- Unique Executive Leadership Opportunity
- Lead Scott Base Operations, including Asset Management
- Contribute to enabling internationally significant research
About The Role:
At Antarctica New Zealand, we aim to ensure that Antarctica and the Southern Ocean are valued, protected and understood. Our role is to support world-leading science and environmental protection and to raise public awareness of the global significance of the continent and surrounding Southern Ocean.
Based in Christchurch, the General Manager Antarctic Operations is a key contributing member of the Senior Leadership Team, accountable for the delivery of year-round presence at Scott Base, ensuring the safe and effective management of Scott Base facilities, infrastructure, and assets, and providing logistics support for Antarctic and Southern Ocean research and the Scott Base Redevelopment. A key focus is to take a structured and planned approach to how the teams operate.
Responsibilities include:
- Leading the development of an operational model, consisting of robust systems and processes;
- Overseeing the preparation and delivery of the annual Antarctic seasonal plan; with an emphasis on fostering a culture of safety and environmental stewardship;
- Generating a comprehensive operational and asset management strategy that remains responsive to the evolving needs of key stakeholders now and in the future;
- Providing effective leadership as part of the Senior Leadership Team, contributing to the achievement of overarching organisational goals;
- Cultivating enduring partnerships with diverse stakeholders, including New Zealand Defence Force, researcher entities and other National Antarctic Programmes;
- Overseeing the implementation of Antarctica New Zealand's Coordinated Incident Management system.
Skills & Experience:
It goes without saying that candidates of interest will have a solid safety, operational, planning and logistics background, but importantly, they will also be strategic and conceptual thinkers. You will be known as a collaborative and pragmatic leader who builds excellent relationships.
You will have:
- A down to earth, calm and tactful nature, along with a passion for environmental sustainability;
- Strong operational as well as strategic leadership skills, encompassing logistics, risk management, safety leadership and preferably experience with CIMs (Coordinated Incident Management);
- An executive disposition and political acumen, with proven track record for cultivating trusted relationships with key stakeholders, including the government and boards;
- Proven experience guiding teams effectively through organisational change;
- Experience with remote operations, people and logistics – polar experience would be an added bonus but is not essential.
Some travel will be required in the summer months to Scott Base, approximately a month in the first year and two weeks for subsequent years. The successful candidate will be appointed subject to medical and vaccination requirements.
Benefits:
- Travel to Scott Base; opportunity to spend time working in Antarctica
- Small, easy to navigate and values-based organisation
- Full contributing member of the Senior Leadership Team
- 25 days of paid holidays per annum
About the Organisation:
Antarctica New Zealand is the government agency responsible for carrying out New Zealand’s activities in Antarctica supporting world leading science and environmental protection. Established in 1957, Scott Base is a bustling hub of scientists, employees and visitors from October to February. Since it was established, the base has had numerous upgrades with the last major infrastructure investment occurring in the 1980’s. Antarctica New Zealand has received $498 million from the New Zealand Government to rebuild Scott Base. This funding will facilitate a major redevelopment of the existing facilities and replace the wind farm, to help ensure the base is powered by 90% of renewable energy.
Culture:
Our overarching organisational goal is to continue to play an influential role in the kaitiakitanga (guardianship) of Antarctica and the Southern Ocean as a natural reserve devoted to peace and science. We do this by facilitating high-quality scientific research in Antarctica and supporting initiatives to protect the environment.
Antarctica New Zealand Values:
- Ka ngākau whiwhita tātou ki ā tātou mahi katoa
We are passionate about what we do
- Ka tiaki tātou i a tātou anō, ka tiaki hoki i te taiao
We care for each other and the environment
We work together
We act with integrity
- Ka whai tātou i ngā taumata tiketike
We aspire to the highest standards