1348848 - APPENDIX C
May 2025
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Tertiary Education Commission (TEC) | Te Amorangi Mātauranga Matua
Chair Position Profile
Appointed by
Minister for Vocational Education
Term
Up to 3 years with potential for reappointment
Remuneration
$47,628 per annum
1982
About TEC | Te Amorangi Mātauranga Matua
Act
TEC is a Crown Agent under the Crown Entities Act 2004. It leads the Government’s relationship
with the tertiary education sector and provides career services from education to employment. It
invests over $3 bil ion in tertiary education and supporting the tertiary and careers system to ensure
New Zealanders are equipped with the knowledge and skil s they need for lifelong success.
TEC is governed by a Board which is accountable for its performance to the Minister for Vocational
Education (the Minister). It is monitored by the Ministry of Education.
The role of the Board and its members
The Board’s governance role involves setting the strategic direction to ensure that TEC performs its
functions in line with the Government’s policies and priorities, and that TEC makes sound fiscal
Information
decisions. In setting TEC’s direction, the Board needs to consider the priorities in the Minster’s Letter
of Expectations, the Enduring Letter of Expectations for Crown Entities, and other communication
from Ministers.
The Board is also responsible for assurance over TEC’s performance against its strategic direction,
and for issuing its Statement of Intent, and Statement of Performance Expectations. TEC must report
on its performance in quarterly reports to the Minister, and in its annual report which is tabled in
Official
Parliament.
Members of the Board are accountable to the Minister in respect to their collective and individual
the
duties and responsibilities. As  Chair  you  retain  the  primary accountability for performance  with
support from the Deputy Chair. The key elements of your role are:
• directing the work of the Board including any projects and the formation of subcommittees
• leading the Board to work in a collective and col aborative manner
• maintaining a Conflicts of Interests Register and supporting the appropriate management of
conflicts of interests
under
• supporting the professional development of members (and interns or future directors if
applicable)
• appearing at select committee for annual accountability hearings for TEC
• managing the recruitment process and the performance of the Chief Executive of TEC
• maintaining current knowledge of the education sector, environmental factors, emerging
risks and challenges, and government direction, and
• maintaining political neutrality and the confidence of the Minister.
Relevant legislation
Released
Section 409 of the Education and Training Act 2020 sets out the functions of TEC at the following
link: https://www.legislation.govt.nz/act/public/2020/0038/latest/LMS280895.html
The main sections of the Act which uphold Te Tiriti o Waitangi are listed at this link:
https://www.legislation.govt.nz/act/public/2020/0038/latest/LMS280244.html
Position Profile – Tertiary Education Commission - Chair
1

May 2025

As set out in the Public Service Act 2020 the Board must preserve, protect, and nurture the spirit of
service to the community  (s13), and is responsible for ensuring TEC  upholds  Public Service
principles (s12), which are:
•  political neutrality
•  providing free and frank advice
•  making merit-based appointments
•  fostering a culture of open government, and
•  promoting stewardship of the public service – the long-term capability of its people,
institutional knowledge, systems and processes, assets, and the legislation agencies
administer.
1982
The rules for governance, operation, and accountability of Crown entities are set out in the Crown
Entities Act 2004.
Act

Skills, experience and attributes of the Board
To help the Board succeed in its roles and functions, it should collectively have:
•  strong governance experience
•  executive leadership experience, a strategic outlook and the ability to lead through change
•  strong financial capability and acumen, and commercial experience
•  a detailed understanding of the machinery of government including the role of Crown Agents
•  an understanding of the operating context for tertiary education in New Zealand
•  an understanding of tertiary education investment processes and systems
•  knowledge of te reo Māori, tikanga Māori, Mātauranga Māori, and Te Tiriti o Waitangi, and
Information
•  an ability to build robust, collaborative relationships in complex environments.

Workload, remuneration and term of appointment
The expected workload for the Chair is approximately 50 days per year on meeting attendance and
other board business. The Board meets around ten times a year.

Official
The Chair receives $47,628 per annum. This is set and reviewed in accordance with the Cabinet
Fees Framework which can be found here: www.dpmc.govt.nz/sites/default/files/2022-10/co-22-2-
revised-fees-framework.pdf.

the
Al  Board members are paid out of TEC’s funds for reasonable and actual allowances for travel ing
and other expenses relating to performing their duties and responsibilities as Board members.

