Commercial Lead

Fixed Term (until June 2027) | 32 hours per week | Based in Wellington

About the Role | Mo te tunga

Are you keen to join the Future Air Mobility Capability - Strategic project as a Commercial Lead at the Ministry of Defence?

This is a unique opportunity to be part of a strategic project delivering two Airbus A321 XLR aircraft for the New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF).

In this role, you'll work closely with NZDF colleagues to :

Confirm requirements

Develop procurement strategies

Negotiate and deliver contracts and services to support the aircraft delivery to the Royal New Zealand Air Force

You'll be based at Defence House in Wellington, but the project team spans both Wellington and Auckland, with operations and capability integration team based at Whenuapai, Base Auckland.

Travel between these locations will be required.

To be successful in this role, you'll bring :

Significant commercial / procurement experience, especially in complex product and service procurement (infrastructure knowledge is a bonus)

Expertise in commercial strategy and procurement best practice

Proven success working with international suppliers on large-scale projects (aviation experience is a plus)

Ability to quickly assess technical, commercial, and contractual risks

Excellent stakeholder engagement and communication skills

Experience in aviation procurement and familiarity with the US Foreign Military Sales (FMS) system

Sound judgement and the ability to identify and communicate critical project issues

A relevant tertiary qualification or equivalent experience in commercial and contract management

We ask all our people to undertake a commitment to doing their part to deliver on the Crown's commitments to Maori under Te Tiriti o Waitangi.

We do this by actively striving to build te ao Maori capability into our day to day work.

You don't have to tick every box.

If the role sounds like you please apply.

Salary & Benefits | Utu a-Tau

The salary for this role is approximately $180,000 per annum, pro-rated to 32 hours per week.

We offer a great range of benefits, including :

Flexible working that supports the individual, the team and the organisation

Childcare contributions (for children up to age 14)

Eyewear subsidy

KiwiSaver contributions on top of salary

Employee-led networks

We support career and skill development.

We have a number of internal communities of practise that support the delivery of large complex capabilities for the Defence Force.

Interested?

We know that some people, especially women, can be unsure about working in the defence sector.

If you'd like a confidential conversation about what it's like working at the Ministry of Defence please email us at

Please note :

We're happy to answer questions via email, but applications must be submitted through our website — we won't consider emailed applications.

Applications close : 7 October 2025 at 5pm

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