Work for us

Location: Wellington (flexible working options available)  

Reporting to: Chief Executive 

Applications close: 1 September 2025

Why work at Horticulture New Zealand

 At Horticulture New Zealand (HortNZ), we’re passionate about growing a thriving, sustainable horticulture industry that feeds New Zealand and the world.  We represent over 4,300 commercial fruit and vegetable growers, advocating for a thriving, sustainable horticulture industry. Our vision is to create an enduring environment where growers thrive, delivering healthy food for all, forever.

We advocate for growers, influence policy, and support innovation across the sector.

Join a future-focused organisation where your leadership will make a tangible impact on the wellbeing of our growers, the environment, the economy, and communities.

About the role

 We’re looking for a strategic and innovative senior leader to head our Assurance Business Unit, including the New Zealand Good Agricultural Practice (NZGAP) programme. This role is central to ensuring the safe and sustainable production of food through credible, transparent assurance frameworks.

We’re seeking an experienced and strategic senior leader to take on the role of General Manager – Assurance. This is a pivotal position responsible for leading industry assurance programmes, including NZGAP, that support the integrity, sustainability, and reputation of New Zealand horticulture. The role also has a clear focus on strategic influence and provides an opportunity to ensure that the programme continues to deliver strategic value for Certificate Holders.

You’ll drive strategic initiatives, foster strong relationships across the sector, and lead a high-performing team. Your work will ensure our assurance frameworks are robust, future-ready, and aligned with industry and consumer expectations. You’ll also lead the development and delivery of assurance strategies, manage stakeholder relationships, and drive business development. You’ll also play a key role in influencing policy, supporting growers, and representing the sector nationally and internationally.

Key responsibilities

·         Lead the strategic direction and operational delivery of NZGAP and other assurance programmes  

·         Strengthen and evolve quality assurance programmes across the sector  

·         Develop and implement the Assurance Business Unit’s strategic plan  

·         Build and maintain trusted relationships with growers, industry bodies, government, and international partners  

·         Champion innovation and continuous improvement in assurance systems  

·         Provide strategic leadership and mentoring to a talented team  

·         Identify and pursue business development opportunities aligned with HortNZ’s vision

·         Communicate clearly and confidently with stakeholders at all levels

·         Provide policy and regulatory advice to support HortNZ’s advocacy efforts  

·         Promote assurance programmes as effective compliance pathways  

·         Oversee budgets, contracts, and performance reporting;

About you

 You are a people orientated leader with a strong strategic mindset and a passion for driving excellence. You bring:

·         Proven experience in senior leadership and management roles  

·         Strong background in quality assurance programme delivery  

·         Strong relationship and people leadership skills  

·         Commercial business development capability and commercial acumen  

·         Knowledge of quality assurance programmes (ideally within horticulture or food sectors)  

·         Innovative thinking and a future-focused approach  

·         Customer service orientation  

·         Experience in the horticulture, food, grocery or primary sector (preferred)  

·         Familiarity with data and technology in assurance systems

·         Exceptional communication and stakeholder engagement skills.

Ready to grow with us?

 If you’re ready to lead assurance in a dynamic, purpose-driven organisation, we’d love to hear from you.

Apply now or contact Phoebe Murphy at phoebe.murphy@hortnz.co.nz for a confidential discussion.

How to apply

 Please be advised that to ensure an efficient application process, we request you use our internal application tracking system, BambooHR, to submit your application.

Copy and paste the link below into a new web browser to apply for the position (via BambooHR) and to view the detailed position description.

https://horticulturenz.bamboohr.com/careers/75?source=aWQ9MjI%3D

Please note

·         We will only accept applications through our internal application tracking system, BambooHR.

·         Applicants for this position should have New Zealand residency/citizenship or a valid New Zealand work visa.

·         We reserve the right to close the advertisement early if we receive enough applications for the role.