Appointments are for terms of up to three years. Members, including the Chair, may be considered
for reappointment when their term expires.
under

Resignation or removal from office
The Chair may, at any time, resign from office by notifying the Minister in writing with a copy to the
TEC Chief Executive. Any member, including the Chair, may be removed by the Minister by written
notice.
Released
Position Profile – Tertiary Education Commission - Chair

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May 2025
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Tertiary Education Commission (TEC) | Te Amorangi Mātauranga Matua
Deputy Chair Position Profile
Appointed by
Minister for Vocational Education
Term
Up to 3 years with potential for reappointment
Remuneration
$29,400 per annum
1982
(Calculated at 125% of the member fee which is $23,520 per annum)

About the TEC | Te Amorangi Mātauranga Matua
Act
The TEC is a Crown Agent under the Crown Entities Act 2004. It leads the Government’s relationship
with the tertiary education sector and provides career services from education to employment. It
invests over $3 bil ion in tertiary education and supporting the tertiary and careers system to ensure
New Zealanders are equipped with the knowledge and skil s they need for lifelong success.

The TEC is governed by a board (the Board) which is accountable for its performance to the Minister
for Vocational Education (the Minister). It is monitored by the Ministry of Education which provides
an independent view of the TEC’s performance to the Minister.

The role of the Board and its members
The Board’s governance role involves setting the strategic direction to ensure that the TEC performs
Information
its functions in line with the Government’s policies and priorities, and that the TEC makes sound
fiscal decisions. In setting the  TEC’s direction, the Board needs to consider the priorities in the
Minster’s Letter of Expectations, the Enduring Letter of Expectations for Crown Entities, and other
communication from Ministers.

The  Board is also  responsible for assurance over the  TEC’s performance against its strategic
direction and for issuing its Statement of Intent, and Statement of Performance Expectations. The
Official
TEC must report on its performance in quarterly reports to the Minister and in its annual report which
is tabled in Parliament.

the
The Deputy Chair is expected to carry out the functions and roles of a member and to support the
Chair who may delegate additional roles and responsibilities. This may include:
  contributing your specific areas of expertise as they relate to the governance of the TEC
  supporting a collective and collaborative board environment
  supporting the Chair in developing Board members’ capabilities
under
  chairing meetings and acting for the Chair in their absence
  participating in or leading subcommittees or projects
  taking on other leadership roles in discussion with the Chair
  participating in or leading sub-committees or projects
  maintaining current knowledge of the sectors the TEC operates in, environmental factors,
emerging risks and chal enges and government direction, and
  maintaining political neutrality and the confidence of the Minister.

Relevant legislation
Released
Section 409 of the Education and Training Act 2020 sets out the functions of the TEC at the following
link: https://www.legislation.govt.nz/act/public/2020/0038/latest/LMS280895.html

Position Profile – Tertiary Education Commission - Deputy Chair

1

May 2025
The main sections of the Act which uphold Te Tiriti o Waitangi are listed at this link:
https://www.legislation.govt.nz/act/public/2020/0038/latest/LMS280244.html

As set out in the Public Service Act 2020 the Board must preserve, protect, and nurture the spirit of
service to the community (s13), and is responsible for ensuring the TEC upholds Public Service
principles (s12), which are:
•  political neutrality
•  providing free and frank advice
•  making merit-based appointments
•  fostering a culture of open government, and
1982
•  promoting stewardship of the public service – the long-term capability of its people,
institutional knowledge, systems and processes, assets, and the legislation agencies
administer.
The rules for governance, operation, and accountability of Crown entities are set out in the Crown
Act
Entities Act 2004.

Required skil s, experience and attributes
To help the Board succeed in its roles and functions, it should collectively have:
•  strong governance experience
•  executive leadership experience, a strategic outlook, and the ability to lead through change
•  strong financial capability and acumen, and commercial experience
•  a detailed understanding of the machinery of government including the role of Crown Agents
•  an understanding of the operating context for tertiary education in New Zealand
Information
•  an understanding of tertiary education funding processes and systems
•  knowledge of te reo Māori, tikanga Māori, Mātauranga Māori, and Te Tiriti o Waitangi, and
•  an ability to build robust, collaborative relationships in complex environments.

Workload, remuneration and term of appointment
The expected workload for members is approximately 30 days per year on meeting attendance
and other board business. The Board meets around ten times a year. The Deputy Chair receives a
Official
fee of $29,400 per annum. This is set and reviewed in accordance with the Cabinet Fees
Framework, which can be found here: www.dpmc.govt.nz/sites/default/files/2022-10/co-22-2-
revised-fees-framework.pdf.
the

All members are paid out of the TEC’s funds for reasonable and actual al owances for travelling and
other expenses relating to performing their duties and responsibilities as board members.

Appointments are for terms of up to three years. Members may be considered for reappointment
when their term expires.
under

Resignation or removal from office
A member may, at any time, resign from office by notifying the Minister and the Chair in writing. Any
member, including the Deputy Chair, may be removed by the Minister by written notice.

Released
Position Profile – Tertiary Education Commission - Deputy Chair

2

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