Closing date: Tuesday 10 March 2026
Tōpūtanga Tapuhi Kaitiaki o Aotearoa: The New Zealand Nurses Organisation (NZNO), is the lead professional union for nurses. Our job and responsibility is to represent more than 60,000 nurses, midwives, students, kaimahi hauora, and health workers in Aotearoa/ New Zealand. We represent the interests of nurses on professional and employment related matters and we are affiliated to the International Council of Nurses (ICN) and the New Zealand Council of Trade Unions (NZCTU). NZNO embraces Te Tiriti o Waitangi and works to improve the health status of all people of Aotearoa New Zealand through participation in health and social policy development.
This is an exciting national opportunity for an experienced organising leader to lead our organising teams and lead the development of our organising models including digital organising. NZNO employs over 40 Organisers throughout New Zealand.
The role is part of the senior leadership team of NZNO and reports directly to the CEO. The successful candidate will be expected to ensure the organising goals of our campaigns and projects are met and will have special responsibility for member growth.
We are looking for candidates who are well versed in organising practice, can demonstrate a track record of successful organising leadership of large organising teams and are strategic in their approach. NZNO has a lead organiser model and the successful candidate will be expected to further build and extend that model throughout NZNO.
NZNO is carrying out a staff change program at present and this is a good opportunity to be part of building highly effective and aligned organising team.
As NZNO moves to develop its digital organising, it is expected that this role will lead digital organising so we are looking for candidates who have experience in digital organising.
To meet the needs of our Māori members we also expect the Director of Organising to play a central role in the development of an NZNO Māori organising model.
The successful candidate will have the following –
• Strong organising leadership skills and knowledge and demonstrated competency in using those skills
• A track record of organising leadership
• An ability to demonstrate the key organising frameworks and coach and mentor these in the organising team
• Commitment to honouring te Tiriti o Waitangi and ensuring the outcomes of Te Tino Rangatiratanga are met within our organising campaigns
• Can build relationships across the union with members, member leaders, organisers and lead organisers.
• Strong union values
• Strong planning skills and ability to ensure national organising plans are reflected in local organiser work plans and accountabilities
• A strong focus on winning
• Some experience in digital organising
• Experience in union campaigning
• An ability to work with and develop delegates
• Some union education is desirable, especially organiser education
• A good understanding of, and ability to, leverage health and safety into organising
• An ability to travel regularly
• An ability to successfully represent NZNO at all external levels
This full time position is based in the Wellington National Office of NZNO. If you want to be our Organising Director and believe you have the requisite organising leadership skills and knowledge then please email your application and curriculum vitae to Heather Sander (EA to the Director of Nursing and Professional Services) at heather.sander@nzno.org.nz. by 5pm on Tuesday 10 March 2026.
Contact person: Heather Sander