Chief Executive Officer

• Lead strategic and operational performance and fundraising to keep critical services flying
• Champion high-impact relationships and grow diverse revenue streams, to serve the community
• Based in Christchurch
• Package includes full use of company vehicle

About the Trusts:

The Canterbury West Coast Air Rescue Trust (CWCART) has funded the life-saving rescue helicopters in Canterbury and the West Coast since 1989. Working alongside service provider GCH Aviation, the Trust is tasked with raising $6 million each year to support the operation of the service, which is not fully government funded. The Trust’s funding also supports the provision of life-saving equipment and additional crew training, all of which improves patient care and outcomes.

Running a 24/7 emergency service, and always on call the crew attend accidents, medical events, inter-hospital patient transfers, and search and rescue operations, with a service covering the area from Waitaki River across to Haast in the South and from Karamea in the North across to Kaikōura and out to sea on both coasts.

New Zealand Flying Doctor Trust (NZFDT) is an independent charitable trust established to support the New Zealand Flying Doctor Service, a fleet of three fixed-wing air ambulances operating nationwide from bases in Christchurch and Nelson. All three aircraft are fully pressurised and fitted with state-of-the-art medical equipment for the purpose of critical care patient transfer services between hospitals across New Zealand. The planes are flying intensive care units, operating 24/7 to fly critical care burn victims, spinal injury patients, neonatal transfers, trauma victims, surgery or rehabilitation transfers, and blood and equipment supplies.

About The Role: 

Reporting to the Trust Board through the Chair, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) is responsible for the effective strategic and operational leadership of the Trusts, to ensure the success of CWCART and NZFDT.  You will be the Brand Champion for CWCART and NZFDT and oversee the fundraising that keeps these critical services flying.

Responsibilities include:

• Implementing the strategy and overseeing operational performance
• Team leadership
• Sustaining and enhancing relationships with key stakeholders and sponsors
• Creating financial stability and achieving fundraising and revenue targets
• Enhancing the donor experience and growing defined, diverse revenue streams and awareness
• Holding the operator to account for the delivery of the plans and business cases approved by CWCART and NZFDT.

Skills & Experience: 

With a tertiary qualification and background in sales, marketing and developing supporter relationships, you will bring proven experience in a Chief Executive or Senior Executive position.  As a strategic leader you will have a track record of delivering successful business outcomes with a team, supporting high performance and a positive culture.  To be successful, you will need:

• Strong commercial acumen, negotiation and contract management skills
• Ability to lead projects with cross-functional teams and complex stakeholder relationships
• Experience in engaging directly and personally with high value customers and able to convert the relationships into mutually beneficial outcomes
• Skills in growing and diversifying revenue streams
• An action orientation, with a track record as a problem solver, trouble shooter and lateral thinker
• Agility, flexibility, and be comfortable in a constantly changing environment
• Resilience in the face of ‘anything thrown at you’
• An understanding of the principles of Te Tiriti o Waitangi
• Experience working with and reporting to Boards
• A passion for the purpose and alignment with the mission and values of the organisation.

 The role can have fluctuating workloads and tight deadlines, and evening and weekend work is needed at times to deliver the agreed strategic plan.

Candidates can apply, in strict confidence, online at www.sheffield.co.nz

To apply by email, please attach your cover letter and CV in a PDF format wherever possible and send to cvchc@sheffield.co.nz quoting 9130aa.  Applications close on 15 February 2026.  Emails will be electronically acknowledged, and further correspondence may be by email. 

Click here to view the Candidate Briefing document including a full Position Description.

For more information please phone Andrea Bankier on +64 27 447 8102.