Careers at WellingtonNZ

About WellingtonNZ

WellingtonNZ is the agency tasked with creating a thriving Wellington region for all. And we are shamelessly passionate about this wild and wonderful place we call home.

We want Wellington to be one of the most vibrant places to live and visit in Australasia. In a nutshell, we do this by:

marketing Wellington as a destination for visitors, migrants, investors and students
helping businesses grow and innovate
attracting and promoting events
running Wellington’s civic venues
advocating for big projects that will make Wellington even better.

Learn more about what we do

Why WellingtonNZ?

WellingtonNZ truly values its people. We’re committed to building an inclusive and collaborative culture. We want our people to thrive, have fun and make a difference in the Wellington region.

We have many things you would expect from a great employer:

flexible working options tailored to you
wellbeing programmes
relaxed working environments
a real coffee machine (saving you money every day).

Job opportunities

Business Events Wellington Manager

Business Events Wellington is the official convention bureau for the Wellington region and a business unit of WellingtonNZ. The Business Events Wellington (BEW) Team is tasked with increasing economic and societal impact for Wellington by attracting business events and increasing awareness of Wellington as a leading business events destination in the Pacific region.

We’re looking for an experienced and strategic leader to step into the permanent, full-time role of Business Events Wellington Manager, leading a high‑performing team and driving the attraction of conferences and business events from New Zealand, Australia and international markets.

About the role

As Business Events Wellington Manager, you’ll lead the BEW team and set the strategic direction for business event attraction, sales and marketing activity. The role is crucial for attracting business events to Tākina Wellington Convention & Exhibition Centre as the city’s largest purpose-built conference venue and is the lead position in overseeing the attraction of business from New Zealand, Australia and internationally.

Key responsibilities include:

Lead, develop and inspire the Business Events Wellington team
Develop and deliver the BEW sales strategy and annual business activity plan
Oversee conference bidding, lead generation and conversion activity
Build strong relationships with Tākina Events to ensure a seamless sales experience for clients
Manage sales and marketing budgets and performance targets
Represent Wellington at key industry organisations and events, domestically and internationally
Build and maintain strong relationships with industry partners, stakeholders and professional conference organisers
Oversee marketing and promotional activity to grow awareness of Wellington in priority markets

About you

You’ll bring passion for the Wellington region and business events, strong commercial acumen and demonstrable knowledge of and direct experience in:

Building long-term Sales and Marketing strategies in the Convention market that are focused on growing international business.
Building a sales pipeline for a major international convention centre
The metropolitan competitive market for international conventions
Team Leadership and Management
Developing and managing budgets and sales performance targets, with strong financial and budgeting skills, including reporting
Developing and maintaining strong relationships within the Business Events industry and key stakeholders

It’s important you are comfortable and able to travel domestically and internationally for business purposes, with flexibility to host clients in the evenings/weekends if required.

About us

WellingtonNZ is the agency tasked with ‘Creating a thriving Wellington Region for all’. Our organisation is shamelessly passionate about this wonderful region we call home and wants to make it famous as the most creative place in New Zealand to live, work, visit and play.

We lead the way for our region's economic development, support key sectors including technology, screen, and tourism, as well as promoting our region and major business and performance events. From Wellington to Porirua, Kāpiti, Wairarapa, and the Hutt Valley, our work aims to create the jobs that our region needs and to improve the quality of life of all our people.

Why people love it here

WellingtonNZ truly values its people and is committed to building an inclusive and collaborative culture where everyone can thrive, have fun and make a difference for the Wellington region.

We have all the things you would expect from a great employer — flexible working options that can be tailor-made for you, wellbeing programmes, relaxed working environments and quiet spaces, encouragement to bring your best self to work, and a real coffee machine.

Apply today

If you think this opportunity is for you, and you are ready to be part of a diverse organisation all about making the Wellington region thrive, then apply today through Seek.

Want to know more before applying? Please email Kirsty at people@wellingtonnz.com.

Applications close at 5pm, Wednesday 11 February. However, if we receive a high volume of suitable candidates, we may close earlier than the advertised date. We encourage you to apply as soon as possible to avoid missing out on this opportunity.

Remuneration for this role will be based on the skillset and competencies that the successful applicant brings to the role. The appointing salary for this role is likely between $141,900 - $157,700.

Recruitment Agencies: The recruitment for this role is being managed directly by our People and Culture team. Should agency support be required, we will engage with our preferred agencies. Thank you for understanding.

*Please note that to be eligible for this opportunity, you’ll be based in the Wellington region and hold a valid Work Visa that allows you to be employed in New Zealand. We are not accredited with ImmigrationNZ.

Watch: Haere mai ki Te Whanganui a Tara — Welcome to Wellington!

Whether you’re hanging out with friends or whānau, there’s no shortage of things to see and do in the Wellington region. There are culinary delights, wine, beer, arts, culture, nature, and wildlife experiences in the capital.

The view from Mount Victoria Lookout on a sunny day with Oriental Bay beach and Wellington City in the background.

1:01

Audio: Upbeat music plays throughout the whole video. There are no spoken words.

