Head of Portfolio Completion

Auckland, New Zealand Permanent

We are the Guardians of New Zealand Superannuation. We are proud of our purpose: sustainable investment delivering strong returns for all New Zealanders. We invest government contributions to the New Zealand Super Fund, a global investment fund helping to ensure the country can pay for the growing cost of universal superannuation (New Zealand Superannuation) in the future. We also oversee the Elevate Fund, which invests in small, fast-growing New Zealand companies.

At the Guardians there's an energy, passion and a shared commitment to excellence: in 2025 the New Zealand Super Fund was named the world's best-performing sovereign wealth fund. The work is complex, innovative and intellectually stimulating.

In keeping with its long-term investment horizon and inter-generational nature, the Fund is growth-oriented and takes a sustainable finance approach. The Fund is invested globally in a wide range of investment strategies across public and private markets.

Investing for New Zealand

As the Head of Portfolio Completion at the Guardians of New Zealand Superannuation (Guardians), you will lead the Portfolio Completion team responsible for the New Zealand Superannuation Fund (Fund) Reference Portfolio, currency overlays, liquidity and treasury functions, and execution services for value-add activities. Reporting to the Co-Chief Investment Officer, you will contribute to the strategic direction of the Investments business and the wider organisation as a member of the Investments leadership team.

The role and your impact

As leader of the Portfolio Completion team, you will direct a high‑performing team to deliver and implement both the passive and active public market exposure for the Fund, ensuring complete and efficient total Fund positioning. You will oversee foreign exchange, synthetic and physical market replication, manager funding, and the Fund's liquidity and rebalancing disciplines. You will maximise value-add within active risk limits to the Internal Investment Mandates (IIMs) by originating and executing positions, maintaining rigorous risk and performance management, and rebalancing the Fund's total risk within Board‑agreed parameters while ensuring full compliance with policies, procedures, and prudential limits

The role requires experience in managing risk in public market strategies, , broad knowledge of financial products across FX, Equities, Fixed Income and credit in both cash and derivatives and deep capital markets expertise. You will drive disciplined liquidity management; and be accountable for the performance and risk of internal public market mandates.

Success also depends on exceptional relationship management with counterparties, asset managers, peers, and internal stakeholders; effective contribution to the Investment Committee, Funding Treasury Group, and other forums; enterprise collaboration; and visible leadership that champions the Guardians' values, systems excellence, and organisation‑wide initiatives.

About you

An accomplished management and leadership professional with exceptional verbal and written communication and strong self-awareness, you will combine advanced numeracy with analytical rigour and a consistent ability to make accurate, timely decisions under pressure. You will hold relevant graduate qualifications and bring deep experience across capital markets, financial risk management, treasury, and trading.

Your prior experience will include strong trading acumen and disciplined risk management, pragmatic problem solving, and sound commercial judgement. You will be able to operate with initiative and a continuous improvement mindset, and are collegial and constructive, adept at fostering effective relationships with internal and external stakeholders. With strong personal resilience you will be considered and thoughtful and lead with humility and integrity.

Application Process

Heidrick & Struggles is managing the appointment process for this role. To apply or express interest, please contact Blake Roberts at [email protected].

The Guardians encourages and welcomes applications from people with diverse experience, including applicants with specific disability needs. As a proudly committed equal opportunity employer, we challenge discrimination and actively work to eliminate bias in our hiring practices. Diversity of experience and diversity of background help us to solve complex problems and deliver on our purpose.

Job Identification: 1380

Closing date: 7 November 2025