Chief Executive Officer

About Activate Education Ltd

Activate Education Ltd and its subsidiaries operate as a faith-centered charitable group committed to delivering tertiary education through Private Training Establishments and related entities. Their mission focuses on transforming lives by combining education, purpose, and community impact, rooted firmly in Christian values. The organization prioritizes educational quality, learner wellbeing, and sustainable influence within communities.

Role Overview

Based in Hamilton and accountable to the Board of Directors, the Chief Executive Officer will direct strategic, organizational, and cultural leadership across the entire Activate Education Group. This pivotal role involves overseeing group-wide performance, sustainability, educational outcomes, financial and operational results, regulatory adherence, stakeholder engagement, and fostering a values-based culture to meet strategic goals.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the group into growth, sustainability, and enhanced service delivery.
• Collaborate closely with the Board, senior management, and external stakeholders to improve learner achievements and staff well-being.
• Build and maintain strategic partnerships ensuring relevance, resilience, and impact of the organization.

Candidate Requirements

• Extensive senior executive experience, ideally as CEO or equivalent leadership roles within complex organizations.
• Strong strategic planning and organizational leadership skills, capable of driving continuous improvement and growth.
• Deep understanding and appreciation of the New Zealand tertiary education sector, including quality education and learner success. Experience with NZQA, TEC, or Private Training Establishments is beneficial.
• Solid financial management expertise including budgeting, forecasting, investment, and sustaining profitable business models.
• Experience in governance, working effectively with boards, managing risks, regulatory compliance, and accountability at the executive level.
• Proven ability in people and culture leadership, fostering a positive, inclusive, high-performance environment aligned with organizational values.
• Alignment with the Christian mission and values of Activate Education with comfortable leadership within a faith-based context.
• Exceptional stakeholder engagement and communication skills, including effective collaboration with government, regulatory bodies, community groups including iwi, Māori and Pacific, churches, and partners.
• Personal integrity, humility, courage, accountability, resilience, service-focused mindset, and sound business judgment.
• A tertiary qualification in business, management, education, finance, leadership or related disciplines is essential.

Additional Preferences

An advanced qualification such as an MBA or similar is advantageous but not mandatory if significant senior leadership track record is proven.

Why Join Us?

This role offers the chance to lead a purpose-driven, faith-based education organization devoted to transforming lives. The opportunity includes advancing learner and staff outcomes, developing sustainable partnerships, and influencing the future direction of a group committed to academic excellence and community benefit.

If you are a principled, values-driven executive leader eager to serve within an education-focused faith-based organization, your application is encouraged.

How to Apply

Interested candidates are invited to submit their resume along with a brief cover letter expressing their interest in Activate Education’s mission and this leadership position.