New Zealand Trade and Enterprise Looking for Regional Director – Europe-Middle East-Africa (EMEA) at Auckland, New Zealand Full Time

This diplomatic role is based in London

Who we are:

New Zealand Trade and Enterprise (NZTE), Te Taurapa Tūhono, is New Zealand’s international business development agency, we help companies grow for the good of New Zealand.

At NZTE we thrive on providing our customers – New Zealand export companies, with world-class advice on how to grow internationally. This opportunity will provide you with exposure to NZ businesses succeeding on the global stage. You will be part of a truly connected global organisation operating from 47 offices worldwide, working collaboratively to positively impact New Zealand’s economy. NZTE offers the opportunity to work with New Zealand’s most exciting, innovative and forward-thinking companies.

What you’ll be doing:

This pivotal senior leadership role is responsible for our operations across Europe, Middle East & Africa. You will be leading leaders across our 9 EMEA offices, inspiring teams to execute strategies and provide world-class support to NZ companies.

Reporting to the General Manager International, and as a member of the International Leadership Team, the position comes with significant leadership responsibility, involvement in implementing NZTE strategy and leading and modelling our values and characters. You will support and enable high performing teams across multiple markets while fostering a strong, commercial and collaborative work culture.

We are looking for a collaborative global leader who will be able to draw on their deep understanding of the business eco-system of the region, and will be able to work strategically within complex and dynamic markets.

In this high-profile position, you will support New Zealand Government Ministers and officials as they visit the region, helping them to engage effectively with relevant authorities and/or business communities. You will represent New Zealand in the market and leverage strong collaborative relationships to forge strong bilateral ties that promote New Zealand’s economic growth.

​What you’ll need to be successful as a Regional Director in EMEA:

• Cultural Sensitivity and Regional Focus: Navigate a complex, dynamic, large region with a significant NZ Inc presence, prioritizing key markets and driving customer outcomes utilizing the various Free Trade Agreements (FTA’s).

• Leadership and Empowerment: Inspire leaders and drive alignment while empowering leaders to innovate. With such a large region you need good judgement as to where to spend your time to make the biggest impact.

• Communication and Culture Building: Be an exceptional communicator that can provide clarity and context. Being able to tell the EMEA story back into NZ notwithstanding time zones.

You’ll be a highly credible, senior leader with a keen interest in high potential NZ companies (our Customers) and our New Zealand success stories. You will come with a strong understanding of exporting and operating businesses on a global scale and apply agility, composure and the ability to deal with ambiguity to learn quickly. If you are looking for the opportunity to be an influential leader within a high performing and agile organisation, then this is it!

Please note:

The post is for a minimum of 3 years.

This is an official representative role, and the preferred candidate will be subject to a number of vetting processes including obtaining relevant New Zealand security clearances, which requires New Zealand citizenship.

Why you’ll love working here:

This is an excellent opportunity to build your career in a truly international organisation. The role provides exposure to leading multinational companies, as well as cutting-edge start-up companies in New Zealand, therefore the depth, breadth and scope for this role is huge and unique. The culture at NZTE is awesome, and you will be in the enviable position of leading a well-supported, impressive and committed team.

What’s next:

For more information about the role, please see the Regional_Director_PD and apply now with your resume and a cover letter clearly outlining your suitability for the role.

Applications close Sunday 11:59pm NZ Time 16 February 2025.

Our successful candidate must hold NZ citizenship.

Please use the Eligibility self-check tool to check your eligibility before applying, if your result is “likely” and you are shortlisted – we will discuss next steps. Please note your results in your application.

We believe New Zealand is good for the World. New Zealand Trade and Enterprise (NZTE) is an equal opportunity employer.

At NZTE it is all about our people and we seek diversity of though; we welcome and encourage you to apply regardless of ethnicity, gender, religion, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, neurodiversity or disability. If we need to make specific accommodations in any part of the interview process, please note this in your application or discuss with the Talent Acquisition team.