Independent Chair
Reconnect Family Services
Te Ope Pirita Limited (RFS-TOP)
CANDIDATE INFORMATION PACK
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Executive Summary
THE OPPORTUNITY
Reconnect Family Services Te Ope Pirita (RFS-TOP) is a purpose-led organisation working to empower and connect young people, whānau and communities. As the wholly owned service company of Reconnect Trust Board, RFS-TOP delivers services in pursuit of the Trust's charitable purpose, guided by the values of Tika, Pono and Aroha.
This is an important governance leadership opportunity for an experienced director to serve as Independent Chair, leading an effective, future-focused Board and strengthening governance, assurance, strategic focus and organisational sustainability.
The opportunity will appeal to a governance leader motivated by:
- Purpose and impact – contributing to better outcomes for young people, whānau and communities.
- Governance leadership – leading a constructive, disciplined and high-performing Board culture.
- Strategic stewardship – maintaining focus on organisational performance, financial sustainability, risk and long-term direction.
- Group governance – supporting effective alignment between RFS-TOP and Reconnect Trust Board while respecting the distinct responsibilities of each Board.
- Constructive relationships – building trusted relationships across the Board, shareholder, Chief Executive and senior leadership while maintaining clear governance boundaries.
The Independent Chair has an opportunity to make a significant contribution to both the governance maturity of RFS-TOP and its continued ability to deliver sustainable social impact.
THE ROLE
The Independent Chair provides effective and independent governance leadership to the RFS-TOP Board, ensuring it fulfils its responsibilities within the wider Reconnect Group and operates in accordance with its Constitution, legislative obligations, governance policies, agreed delegations, shareholder arrangements and organisational values.
Central to the role is creating the conditions for the Board to govern well – maintaining a strategic and future focus, encouraging independent thinking and constructive challenge, drawing on the collective expertise of Directors and ensuring disciplined, well-informed decision-making.
Key responsibilities include:
- Leading Board effectiveness, including agenda setting, information flow, meeting discipline, constructive debate and collective decision-making.
- Maintaining Board focus on strategy, organisational performance, financial sustainability, material risks, quality, safeguarding, culture and long-term stewardship.
- Ensuring effective governance-level assurance, accountability, delegations and reporting.
- Maintaining a constructive relationship with Reconnect Trust Board and supporting alignment across the wider Group.
- Building a strong and appropriately challenging relationship with the Chief Executive, who remains the Board's primary executive interface.
- Supporting effective Board composition, evaluation, succession planning and ongoing governance development.
- Maintaining clear boundaries between governance and management while enabling appropriate access to executive expertise and assurance.
THE CANDIDATE
The successful candidate will be an accomplished governance leader with demonstrated experience as a director and the capability to effectively chair a Board or significant governance committee.
You will bring:
- Governance leadership – the ability to lead an effective Board, enable diverse perspectives, facilitate constructive debate and build collective ownership of decisions.
- Strategic and commercial judgement – the ability to think across the organisation and wider Group, critically assess opportunities and risks, and maintain focus on purpose, performance and sustainability.
- Governance and assurance expertise – a strong understanding of directors' duties, financial stewardship, enterprise risk, policy governance, organisational assurance and accountability.
- Group governance capability – an understanding of parent-subsidiary governance and the ability to balance RFS-TOP's legal and fiduciary responsibilities with the purpose, values and governance arrangements of Reconnect Trust Board.
- Relationship leadership – high emotional intelligence, diplomacy and influence, with the ability to build trusted relationships and reconcile differing perspectives while maintaining independence.
- Purpose and cultural alignment – commitment to Tika, Pono and Aroha, together with an applied understanding of Te Tiriti o Waitangi and culturally responsive governance.
You will be comfortable providing constructive challenge and holding management to account while maintaining respectful and productive relationships. Importantly, you will understand where governance ends and management begins, providing leadership through the Board rather than becoming operational.
Experience within complex social services, youth, whānau, community or adjacent service environments would be advantageous. The Board will also value experience in areas such as government contracting and commissioning, commercial or partnership development, people and culture, stakeholder and government relations, digital enablement, quality, safeguarding or service transformation.
Above all, the Independent Chair will bring integrity, independence, sound judgement and inclusive leadership, creating an environment in which the Board can make its strongest collective contribution to RFS-TOP's purpose and future.
Candidates must be Auckland based and have the capacity to actively participate in Board meetings, committee activities and other governance responsibilities as required.
For a confidential discussion, please get in touch with:
We invite you to discuss this exceptional leadership opportunity with David Price from the HardyGroup. M. +64 (0)21 0239 2211 | E. dprice@hardygroupintl.com
Reconnect
About Us
Reconnect is a not-for-profit organisation, working to empower and connect rangatahi, their whānau, and the community. The Reconnect Group includes the Reconnect Trust Board (RTB) and its operational delivery arm, Reconnect Family Services Te Ope Pirita (RFS-TOP).
