Academic Operations Manager

Benefits at Primary ITO

• Wellbeing Package (2 Health and Wellbeing days off, Cash benefit, and Southern Cross Medical Insurance)
• Community Volunteer Day
• Paid leave between Christmas and New Year's
• Flexible working arrangements to support a work-life balance including flexible start and finish times and working from home
• 5 weeks’ annual leave after the completion of 3 years continuous employment

About the role

This role provides strategic and operational leadership for Primary ITO's customer services, enrolments and Training Management System (TMS) functions.

The role is accountable for an effective customer experience, accurate and timely enrolment and academic administration, the integrity of learner and programme records, and systems and processes that meet organisational, TEC, NZQA and other relevant requirements.

You would also set and lead the operating strategy and service model, manage performance and capacity, and work across the organisation to translate business and regulatory needs into practical systems, controls and improvements.

Tasks and responsibilities include:

• Develops and delivers the strategy, operating model, and annual priorities for customer services, enrolments and the Trainee Management System (TMS) function.
• Owning the end-to-end customer service and enrolment model, ensuring timely, consistent and positive experiences for learners, employers, providers and internal customers. Also ensuring enrolment processes and decisions comply with organisational policy and relevant TEC, NZQA, funding and requirements.
• Ensuring programme and learner data, master data, interfaces, forms, system controls and supporting evidence are accurate, secure, current and fit for purpose.
• Establishing a proportionate operational assurance framework, including routine monitoring, sampling, exception reporting and corrective action.

This is a permanent, full-time role (40 hours Monday to Friday) ideal based in Te Aro, Wellington but the location can be flexible within New Zealand for the right candidate.

About You:

Ideally, we are looking for someone with:

• Extensive relevant experience within the tertiary education sector, including strong understanding of TEC and NZQA requirements relating to student enrolments, records management, and compliance.
• Strong planning, organisational, coordination, and implementation skills.
• Highly developed relationship-building and stakeholder engagement skills with demonstrated experience successfully leading and managing an operational delivery team.
• Sound technical knowledge and practical experience using Customer Relationship Management (CRM) systems.
• Proven ability to analyse and interpret information, prepare complex correspondence, and produce comprehensive reports with a strong solutions-focused approach, with the ability to identify opportunities, resolve issues, and achieve positive outcomes.
• Intermediate to advanced computer literacy, including strong proficiency in Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.

About Us

Primary ITO, a business division under the new Food & Fibre Industry Skills Board, is New Zealand’s largest industry training organisation and only organisation in New Zealand dedicated to providing training and qualifications to over 30 primary industries.

We work with employers and others in our industry to identify, manage and promote training opportunities and to make sure our qualifications are up-to-date and deliver the skills the industry needs.

How To Apply

Click 'apply now’ to go to our Primary ITO Career Portal to apply or view the job description. Please contact maxine.okeeffe@primaryito.ac.nz for more information about this role.

*Please note we will only consider applications with the permanent legal rights to work in New Zealand.

Applications close on Monday 28 September 2026.

Position description Apply now

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