Harm Prevention Lead, Ports and Harbours

Mō mātou | About Us Our Vision: Preventing Harm. Saving Lives. Securing our Future
We play a key role in the guardianship of New Zealand waterways. We’re bringing together our aroha, work and skills to achieve our outcomes of sustainable supply chains and sectors, safe people and operations, secure ports and ships, and clean seas and waterways.
Our values are about who we are as individuals and the behaviours we expect from each other at Maritime NZ.
Care | Kia Tika - We care for each other and do the right thing
Connect | Kotahitanga - We unite in a common purpose
Courage | Kia Māia - We are brave, capable and confident Mō tō mātou Rōpū - About the team The CE Office, Strategy and People Group brings together strategy, governance, performance, and organisational capability to set direction and support delivery across Maritime NZ.
Within this, the External Strategy and Programmes team plays a key role in in translating strategy into coordinated, system-wide programmes that deliver meaningful outcomes across the maritime sector.
Te tūnga | The role  As Harm Prevention Lead - Ports and Harbours, you'll play a pivotal role in shaping how Maritime NZ works with industry to reduce harm across New Zealand's ports and harbours system. This is a strategic programme leadership role focussed on understanding the underlying drivers of harm, identifying where interventions can have the greatest impact, and bringing together the people, evidence and interventions to achieve lasting change.
You'll lead the continuing development and coordination of a multi-year harm prevention programme – consistent with Maritime NZ’s harm prevention programmes approach - using data, insights and sector intelligence to identify priorities and test approaches that support safer, more resilient outcomes. Rather than focusing on individual incidents or compliance activities, you'll take a whole-of-system view, considering the relationships, behaviours, incentives and operating conditions that contribute to harm across the sector.
Working alongside industry leaders (including the Ports Health and Safety Leadership Group), regulators, operational specialists and internal subject matter experts, you'll lead the programme and help design and coordinate interventions that influence behaviour, strengthen system performance and support sustainable change. You'll also maintain and where necessary, establish, the governance, planning and evaluation approaches needed to understand what's working, adapt where needed, and ensure the programme continues to deliver value over time. Nōu te rourou | What you bring We're looking for someone who combines strategic programme leadership with a deep curiosity about how complex systems operate and change.
You'll bring: * Experience leading large, complex programmes designed to improve outcomes across organisations, industries or systems. * Strong systems thinking and policy capability, with the ability to identify patterns, root causes and leverage points for change * Experience using evidence, insights and stakeholder perspectives to design and refine interventions * An understanding of harm prevention approaches, risk reduction, and behaviour change, approaches or safety improvement frameworks * Strong programme governance, planning and evaluation skills, with the ability to translate strategic intent into coordinated action * Exceptional relationship-building and influencing skills, with the ability to bring diverse stakeholders together around shared outcomes Mōu | For you  We aim to be a workplace where everyone feels valued, supported with a sense of belonging. We encourage our people to actively contribute to our workplace culture where we all thrive and authentically live our MNZ values.
Upon joining us you’ll receive a full range of benefits including Income Protection & Life Insurance. Check out our full range on our careers page to find out more about why we love working here. Salary range $140,000 – $180,000 depending on skills and experience + superannuation. Me pēhea te tuku tono | How to apply
We are unable to accept applications via email. Please click the apply button to submit your application.
We're committed to ensuring our application process is accessible to everyone. Please reach out to our recruitment team below if there is any support, we can provide to ensure the process is accessible to you.
Applications for this role close 12 October 2026. Please also note that you must have the legal right to live and work in New Zealand to be considered for this role.
If you have any questions please e-mail [email protected]