
Tūhono mai
Be a part of our team
Mō tēnei tūranga Position Description
1982
Title: Chief Executive
Business Group: OCE
Reports to: Kāinga Ora Board
Location/s: Auckland/Wellington
Financial Delegations:
Budget: ACT
• $1.9 billion operating expenditure
• $2.7 billion operating income
• $1.65 billion capital expenditure
• $450 million land sales revenue
Direct Reports: 12
Indirect Reports: 2500
Mō mātou - Our Organisation
Building better, brighter homes, communities and lives. What is exciting about working for Kāinga Ora is getting the chance to use our skil s and knowledge to
create the homes and neighbourhoods that wil make a real and positive impact on New Zealanders’
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lives and build a better future for Aotearoa New Zealand.
We are passionate about transforming New Zealand for the better. This includes being a trusted partner
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for Māori and iwi, protecting and enabling their rights, interests and aspirations under the guidance of
Te Tiriti o Waitangi.
Our past has laid the groundwork and now as a team, we are focused on creating a legacy for the good
of future generations of New Zealanders.
You can/will be part of a team that plays a vital role in where Aotearoa New Zealand is heading.

We provide tenancy services to over 199,000 public housing customers and we maintain and develop
around 78,000 houses. We help many other New Zealanders into their own homes through our home
ownership products and other services.
We are building many thousands of homes each year and transforming entire communities all across
the country. And we have an exciting plan for the future that wil enable us to do more to help New
Zealanders than ever before.
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Ō Tātou Uara - Our Values
Our values were developed by us, for us. They unite us as an organisation and guide how we work
every day. Our values are:
- Manaakitanga – People at the Heart
- Mahi Tahi – Better Together
- Whanake – Be Bold
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Ngā mahi - What you’l do
1982
The role of Chief Executive Officer of Kāinga Ora – Homes and Communities (Kāinga Ora) is ultimately
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to deliver on the purpose of the organisation to support our tenants to live wel in our homes and
ultimately move to independent living as their situation al ows. Accordingly the role of the Chief
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Executive is one of leadership, pursuit of outstanding operational and commercial performance,
culture making and facilitation of a critical nationwide programme delivering on excellent social
housing and tenancy management.
The Chief Executive is responsible to the Board of Directors for all aspects of the performance of the
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organisation; financial, commercial, operational, and strategic. Working closely with the Board, the
Chief Executive must be capable of reconciling any issues impacting on the organisation in a manner
which satisfies the Board. The Chief Executive also works in partnership with the Ministry of Housing
and Urban Development as the system lead and Crown entity Monitor and with wider central
government agencies as required.
Having recently received Cabinet approval of Kainga Ora’s Reset Plan, the Chief Executive is
responsible for continuing the delivery of the Reset implementation plan for Kāinga Ora and execution
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of the transformation plan. This wil involve continuing the re-alignment of the organisation,
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continuing to build the focus on commercial performance, championing the enhancement of
technology and digital services to support the organisation and its customers, and re-aligning the
culture to deliver on the plan. In particular the Chief Executive wil be responsible for embedding an
operating model that assures the long-term financial sustainability of the organisation and the
delivery of its services.
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The Chief Executive plays a crucial role with external stakeholders, partners, financiers, and support
organisations to continue to grow trust and confident in the organisation. Key aspects of achieving
this include delivery the remaining capital programme, successful implementation of the property
portfolio renewal programme and the maintenance of a quality public housing portfolio that aligns
with current and future tenant needs.
The Crown investment in Kāinga Ora is significant and there is a high level of associated public
interest. This makes the Kāinga Ora Chief Executive a prominent and important position for internal
stakeholders and staff, government, customers, iwi, unions, and the broader community. The role
requires a highly credible and engaging leader who is politically astute, commercially minded, and
confident in their ability to promote Kāinga Ora positively both internally and externally.
Ngā haepapa - What you’l be responsible for
The Chief Executive leads Kāinga Ora to define and successfully deliver core activities, functions as a
public housing landlord and responsible asset manager.
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The Chief Executive provides exceptional operational and commercial leadership and sponsors
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organisation and system transformation and system capability initiatives which optimise Crown
funding and minimise waste such as the Housing Delivery System. Their leadership style ensures
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transparency, good governance and effective decision making. They leverage others expertise,
capability, and investment to deliver the Kāinga Ora work programmes and outcomes.
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Principal
Key Result Areas
Accountabilities
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People Leadership
• Provide clear and visible leadership to our people, partner
and stakeholders.
• Build an effective organisational culture that aligns with
Kainga Ora’s new operating model.
• Leverage the collective intelligence of Kāinga Ora, by
leading collaboratively to get the best results possible for
customers, communities, and stakeholders.
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Operational Leadership • Provide excellent operational leadership driving a critical
& Change
performance focus throughout the organisation’s
leadership to continue delivery of the Cabinet approved
Kainga Ora Reset Implementation Plan
• Deliver any outstanding changes required to continue the
alignment the organisation to its future role and operating
model
Customer Delivery
• Oversee the delivery of excellent public landlord services
to a diverse and complex range of clients, supporting
client outcomes that enhance our tenants ability to live
wel in our homes and consequently experience
improved life outcomes over time.
Sustainable Financial
• Ensure the organisation continues on a pathway to a
Performance
medium-term financially sustainable position in line with
the Reset Plan and ensure the financial model preserves
financial sustainability over the long-term.
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Technology and Digital
• Sponsor the finalisation and successful implementation
services
of Kainga Ora’s yet to be developed Technology and
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Digital strategy including providing effective commercial
and programme oversight over systems and required
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technology investment.
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System Leadership
• Lead Kāinga Ora’s interface with the wider public sector
policy environment.
Build and champion the reputation of Kāinga Ora, and its
brand through influencing key partners, and authentic
partnerships and collabo
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Relationships with Māori • Lead a partnership-based approach to working with Māori.
• Champion the identification and protection of Māori
interests across our mahi through meaningful
engagement.
• Lead the active pursuit of shared opportunities for Māori
participation in urban development.
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Organisational
• Position Kāinga Ora to deliver on the SOI (statement of
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Performance
intent), and SPE (statement of performance
expectations), including the LOE (letter of expectation)
from the Minister.
• Deliver annual financial targets
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Urban Development
• Ensure the successful delivery of Kainga Ora’s committed
large-scale development projects
Construction and
• Embed operating principles and models that provide for
Delivery
the efficient maintenance of the housing asset portfolio,
and including the revitalisation of housing stock to meet
and anticipate customer needs over time.
Continue to drive strong commercial outcomes from the
delivery of good quality public housing within Kāinga Ora’s
existing build programme
Governance
• Build a deep, trusting relationship with the Kāinga Ora
Board.
• Astutely manage relationships with Ministers (led by the
Board Chair), Minister’s offices and executives of other
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key agencies.
• Grow and develop a positive and purposeful monitoring
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relationship with the Ministry of Housing and Urban
Development and The Treasury.
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Performance Profile
The fol owing factors are critical for the Chief Executive to succeed in this position:
• Outstanding and focused operation leadership of the organisation and its programme of work
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• Strategic oversight, unrelenting commercial focus, decisiveness and action orientation
• Ability to build trusted working relationships with the Kāinga Ora Board, Ministers, Ministry of
Housing and Urban Development, iwi, treaty partners and local government
• Ambitious and resolute in driving organisation and sector performance
• Track record in building high performing culture in large organisations
• Adeptly managing change
• Effective management of strategic and operational risk
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• Experience in major technology programme delivery would be advantageous.
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Document Outline