The Reconnect Trust Board is the sole owner of its subsidiary, RFS-TOP, which provides services to children and young people through various programmes. The role of Reconnect Trust Board includes effectively representing and promoting the interests of the Trust with a view to sustainably developing and promoting its charitable purposes. RTB directs and supervises the management of the business and the affairs of the Trust, including but not limited to compliance, assets, acquisitions, and investments.
RFS-TOP provides care for young people entering Oranga Tamariki’s Youth Justice or Care & Protection systems. Our highly trained mentors, youth workers, residential carers, home-based caregivers, and clinical case managers help youth make positive choices, reintegrate back into education and training, rebuild relationships with their whānau and set goals for themselves. They go the extra mile for their young people.
Our Pou
Reconnect’s success is built on four key pillars, or Pou. These Pou are at the heart of everything we do as an organisation. They are woven through each of our programmes, which are designed to help youth reconnect in positive ways with whānau, community, and society.
Manaakitanga - Respect, generosity and care for others
Ko te manaakitanga o te aroha ki te tangata te mea nui ki a mātou
Showing respect, providing care and acting with generosity are of paramount importance to us.
Whānaungatanga - Relationships
Ka hono mātou ki ngā whānau me ngā roopu, kia pai ai te mahitahi
We develop relationships with whānau and organisations to work well together.
Kaitiakitanga - Guardianship
Kei te pumau mātou ki te tiaki pai i ngā iwi.
We are committed to taking good care of our people.
Kotahitanga - Unity
Ahakoa i ngā rereketanga o te tangata, ka mahitahi mātou i roto i te Kotahitanga.
Regardless of the differences of our people, we work together in unity.
Role Specification
The primary purpose of the Independent Chair is to provide effective and independent governance leadership to the RFS-TOP Board and to ensure the Board fulfils its responsibilities for the governance of RFS-TOP within the wider Reconnect Group. The Chair leads the Board in accordance with RFS-TOP's Constitution, relevant legislation, agreed delegations, governance policies, values and shareholder arrangements, while maintaining constructive relationships with Reconnect Trust Board and the Chief Executive.
The role is intended to strengthen governance, assurance, strategic focus and Board effectiveness. The Chair supports clear accountability between governance and management, with the Chief Executive as the primary governance-to-executive interface and accountable executive for RFS-TOP performance. The Chair may maintain an appropriate and direct working relationship with the Chief Operating Officer and other senior executives for information, expertise and assurance, provided that such engagement does not create a parallel reporting or accountability line, operational direction or duplicated management accountability.
- Lead the RFS-TOP Board effectively, including agenda setting, information flow, meeting discipline and constructive Board discussion.
- Ensure Board decisions, delegations and reporting arrangements support RFS-TOP's purpose, performance, financial sustainability, contractual obligations and long-term stewardship within the Reconnect Group.
- Ensure RFS-TOP is governed in accordance with its Constitution, relevant legislation, governance policies, values, shareholder requirements and agreed Reconnect Group arrangements.
- Facilitate Board oversight of strategy, annual planning, budgets, organisational performance, enterprise and material operational risks, quality, safeguarding, culture and other material matters through appropriate governance-level information and assurance.
- Maintain the Chief Executive as the Board's primary executive relationship, providing support, constructive challenge and clear governance expectations. Lead the Board in holding the Chief Executive to account for RFS-TOP performance within agreed strategy, annual objectives, delegations, risk appetite and Group governance arrangements.
- Maintain a constructive and, where useful, regular working relationship with the Chief Operating Officer and other senior executives for information, expertise and assurance. Such engagement may be direct, but must not create parallel accountability, operational direction, or substitute for the Chief Executive's accountability to the Board.
- Promote Board effectiveness through high-quality information, disciplined discussion, evaluation, succession planning and appropriate committee or director assignments. Communicate the Board's views through agreed governance channels and support clear accountability between RFS-TOP, Reconnect Trust Board and management.
Role boundaries
- The Chair acts through the RFS-TOP Board and does not exercise executive management authority.
- The Board holds the Chief Executive to account for RFS-TOP performance within the agreed Group governance framework. The Chief Executive is expected to maintain an effective working relationship with the Chair and sufficient engagement with the Board to discharge that accountability. Formal employment accountability for the Chief Executive is with the Chair of the Reconnect Trust Board and Chief Executive Delegated Authority Policy.
- The Chief Executive is responsible for the management structure, executive delegation and operational delivery of RFS-TOP. The Chair does not direct the Chief Operating Officer or other employees.
- Direct engagement between the Chair and the Chief Operating Officer or other senior executives is appropriate, and may be regular, where it supports governance information, specialist advice or assurance. It must not create a separate management relationship, alter executive reporting lines, or bypass the Chief Executive's accountability.
- Changes to executive roles and reporting lines should be guided by the board approved Chief Executive Delegated Authority Policy and Management Standard.
View the full scope of these in the Position Description.
Key skills, experience and attributes
The following requirements separate core expectations from desirable additional strengths.
Must haves
- Demonstrated governance experience, including experience as a director and the capability to chair or lead a board or committee effectively.
- Strong understanding of directors' duties, subsidiary and group governance, Board accountability, financial stewardship, risk management, policy governance and organisational assurance.
