Senior Project Manager (Agile) | Kaiwhakahaere Kaupapa Matua in Canterbury

Join an organisation contributing to meaningful outcomes, About Aotearoa, for Aotearoa - data that improves lives today and for generations to come.

Opportunity to manage and deliver projects that aim to improve outcomes for all New Zealanders. Fixed term (until June 30, 2027) based in Christchurch supported by an Enterprise Portfolio Office that adapts and responds to the organisation needs. 37.5 hours per week based in the heart of Christchurch CBD.

Stats NZ | Tatauranga Aotearoa is a Central Government employer of 1300+ people across Aotearoa. We provide data and statistics to support the decisions of Government, Māori and Iwi organisations, businesses, NGOs, and New Zealanders. Our work is About Aotearoa, for Aotearoa - data that improves lives today and for generations to come. We welcome every gender, ethnicity, ability, religion, age, and background and encourage all our people to be their authentic selves.

We encourage you to go to our careers site to learn more about the Way We Work at Stats NZ. We want working for us… to work for you!

Starting salary: $118,609 to $160,471 + superannuation

Other benefits of joining Stats NZ include:

• Balance life and work commitments
• Develop and grow your career (coaching, training, study support, secondments)
• Contribute to meaningful work that makes a difference to all people in Aotearoa
• 3 extra annual leave days (taken during Christmas office closure)
• City based offices that cater to a variety of working styles and needs

The role involves seeking an experienced Senior Project Manager (8+ years) to join our Enterprise Portfolio Office (EPO) in Christchurch, where you’ll take the lead on a high-priority programme already delivering real value. This is an exciting opportunity to step into a well-established Agile project at mid-flight, guiding it through its next phase of delivery. The work spans external engagement, business change, and complex IT delivery, giving you the chance to have a tangible impact on how Stats NZ delivers and disseminates data.

You’ll be part of a collaborative and supportive EPO team made up of Project Managers, Business Analysts, Project Coordinators, and Change Managers who are passionate about their craft and generous with their expertise. Beyond delivering this project, you’ll play an active role in strengthening the wider project management community, contributing to the successful delivery of medium-to-large and higher-risk initiatives across the organisation.

In this role you will:

• Pick up an Agile project that has been successfully delivering for the last couple of years
• Ensure successful end-to-end delivery of the project, within the agreed time, cost and quality parameters
• Coach and lead your team and business subject matter experts in agile project management practices and disciplines
• Take a leadership role in managing stakeholder and project relationships
• Provide leadership from your experience in data delivery, harmonisation and migration
• Support the external engagement required to ensure customer needs are met by the project
• Actively participate in the project management centre of excellence, to ensure consistently high standards of project management practice across EPO

The project delivers the core technology through which Stats NZ disseminates data, making it both high-profile and impactful. The project team operates across Christchurch and Wellington, with this role based in Christchurch to enable close, face-to-face collaboration with the Project Executive and key team members.

You’ll be leading the team day-to-day while ensuring effective governance, delivery partner engagement, and stakeholder alignment — a role that suits someone who thrives on ownership, influence, and delivery excellence.

We understand transferable skills can come from experience gained from outside of work. We encourage you to be you in your application. We are committed to diversity, equity, inclusion and lifting our cultural capability. You don't need to be knowledgeable in all these areas already, but you do need to be on board with learning and have a genuine interest and willingness to grow on this journey with us.

Tell us about yourself in your cover letter, what attracted you to this role, and what you would bring to Stats NZ.

If this sounds like you, click on the Apply now button to be redirected to the application page on our careers site. The position description is located on the right-hand side of the page. We will be screening applications as we receive them to move swiftly to interview. You may be asked to complete a pre-interview screen via phone or video. Please let us know in your application if we need to make any specific accommodations during our process.

Please reach out to recruitment@stats.govt.nz if you have any questions.

You must have the right to live and work in Aotearoa New Zealand. Background and various pre-employment checks are part of our recruitment process.