Our Nominations Service supports women interested in governance positions within the public sector.
We advise women enrolled in our Nominations database about vacancies on public sector boards and committees, matching their skills, backgrounds, and levels of experience with the roles advertised, and support their applications if they decide to apply.
There are more than 400 public sector boards and committees in New Zealand, with around 800 appointments made each year.
Use our Journey to Appointment pathway to learn about the steps along the way.
Register with our Nominations Service
If you are a woman interested in starting or furthering your governance career within the public sector, we would love to hear from you.
Your first step is to enrol in our Nominations database and upload your governance CV. We have helpful tips for preparing a governance CV on our website.
We will use the information you provide when we search for suitably qualified and experienced women for board vacancies. We will also use this information to contact your regarding board roles or to notify you of training opportunities.
Once you have registered with the Nominations Service, make sure that you keep your details and CV on the database up to date; an outdated CV can put you at a disadvantage. To update your CV or other details just login to the Nominations database and make your updates at any time.
We look forward to receiving your registration. If you want to talk to us more about becoming a public sector board or committee member, email boards@women.govt.nz or telephone 04 915 7112.
What happens next?
We work closely with appointing agencies that advise us of upcoming vacancies on public sector boards and committees across a range of sectors. We will contact you about any vacancies that we think you're a good fit for. If you apply for one of these roles, let us know so we can notify the appointing agency that Manatū Wāhine supports your application.
Occasionally we are asked for nominations in confidence. If this is the case, you may be contacted directly by an appointing agency to gauge your interest in a role that we or the Minister for Women have put your name forward to as a direct nomination.
In general, public sector roles are in high demand and it can be a very competitive and lengthy process. There is also no guarantee that by joining the Nominations database that you will be appointed to a public sector board or committee.
In the meantime, depending on your level of experience and your interests, you may want to seek out board vacancies in other sectors such as not-for-profit, community, sporting or health sectors, private enterprises, or professional groups. You could also look at further opportunities to upskill by finding courses and resources on the Leadership Learning Hub.
Board vacancies are also regularly advertised online through social media channels such as Linkedin, websites such as Appoint Better Boards, or on an organisation's website. We encourage women on our database to apply for these or to seek out opportunities through other channels
If you are not available
If you are not currently available for consideration, or no longer want to be on the database, email boards@women.govt.nz.