- Ability to govern effectively within a parent-subsidiary structure, balancing RFS-TOP's legal and fiduciary responsibilities with the purpose, values and agreed governance arrangements of Reconnect Trust Board.
- Sound judgement, independence, integrity and the confidence to provide constructive challenge and hold management to account while maintaining respectful relationships.
- Ability to distinguish governance from management and to work effectively with the Chief Executive and senior executives without becoming operational or creating parallel reporting relationships.
- Commitment to Tika, Pono and Aroha, an understanding of Te Tiriti o Waitangi, and culturally responsive governance.
- A collaborative and inclusive leadership style that enables full board participation, constructive inquiry and collective ownership of decisions.
Desirable skills and experience
- Experience in complex social service, youth, whānau, community or adjacent service delivery environments.
- Knowledge of government contracting, procurement, tendering, commissioning, or social service sector funding arrangements.
- Commercial, partnership or business development experience relevant to organisational sustainability and growth.
- People and culture experience, including leadership development, workforce engagement, organisational culture, diversity and inclusion.
- Government relations, stakeholder engagement, advocacy, marketing, brand or communications experience.
- Digital enablement, ESG, quality improvement, safeguarding or service transformation experience.
View the full scope of these in the Position Description.
1. Governance Leadership and Board Effectiveness
Demonstrated experience as a director and the capability to chair or lead a Board or significant governance committee effectively. Proven ability to provide independent governance leadership, facilitate constructive debate, draw on the collective expertise of Directors, enable diverse perspectives and build a disciplined, high-performing Board culture focused on purpose, strategy and effective decision-making.
2. Strategic, Financial, Risk and Organisational Stewardship
Strong understanding of directors' duties and demonstrated capability in strategic governance, financial stewardship, enterprise risk, organisational assurance and long-term sustainability. Able to maintain Board focus on organisational performance, material risks and strategic opportunities, critically assess governance-level information and ensure appropriate assurance without becoming operational.
3. Group and Parent-Subsidiary Governance
Demonstrated capability to govern effectively within a parent-subsidiary, group or similarly complex governance environment. Able to balance RFS-TOP's legal and fiduciary responsibilities with shareholder expectations, agreed Group governance arrangements and the purpose and values of Reconnect Trust Board, while maintaining clarity of roles, delegations, accountability and decision-making authority.
4. Executive Accountability and Governance Relationships
Proven ability to establish trusted and appropriately challenging relationships with Chief Executives, Directors and senior leaders. Demonstrates the judgement and discipline to support and hold the Chief Executive to account, maintain clear governance-management boundaries and engage with senior executives for information, expertise and assurance without creating parallel accountability or becoming operational.
5. Te Tiriti o Waitangi, Purpose and Values-Led Governance
Demonstrates an applied understanding of Te Tiriti o Waitangi and culturally responsive governance, including the ability to support partnership, participation, protection, equity and Māori aspirations through Board leadership, strategic oversight and organisational accountability. Strong alignment with Reconnect's purpose and commitment to modelling Tika, Pono and Aroha through transparent, ethical and respectful governance leadership.
6. Relationship Leadership, Influence and Independent Judgement
Highly developed interpersonal, communication and relationship-building skills, with the emotional intelligence, diplomacy and influence required to lead effectively across the Board, shareholder and executive environment. Able to reconcile differing perspectives constructively, foster inclusive participation, exercise sound independent judgement and provide constructive challenge while maintaining trust, integrity and collective accountability.
To be discussed with the Principal Consultant.
Candidates must be Auckland based and have the capacity to actively participate in Board meetings, committee activities and other governance responsibilities as required.
The closing date for applications is Wednesday, 16 September 2026
The reference number to include in your application is H26_5566
Note: Please use the online platform to submit your application. It will not be accepted via email.
If you require assistance in submitting your application online, please get in touch with Executive Search Coordinator, Aldie Zuñiga: M: +61 (0)494 101 082 / E: azuniga@hardygroupintl.com
Your application must include:
- Cover letter addressed to the Principal Consultant;
- A written response addressing the key selection criteria; and
- An up to date copy of your Curriculum Vitae.
It Is standard practice for HardyGroup to acknowledge receipt of your application no later than the next business day. We request that if you do not receive the acknowledgement, you contact the search coordinator listed above as soon as possible after the 24-hour business period and arrange to resend your application if necessary.
For a confidential discussion, please contact:
David Price
HG National Manager, New Zealand
M. +64 (0)210 2392211
E. dprice@hardygroupintl.com
ABOUT US
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Find and Grow Great Leaders - and we have been doing exactly that for more than 30 years in public and private health, primary, community and aged care as well as the broader public service.
Our synergistic business model of Executive Search and Recruitment integrated with Executive Leadership and Learning is our unique point of difference.
It ensures our clients can count on us for the lifecycle of their organisations leadership journey and why we are regarded as the leading trans-Tasman partner agency by clients.
When engaging HG you can be confident in a deeply personalised experience and service as nothing matters more to us than relationships and results.