Text on screen: Welcome to Wellington

Aerial view looking over the city, showing Wellington Harbour at sunrise with low clouds.
Two people walk hand in hand along Oriental Parade. It is a sunny day and the beach is full of people lying in the sun and swimming.
Two people hold hands and laugh while they walk down an alleyway past Egmont Street Eatery.

Text on screen: Where you can find...

Four people walk down an alleyway with low lighting and fairy lights hanging from the ceiling.

Text on screen: Culinary delights

A chef in a kitchen sprinkles a green garnish onto a plate of food that is ready to be served.
A busy kitchen with two chefs adding the finishing touches to plates of food.
Close-up view of milk being poured into a coffee, in the pattern of a fern.
Close-up of a person flipping whitebait fritters on a barbecue.
A person picks up a thick slice of toast topped with peanut butter, jam, and freeze-dried raspberries.
A person pours a beer into a glass from a beer tap.
Four people socialising outside on a deck, drinking craft beer.
Close-up of a hand swirling a glass of red wine with blurred vineyards in the background.
Rows of grape vines with trees and the Remutaka Range in the background.

Text on screen: Your culture fix

A person walks past a gallery wall with over 20 framed portraits on it. The portraits depict people of significance.
Two people look up at a tall māori carving.
A close-up of a waka (māori canoe).
A person puts their face inside a kaleidoscope mirror. Their face is reflected many times in a honeycomb shape.
Four people look up in amazement at an exhibition.
A model at the World of Wearable Art (WoW) awards show wearing an extravagant dress and headpiece on stage.
Another model at WoW spins around on stage, showing their dress.
Dancers on stilts at WoW drop their red veils on the floor in unison.

Text on screen: Urban adventure

A giraffe in an enclosure sticks its long tongue out at a child who is feeding it greenery.
The Bucket Fountain sculpture splashes water from the red, yellow, and blue buckets.
A child jumps off a wooden diving board on the waterfront on a sunny day. A marina and Mount Victoria are in the background.
Two people bike along a gravel road towards a white lighthouse.
An aerial view of a red and white striped lighthouse, on a rugged coastline.
Towering rock formations at Putangirua Pinnacles Scenic Reserve.
The Cable Car travels up the hill, with Wellington city and harbour in the background.
Two people walking through native grasses with the blue sparkling harbour in the background.
Three people walk through a forest full of native bush.
A native parrot flies off a branch and into the trees.
A child on an adult’s shoulders smiles surrounded by trees.
A close-up of a native kiwi bird.
Two parents and their two children walk through an alleyway holding hands and smiling.

Text on screen: And creativity around every corner...

Two people walk up steps pained with a rainbow pattern.
Three people walk past garages pained with colourful street art.
A person opens a red door and walks into Fidel’s Cafe.
Close-up of sunglasses and jewellery on display at a store.
Lights flicker in front of a plastic mannequin head.
Looking through the window of a thrift shop. The store window is lined with three mannequins and a large pink neon sign that says ‘Vintage’.
Three people laugh as they browse through secondhand clothing. One person holds up a shirt they have found.
Street performers dressed in yellow outfits dance on Cuba Street in the middle of the road during a festival.
Aerial view of Cuba Street showing a crowd of hundreds of people.

Text on screen: Artist — The Dream Girl’s Collective

People performing on stage at Cuba Dupa as the crowd cheers.
Street performers in silver sequin outfits dancing at Cuba Dupa.
A waiter carrying drinks inside a restaurant.
Five people enjoying a meal and talking over milkshakes.

Text on screen: Welcome to Wellington

Three people with their hands in the air at sunset on Mount Victoria, with the harbour and city behind them.
An aerial view of Michael Fowler Centre and Wellington waterfront.

Text on screen: WellingtonNZ.com

Looking down on Wellington city from Mount Victoria at sunset, the orange glow of the city lighting up is seen as well as the purple hills and blue water.

What we do

WellingtonNZ is here to make the Wellington region thrive as a place to live, visit, study, work, do business, and invest.

Super close up of a Kea inside the Wellington zoo.

Contact WellingtonNZ

Get in touch with WellingtonNZ, the Wellington Region’s Economic Development Agency.

The Windy Wellington sign on a green hill in Miramar, Wellington, New Zealand.

Strategies and publications

By the numbers.... find everything from our Regional Economic Development Plan to our Statement of Intent and Annual Reports.

7 members of the WellingtonNZ board pictured in front of the Cuba Street bucket Fountain.

WellingtonNZ Board of Directors

The WellingtonNZ Board brings together leaders with a broad range of experience, knowledge and expertise.

Two kākā sit on tree branches with a third hanging upside down. Two of the birds are nipping at each other.

Senior Leadership Team

Meet the WellingtonNZ Senior Leadership Team tasked with enhancing prosperity, vibrancy and liveability across the region.

3 children and an adult sit at table at House of Science and play with magnets.

Wellington Regional Economic Development Plan

The plan guides the long-term direction of Wellington’s economy. Its vision is to build a future-focused, creative, sustainable, and thriving region for all to be proud of.

Join the team