Posted 26 July, 2026
60882 Business Manager Private Sector (Forestry & Wood Products) - Plant & Food Research
Science New Zealand
Palmerston North, MWT, NZ
Full Time
Reference: e4c4cee9db0974c1
Job Description
Business Manager (Forestry & Wood Products) Commercial Services – Private Sector Commercial Group Location: Flexible Auckland, Ruakura, Rotorua, Lincoln Vacancy number 60882 Permanent Fulltime (38 Hours per week) Make an impact. Grow partnerships. Enable science to deliver real-world outcomes. Drive commercial growth and innovation within New Zealand's forestry and wood products sector Build influential relationships with industry leaders and connect them to world-class science expertise. Play a pivotal role in turning scientific capability into tangible sector and economic outcomes. What you will be doing | Ngā whāinga matua You will be the key commercial link between Bioeconomy Science Institute and the private sector, building trusted partnerships that create opportunities for science to solve industry challenges and deliver meaningful outcomes. In This Role, You Will Develop and execute a sector-focused business development and revenue growth plan. Build, manage and grow strategic relationships across the forestry and wood products industry. Identify new commercial opportunities and convert them into sustainable revenue streams. Partner closely with our science teams to shape client opportunities into compelling proposals and contracted research programmes. Lead commercial negotiations, contract management and customer engagement throughout the contract lifecycle. Provide valuable market and sector intelligence that informs organisational strategy and future science investment. Represent the Bioeconomy Science Institute at industry events, forums and stakeholder engagements. What you will bring | Ngā tino pūkenga me ngā wheako To Be Successful In This Role, You Will Have A tertiary qualification in business, science, forestry, engineering, or a related discipline. Proven experience in business development, account management, or commercial leadership roles. Demonstrated success generating revenue and managing commercial relationships within the private sector. Knowledge of New Zealand's forestry and wood products sector, including key stakeholders, challenges and opportunities. Strong commercial acumen, including experience negotiating contracts and managing financial performance. Experience working alongside technical, scientific or specialised professional teams. Strong organisational skills and the ability to manage multiple customer relationships and opportunities simultaneously. Desirable Experience working with Crown Research Institutes, universities, research organisations, or innovation-focused organisations. An understanding of Te Tiriti o Waitangi and its application within a science and research environment. Established networks within the forestry and wood products sector. What you will get | Ngā hua o tēnei tūranga At Plant & Food Research Group, we offer excellent employee benefits and flexibility, such as; Four weeks annual leave, additional 7 days’ leave and generous paid parental leave Excellent benefit choices in retirement savings and wellbeing & health Focus on health and wellbeing with enhanced sick leave Ongoing career development opportunities Flexible work – hybrid working options and flexible hours Auckland based onsite childcare About us | Ko wai mātou We've built something new. AgResearch, Manaaki Whenua – Landcare Research, Plant & Food Research and Scion have come together to form the Bioeconomy Science Institute. We are more than 2200 people working to support the growth and resilience of the bioeconomy in New Zealand and beyond. Together, our world-class science can do more to advance innovation in agriculture, horticulture, forestry, aquaculture, biotechnology and manufacturing; protect and enhance ecosystems from biosecurity threats and climate risks; and develop new bio-based technologies and products. This position sits under the current Plant & Food Research group of the Bioeconomy Science Institute. For further details about the Bioeconomy Science Institute can be found on our website, watch this Bioeconomy Science Institute short clip. We welcome applicants who are excited to join us on this change journey. #J-18808-Ljbffr