"Operations Improvement Lead"

Job Description:

Centre for Employability and Career Development
Located in Ōtautahi | Christchurch, Aotearoa | New Zealand

• Full-time 37.5 hours per week (1.0 FTE)
• Continuing (permanent) position

Kia hiwa rā, kia hiwa rā!
He hiahia, he pūkenga nōu ki te mahi a te Operations Improvement Lead? Nāia te pōwhiri nā Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha kia tono mai i te tūranga nei.

Āu Mahi | What You Will Do

As the Operations Improvement Lead, you will play a pivotal role in strengthening the Centre for Employability and Career Development’s ability to deliver transformative outcomes for students, staff, and employers. You will lead operational excellence across the Centre by designing and implementing strategic frameworks, systems, and data-driven processes that enable continual improvement and measurable impact.

You will also work closely with the Director and Centre Leads to turn strategy into action, overseeing projects, resources, and performance reporting to ensure successful delivery of key initiatives. With a focus on innovation and collaboration, you will manage stakeholder and vendor relationships, mentor and empower staff, and foster a culture of continuous improvement and inclusiveness that reflects UC’s values of manaakitanga, whanaungatanga, and tiakitanga.

Mōu | Who You Are

You are an experienced operational leader who thrives on improving systems, driving transformation, and delivering tangible results that can be measured. You bring a balance of strategic thinking and hands-on execution, with the ability to lead through change and inspire collaboration across diverse teams. You will also bring:

• 10+ years’ experience in business improvement, operations management, or related strategic delivery roles.
• Proven expertise in project and programme management, ideally using Agile methodologies.
• Strong skills in business process design and data analysis.
• Demonstrated capability in data-informed decision-making, leading to improved KPI performance.
• Strong skills in establishing and maintaining performance reporting (Power BI experience advantageous)
• Excellent stakeholder and vendor relationship management capabilities.
• A track record of leading organisational change with diplomacy, clarity, and results focus.
• Exceptional communication, influencing, and people leadership skills that build trust and drive engagement.
• A commitment to continuous improvement, equity, and cultural inclusion, with respect for te reo Māori me ōna tikanga.

Mahi Ngātahi | Who You Will Work With

The Centre for Employability and Career Development is UC’s new hub for empowering students to become employable, innovative, and enterprising graduates ready to thrive in a changing world of work. As both a thought leader and connector between students, staff, and industry, the Centre drives future-focused graduate success through practical experiences and strong employer partnerships. Anchored in the pillars of employability, employment, and operational excellence, the Centre transforms opportunities into outcomes - ensuring every UC student can achieve their goals and make their mark.

Ngā Painga o UC | Why UC

Ngā Uara | Our Values of manaakitanga, whanaungatanga and tiakitanga guide our decisions and behaviour and provide a roadmap for how we do things at UC, affirming our commitment to pastoral care and support for our ākonga and staff. They challenge and inspire us to be the best we can and make UC a great place to work and study. For more info on Ngā Uara | Our Values visit us here.

For more information on our range of fantastic benefits, please visit us: https://www.canterbury.ac.nz/about-uc/work-at-uc/benefits-working-uc.

For more information about Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha | University of Canterbury, please visit https://www.canterbury.ac.nz/.

The closing date for this position is: 21 November 2025 (midnight, NZ time)*Please note, applications will be reviewed as they are received, and interviews may take place before the close date.*

Pēhea te tono mai | How You Apply

Applications for this position must be submitted via our careers website and should include a cover letter and resume.

Please note, we do not accept applications by email, however we are happy to answer your queries in relation to the application process, please forward these to WorkatUC@canterbury.ac.nz

You must have Aotearoa New Zealand or Australian citizenship/permanent residency or hold a valid NZ work visa to be considered for this role.