national standards bodies, and the broader public sector and economy would be desirable.
• Experience with working to deadlines and managing multiple projects efficiently and to prioritise competing commitments, using influencing skills to utilise the capacity and capability of others outside of lines of authority and responsibility.
• Demonstrated experience in designing, implementing, and managing work programmes, including the development and integration of enabling tools and processes to support delivery.
• Breadth of knowledge across a range of areas including: service delivery, operations, ISO 9001 and quality management systems requirements, ICT business systems, customer engagement, e-commerce sales and customer services.
• Proven strong critical thinking and problem-solving skills, using an analytical mindset, able to pivot, finding solutions and making robust decisions.
• Confident in presenting ideas and engaging diverse audiences to achieve shared outcomes.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to convey complex information clearly and lead through influence rather than line management authority.
• Proven experience in sales management, with familiarity with CRM systems and data-driven sales strategies.
• Experience in fostering an open, collaborative environment that encourages quality, innovation, ongoing learning and knowledge sharing, support and collaboration.
• Skilled in influencing, negotiating, and reaching solutions working constructively with others.
• Must have the legal right to live and work in New Zealand.
• Credit check required (no)
• Required to drive (no)
• Police vetting (no)

Qualifications

• A tertiary qualification in a relevant field (e.g B Com, MBA Technology Management, Batchelor of IT or Computer Science) and/or comparable relevant experience.

Takohanga tuhinga o mua – Key accountabilities and deliverables

Operational management

• Accountable for the delivery of high-quality customer services, including holding the relationship with the MBIE contact centre to ensure seamless service delivery, internal auditing, and effective resolution of escalated customer enquiries and complaint management.
• Effectively manage the customer service and sales operations and support channels including subscription services and retail sales to enable the access (sale) of Standards.
• Monitor sales activities and trends, including overseeing the CRM system usage, ensuring accurate data quality, and timely preparation of sales reports along with analysis and making recommendations to inform effective decision making and strategic direction.
• Develop sales and product strategies and plans, and drive revenue growth by identifying new business opportunities, e-commerce functional enhancements, maintain strong client relationships, and product strategy for the business.
• Set the strategic direction of the Standards New Zealand Web shop and library subscription service, including retail sales and access to New Zealand Standards, Joint New Zealand and Australian and International Standards.
• Plan, organise and direct a range of operational tasks and activities within the Team, including data analysis, business administration, financial administration and management, reporting and project management, and ICT and e-commerce operations being delivered by service providers and wider Ministry shared service arrangements.
• Oversee the standards publication catalogue, ensuring data quality, accessibility, integrity and timely publishing.

Business Management

• Lead and direct centrally delivered financial administrative services for Standards NZ, including holding the responsibility for financial management for Standards NZ.
• Maintain oversight and support the National Manager in ensuring cost-effective operations, strong financial management disciplines and performance, and identify opportunities for savings and cost efficiencies.
• Lead business performance reporting, data analysis and intelligence to support and inform operational evidence-based decision making and performance management for Standards NZ.
• Hold the Standards NZ management responsibility for the businesses’ quality management system, delivered through centralised Ministry shared services.
• Take the role of business lead for the successful operation of Standards NZ’s Quality Management System to ensure quality service provision, and continuous improvement for Standards New Zealand and its customers, this includes working with subject matter experts to ensure successful NZS/ISO 9001 Certification, and all Audit requirements are undertaken in accordance with QMS policy and procedures.

Business Services and Products Management

• Accountable for the strategic, performance and operational planning, operational oversight, and relationship management with service providers, to ensure ICT systems and services, (e.g. e-commerce platform, & product and client databases, consultation tool) meet the needs of Standards New Zealand.
• Perform the role of key business owner for our platforms, technology solutions and their vendors, championing the business priorities by actively driving timely resolution of technical issues and long-term product improvements across delivery teams and vendors.
• Establish a clear sense of urgency and accountability with internal and external technical teams to ensure business-critical fixes and enhancements are actioned promptly and in accordance with business expectations and agreed service levels.
• Develop and execute the product roadmap aligned with Standards New Zealand organisational goals. Identify emerging trends and opportunities for innovation.
• Provide portfolio oversight and optimisation by effective management of the full lifecycle of products and business services, ensuring rationalisation and enhancement of offerings based on performance and relevance.
• Drive customer-centric delivery by ensuring products and services meet the needs of diverse customers and incorporating feedback and insights to improve user experience and satisfaction.
• Lead the analysis, planning and implementation of technological innovation and evolution, securing appropriate investment to enable the future digitisation of standards products and customer service delivery.

Client focus

• Facilitate discussions between service providers, other business units and Standards New Zealand support achieving desired outcomes.
• Manage a collaborative and constructive relationship with our call centre triage function and manage Standards New Zealand’s own customer and sales enquiries and services.
• Continually seek to improve our client services, offering value and efficiency.

