Partnership Operations Portfolio Lead

Worker Type: Permanent Here at BNZ, it's about more than just banking. We work together in an agile, energising environment to create innovative solutions through our promise If you can imagine a better future, let's find a way. We support wellbeing, flexible working and have a generous leave offering. There is the opportunity for growth, learning and career development. No two days are the same. We have an opportunity for a Partnership Operations Portfolio Lead to join our Wealth, Insurance & Product Governance team and play an important role in ensuring service delivery commitments are being maintained by BNZ and partners, driving uplift as required. You'll lead the function that ensure partnerships are managed in accordance with good conduct principles, that service delivery expectations are being met and that customer escalations are appropriately managed. This is an Auckland based role and is a hybrid role with three days in the office per week. About the Role We sat down with our Head of Wealth & Insurance - Partnerships and Proposition, and they let us know the following about the role. Day‑to‑Day Tasks Manage across our wealth and insurance partners, making sure governance, contractual commitments and regulatory obligations are on track. While keeping strong working relationships with both BNZ teams and external partners. Own escalated customer issues end‑to‑end, making sure they're triaged quickly, resolved well, and that partners are kept in the loop with clear actions and follow‑through. Keep reporting and controls tight, so our operational reporting lands on time, is accurate and useful — and gives leaders and partners clear visibility on performance and what needs attention. Make service delivery run smoothly (both ways), keep SLAs and escalation pathways clear, stay close to the hot spots, and work with partners and internal teams to close service gaps before they become bigger issues. Lead and grow a high‑performing team, coaching and developing capability, setting clear expectations, and building a culture of ownership, accountability and continuous improvement, including how we show up for our partners. Management Style My management style is outcome led, collaborative, and empowering. I'm clear on objectives, commercial outcomes, and decision rights, and then give people the trust and space to deliver. I believe high performance comes from clarity, not control. I stay close to strategy, partner engagement, and removing obstacles, while expecting strong ownership and accountability day to day. I value open, direct communication, regular prioritisation, and constructive challenge, with a strong focus on creating an environment where people feel supported, trusted, and able to do their best work—while delivering value for customers and BNZ. We spend a lot of time at work, so it's important we also enjoy the journey and build a culture we're genuinely proud of. What Makes This Opportunity Exciting? The most exciting aspect of this role is the opportunity to lead a critical operational function that drives customer outcomes across BNZ's wealth and insurance partnerships. It combines people leadership with real enterprise impact, setting strong service and conduct standards, strengthening controls, and building a high‑performing team that takes pride in delivering reliable, high‑quality outcomes for customers. The role provides clear visibility through strong reporting across all partnerships, while also sitting at the centre of relationship management, working closely with internal teams across the bank and external partners to align priorities, resolve issues, and continuously lift service delivery. With strong exposure across BNZ, the role plays a key part in connecting teams, influencing outcomes, and ensuring partnerships consistently deliver for customers. What Challenges Does This Opportunity Present? The challenge lies in balancing operational rigour with pace, particularly when managing escalations, service issues, and regulatory obligations across multiple partners. The role requires sound judgement to prioritise effectively, manage risk, and respond to issues under pressure—while keeping teams engaged, supported, and focused on continuous improvement. Aligning partner service expectations with BNZ's standards and capacity, without losing momentum or quality, is a key challenge. Success Criteria Success will be reflected in a high‑performing team and a strong, reliable partnership operating model. The candidate will have built a motivated and capable team with clear accountability, strong engagement, and a culture of continuous improvement. Service delivery commitments will be consistently met, reporting will be accurate and insightful, and risks or emerging issues will be identified early and managed proactively before they impact customers or partners. Ultimately, success looks like partners who trust BNZ's operational leadership, customers who are well supported, and a team that is proud of the standards they set and the outcomes they deliver. Key Skills and Experience We are looking for proven experience in financial services, including significant wealth and/or insurance experience (7+ years). You will also bring: Experience in designing and delivering end to end control environments over business processes. Deep experience in designing and delivering reporting processes and frameworks, generating meaningful insights from a range of different data sources and systems. Strong commercial acumen to identify and highlight key focus areas for the business to make the appropriate decisions. Senior Management experience with a track record in developing individuals and teams to drive performance. Deep stakeholder engagement and influencing skills - you will be able to work with a range of stakeholders internal and/or external to create collaborative working relationships. Come to the Bank of New Zealand This is an exciting opportunity to join us! We're bold thinkers who are taking brave steps to create a company that people want to work for, and customers want to bank with. If you're ready to join a fun organisation where we are proud of our culture and how we are helping New Zealander's to 'Find their way', Ehara taku toa i te toa takitahi, ogne he toa takitini - Success is not the work of an individual, but the work of many. Our purpose is to serve customers well and help our communities prosper. Every day we find ways for our customers, our people, and our communities to thrive through strong values, diverse teams, and great people - just like you. #J-18808-Ljbffr