Manager Client Service Delivery

Fixed term/Secondment opportunity available through to 27th June 2025

Keen to move to one of the sunniest towns in New Zealand? Blenheim, in the heart of the stunning Marlborough region on the north side of the South Island is New Zealand’s largest grape growing and wine making region. In close proximity to beaches, rivers, wineries and breath-taking landscapes makes Blenheim a very attractive lifestyle that draws people to live, work and grow their families.

If this captivates you, we have an exciting opportunity for an experienced leader to join our team.

The Manager Client Service Delivery provides leadership and management of 2 Service Centres and teams (Blenheim and Kaikoura) within the Top of the South Region, contributing to sustainable local and regional outcomes.

 
In addition, the Manager Client Service Delivery is accountable for ensuring the accurate and timely delivery of products and services in line with legislative and regulatory settings, leading the provision of effective case management activity, and developing and maintaining relationships with community stakeholders. While this role is primarily based at the Blenheim Service Centre, the role also requires on-site support, leadership and management of a team based in Kaikoura. Being flexible to travel as needed between the Service Centres and across the region is key. 

 
The successful candidate will be responsible for a team of approximately 18-20 staff who engage in the delivery of our services to clients and whānau in a face-to-face setting and over the phone.

 
Overall, the core focus of the team is to make sure that clients are able to access all of the income and housing assistance that is available to them, and appropriate opportunities are explored to broker effective connections to employment opportunities, services available to help people prepare for work, and additional supports available in the community. 

 
To achieve this, it’s expected that the Manager Client Service Delivery leads through a people-centric culture of high performance where all services delivered by the team are provided in line with the Ministry’s values, to achieve sustainable outcomes that meet the needs and expectations of clients, whānau and the broader community.

About the Ministry

Ko te pae tawhiti whāia kia tata 
Ko te pae tata whakamaua kia tina

 
Here at the Ministry of Social Development, our aim is to become a trusted and proactive organisation, connecting clients to all the support and services that are right for them, to improve the social and economic wellbeing of New Zealanders.

 
To ensure we achieve an aspirational future for all New Zealanders, we are guided by our strategic direction: “Te Pae Tawhiti – Our Future.”

 
This strategy signals three organisational shifts that are needed to achieve better outcomes for all New Zealanders:

 
Mana manaaki – A positive experience every time
Kotahitanga – Partnering for greater impact
Kia takatu tatou – Championing long term social and economic development.
Te Pae Tata – our Māori Strategy and action plan – embraces these shifts and articulates how we will work with Māori to achieve better outcomes for Māori.

 
As a leadership team, we’re committed to being of service to the communities that we’re a part of and to the whānau that reach out to us for support.

 

About you

We’re looking for a passionate people leader who has experience leading teams in a customer or client-facing environment.

 
Service excellence will resonate strongly with you and the opportunity to engage, coach and mobilise team members to effectively deliver our services in a way that responds to client’s needs will be at the centre of your approach. 

 
More broadly, you will have familiarity working together with contracted partners and social service agencies to achieve positive change in the lives of people, their whānau and communities.

 
The successful applicant will need to demonstrate an ability to place a Te Ao Māori lens across their leadership approach and develop appropriate plans to implement Te Pae Tata at a local level. 

For the cover letter, please upload a document that responds to the following questions:

1. What is your motivation for applying for the Manager Client Service Delivery position in Blenheim/Kaikoura?
2. Describe your leadership style and experience leading teams in a customer or client-facing environment.
3. Describe your skills you would bring to this role and how you would use these skills to deliver on the governments priorities around assisting Job Seekers into sustainable employment and helping people to stay in or find sustainable housing.

For any questions about the role, please contact Trina Whiteside, EA to the Regional Director at

Position Description

Salary range: $120,870.00 - $150,416.00

How to apply

To apply, click the 'Apply Now' button to upload your CV, cover letter and complete the online application form.

Note: Your cover letter will be a key part of our assessment process, so please highlight how your experience relates to the key responsibilities listed in the position description. 

All applications must be made online. If this is not possible or if you have any queries, please contact us at

Internal MSD Employees – please apply through your myHR portal at work. This will ensure that your myHR employee profile is visible as internal candidate.

Closing date: Sunday 12th May 2024

Joining us

Joining MSD means being part of a whānau that celebrates the diversity each individual represents. We show manaaki, we care about the wellbeing and success of people and want everyone to thrive, and be who they are in a supportive and inclusive working environment. We work together to make a difference for communities while doing the right thing with integrity. We are a Treaty partner committed to strengthening relationships with Māori, Hapū, Iwi and communities to realise their own potential and aspirations.

If you have any support or access requirements, we encourage you to tell us when you apply so we can assist you through the recruitment process.

MSD has a COVID-19 vaccination policy that encourages, but does not require, employees to be fully vaccinated for COVID-19 and its variants, unless the role is identified as requiring vaccination at the time.