Stakeholder Engagement and Communication

• Build and maintain strong relationships with internal and external stakeholders to ensure alignment on product goals, priorities, and delivery timelines.
• Act as the primary point of contact between cross-functional teams, including marketing, sales, customer service, and technical teams, to ensure clear and consistent communication.
• Facilitate regular stakeholder engagement through meetings, updates, and reporting to ensure transparency and shared understanding of product development progress and challenges.
• Translate complex technical and business information into clear, actionable insights for diverse audiences.
• Manage stakeholder expectations by proactively identifying risks, communicating impacts, and negotiating solutions.
• Gather and incorporate stakeholder feedback into product planning and prioritisation processes.
• Represent the product vision and strategy effectively across the organisation and with external partners.
• Ensure communication channels and practices support collaboration, responsiveness, and continuous improvement.

People Management & Leadership

• Build and lead a small but high performing team, managing and enhancing the overall capability of the Business Services and Products team, fostering a collaborative and customer focused culture.
• Support health, safety, and wellbeing initiatives across the team.
• Develop and set clear goals for the team, measuring specific indicators and using easy-to-understand reports to track how well the Business Services and Products are performing.
• Ensure regular review of the key metrics, identify where things are going well and where improvements are needed.
• Act where required to ensure Standards New Zealand meets its targets, make informed decisions, and focus on what matters most to ensure continuous improvement.
• Motivate wider Standards New Zealand team members and give them opportunities to participate.
• Create a sense of vision, engage, and motivate people to participate, and make things happen.
• Foster an open, collaborative environment that encourages quality innovation, ongoing learning, and knowledge sharing across the team and business.
• Drives a collaborative team culture and treat others with respect and professionalism.

Wellbeing, health & safety

• Displays commitment through actively supporting all safety and wellbeing initiatives
• Ensures own and others safety at all times
• Complies with relevant safety and wellbeing policies, procedures, safe systems of work and event reporting
• Reports all incidents/accidents, including near misses in a timely fashion
• Is involved in health and safety through participation and consultation

Tō tūranga i roto i te Manatū – Your place in the Ministry

The Manager Business Services and Products position reports into the National Manager, Standards New Zealand within the Market Integrity branch. The branch sits within the Te Whakatairanga Service Delivery group.

More information about MBIE's structure

Matatautanga – Competencies (Leadership Success Profile)

The Leadership Success Profile (LSP) is a leadership capability framework, developed by the New Zealand public sector for the New Zealand public sector. It creates a common language for leadership and establishes what great leadership looks like. You can look at the twelve underpinning capabilities and four leadership characters here: Leadership Success Profile | Te Kawa Mataaho Public Service Commission(external link)

To mātou aronga – What we do for Aotearoa New Zealand

Hīkina Whakatutuki is the te reo Māori name for the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment. Hīkina means to uplift. Whakatutuki means to move forward, to make successful. Our name speaks to our purpose, Grow Aotearoa New Zealand for All.

To Grow Aotearoa New Zealand for All, we put people at the heart of our mahi. Based on the principles of Te Tiriti o Waitangi / The Treaty of Waitangi, we are committed to upholding authentic partnerships with Māori.

As agile public service leaders, we use our breadth and experience to navigate the ever-changing world. We are service providers, policy makers, investors and regulators. We engage with diverse communities, businesses and regions. Our work touches on the daily lives of New Zealanders. We grow opportunities (Puāwai), guard and protect (Kaihāpai) and innovate and navigate towards a better future (Auaha).

Te Tiriti o Waitangi

As an agency of the public service, MBIE has a responsibility to contribute to the Crown meeting its obligations under Te Tiriti o Waitangi (Te Tiriti). Meeting our commitment to Te Tiriti will contribute towards us realising the overall aims of Te Ara Amiorangi – Our Path, Our Direction, and achieve the outcome of Growing New Zealand for All. The principles of Te Tiriti - including partnership, good faith, and active protection – are at the core of our work. MBIE is committed to delivering on our obligations as a Treaty partner with authenticity and integrity and to enable Māori interests. We are committed to ensuring that MBIE is well placed to meet our obligations under the Public Service Act 2020 (Te Ao Tūmatanui) to support the Crown in strengthening the Māori/Crown Relationship under the Treaty and to build MBIE’s capability, capacity and cultural intelligence to deliver this.

Mahi i roto i te Ratonga Tūmatanui – Working in the public service

Ka mahitahi mātou o te ratonga tūmatanui kia hei painga mō ngā tāngata o Aotearoa i āianei, ā, hei ngā rā ki tua hoki. He kawenga tino whaitake tā mātou hei tautoko i te Karauna i runga i āna hononga ki a ngāi Māori i raro i te Tiriti o Waitangi. Ka tautoko mātou i te kāwanatanga manapori. Ka whakakotahingia mātou e te wairua whakarato ki ō mātou hapori, ā, e arahina ana mātou e ngā mātāpono me ngā tikanga matua o te ratonga tūmatanui i roto i ā mātou mahi.

In the public service we work collectively to make a meaningful difference for New Zealanders now and in the future. We have an important role in supporting the Crown in its relationships with Māori under the Treaty of Waitangi. We support democratic government. We are unified by a spirit of service to our communities and guided by the core principles and values of the public service in our work.

What does it mean to work in Aotearoa New Zealand’s Public Service?(external link) — Te Kawa Mataaho The Public Service Commission