Various Commercial Specialist Opportunities
Date: 9 Oct 2025
Location: Wellington, NZ
Company: Ministry of Social Development
- A range of procurement and commercial roles available
- Provide commercial leadership across complex service categories
- Strategic procurement opportunities driving improved outcomes through procurement
- Build capability and influence across DSS and the wider Ministry
This is your opportunity to work on a range of exciting and challenging procurement and commercial projects where we working to improve how supports are commissioned and funded. We have a large work-programme with exciting and career defining opportunities!
About our team | Mō te tīma:
The Disability Support Services (DSS) Group is responsible for commissioning, funding, and stewarding high-quality services that support disabled people, their families, and whānau.
We’re building capacity across our teams to deliver both change and business-as-usual effectively.
We work closely with providers, stakeholders, and communities to ensure services are fair, consistent, transparent and sustainable. With a strong focus on performance monitoring, data, and insights, we’re committed to continuous improvement and evidence-based decision-making.
It’s an exciting time to join DSS as we strengthen our systems and expand our capabilities.
We’re looking for passionate people to help us achieve our goals and make a meaningful impact.
About the role | Mō te tūnga:
We have a range of commercial roles available:
- Principal Commercial Specialist
- Senior Commercial Specialist
- Commercial Specialist
As Principal Commercial Specialist, you’ll lead and manage our most complex commercial work, overseeing strategic procurements, supplier relationships, and process improvements across commissioning categories. This role mentor’s others to share best practice and experience across commissioning and wider DSS and provides strategic advice to leaders across the group.
As a Senior Commercial Specialist, you’ll provide commercial expertise, advice, support and leadership across commissioning to manage high value, high risk commercial and procurement processes. You’ll lead and manage project teams from the development through to the delivery of sourcing strategies, procurement planning and sourcing through to contract delivery and on-going monitoring and management. This involves negotiating outcomes and managing suppliers and critical suppliers.
As a Commercial Specialist, you’ll provide commercial advice and support around commercial needs covering planning, sourcing and managing contracts. This role manages and/or assists in the implementation of procurements and contracts across DSS.
Key responsibilities include:
- Develop and deliver category and sourcing strategies aligned with DSS’s strategic direction
- Engage with underrepresented providers, especially Māori and Pacific communities, to reduce barriers to entry
- Grow market capability and achieve economic outcomes through insights and engagement
- Negotiate and review contracts to ensure alignment with organisational goals
- Define requirements for new contracts and ensure strategic alignment
- Build collaborative supplier relationships to drive value beyond pricing
- Develop protocols for Ministry-wide supplier collaboration
- Lead commercial capability building across DSS commissioning and funding teams
We value diversity and welcome applications from disabled people and those who have lived experience with whānau, or the disability community.
Please contact us if there is any support that we can provide to ensure the recruitment process is accessible to you.
What you bring | Ōu pūmanawatanga:
- Proven experience in strategic sourcing and commercial procurement
- Strong commercial leadership skills with the ability to work across diverse projects
- Relationship management expertise in complex environments
- Proven experience in implementing best practice
- Previous experience in the public sector and understanding of NZ government procurement rules and policy
- Experience in driving commercial best practice across differing environments
- Strong negotiation and influencing skills to achieve outcomes and create solutions
- Sound analytical skills with the ability to draw insights from diverse sources
- Proven ability to build partnerships and maintain professionalism
Position Description | He Whakaahuatanga Tūnga:
A copy of the position descriptions can be found here.
Principal Commercial Specialist position description.
Senior Commercial Specialist position description.
Salary | Utu-ā-tau:
Principal Commercial Specialist: $142,874 - $177,798
Senior Commercial Specialist: $118,288 - $143,647
Commercial Specialist: $90,743 - $109,980
Applications close | Ka kati ngā tono hei te: Monday 27 October 2025.
About us | Mō mātou:
The Ministry of Social Development is a people-centred organisation. We’re in communities across the motu, working with partners to help New Zealanders be safe, strong and independent.
We provide social policy and advice to government and assistance, including income, employment and housing support to people of all ages, families, whānau and communities.
Our people are as diverse as the communities we serve. We care about the wellbeing and success of our people and provide a supportive and inclusive working environment where people can thrive and be who they are.
How to apply | Me pēhea te tuku tono:
To apply, click the 'Apply Now' button to upload your CV, cover letter and complete the online application form. As part of your application, please indicate which role you have a preference for.
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 jobs@msd.govt.nz
Internal MSD Employees – please apply through your myHR portal at work. This will ensure that your myHR employee profile is visible as internal candidate.
Joining us | Ko te hono mai:
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.
If you have any support or accessibility requirements, we encourage you to tell us when you apply so we can assist you through the recruitment process.
