Job Description
- Join the Tertiary Education Commission whānau
- Help lead TEC's AI journey
- 12-month fixed-term role, Wellington-based with flexible working options
Te Amorangi Mātauranga Matua, the TEC - is a small Crown agency with a big job to do - ensuring New Zealanders have the skills and the knowledge they need to build a great life, and ensure New Zealand thrives. We invest over $3 billion annually across the tertiary education and careers systems.
This is a unique opportunity to lead the coordination and delivery of AI initiatives across the organisation—ensuring they are practical, well-governed and deliver meaningful results.
This role sits within the Information Directorate and leads and coordinates TEC's AI journey. It translates organisational priorities into a practical, responsible and deliverable AI roadmap. The role bridges business, data, technology, privacy, security, risk and delivery teams, ensuring AI opportunities are clearly understood, well governed, and aligned with TEC's strategic priorities.
You'll be comfortable working across business and technical teams to shape AI use cases, define requirements, and support governance-led prioritisation and delivery.
This is a fixed-term role for 12 months.
He angitūtanga: About the Role
The role is accountable for leading the coordination, planning and delivery of AI initiatives across the organisation, including:
- Use case identification and prioritisation
- Delivery
- Adoption and benefits realisation
You will ensure AI solutions and practices are safe, ethical, secure, privacy-conscious, technically sound, and aligned with public sector expectations and TEC's obligations.
He kōrero mōu: What we are looking for
We're looking for an experienced delivery leader who can take complex, cross-functional initiatives from concept through to delivery and benefits realisation.
You will be comfortable working across business, data and technology teams, shaping and prioritising work based on value, risk and organisational readiness. You will bring a strong understanding of AI and responsible use, along with the ability to support governance, manage delivery risks, and bring people together to make decisions and progress work.
We are specifically looking for candidates who skills and experience match the following criteria:
- Experience leading complex initiatives across business and technology environments.
- Strong understanding of AI, data and emerging technologies.
- Ability to influence, collaborate and bring people together to deliver outcomes.
- Confident communicator who can simplify complex ideas.
- Comfortable working in fast-moving, evolving spaces with competing priorities
Ngā āhuatanga kei a mātou: What's in it for you
- A range of benefits including flexible working options, a wellness programme and the ability to purchase extra leave.
- Three additional (TEC Days) leave days
- Reduced premiums through our Health Insurance Group Scheme
- At TEC, we support a range of flexible working arrangements to help staff balance their work and personal commitments, while expecting team members to spend at least three days per week in the office to support collaboration.
The salary range for this position starts from $125,813 up to $148,015 plus 3.5% KiwiSaver depending on demonstrable skills and experience. Please note, if you believe you are good match for the role, but your salary expectations are outside of this range, we would still welcome an application from you.
Me pēhea te tuku tono: How to Apply
To view the job description and/or apply for the role, please click Apply For This Job or visit the TEC Careers Portal.
If this sounds like you, please apply now for this great opportunity with your tailored Cover Letter and CV, we welcome your application.
Note: Your cover letter will be a key part of our assessment process, so please highlight how your experience relates to the key skills required for this role.
The closing date for this role is 11.59 pm, 7 June 2026. For more information or if you have any questions, please contact hr@tec.govt.nz.
Applicants must have the ability to obtain and maintain the legal right to work in New Zealand.
Prior to the Tertiary Education Commission confirming any offer of employment, pre-employment checks will be undertaken including criminal conviction history and reference checking as a minimum.
The TEC is an equal opportunity employer and committed to providing a working environment that embraces and values diversity and inclusion. Your unique talents and experience will help us deliver exceptional services to New Zealand. We look forward to your application
