Deputy Director-Generals report to Director-General, Lou Sanson.
Partnerships Group
Deputy Director-General: Lian Butcher (Acting)
The Partnerships Group is responsible for achieving conservation growth through large scale, high impact partnerships.
It works on projects across the country where there is an opportunity to create significant conservation growth.
The Partnerships Group has four Partnership Directors (located in Auckland, Hamilton, Nelson and Dunedin) along with three Wellington based Partnership Directors who specialise in business, community engagement and support.
It includes the International unit which represents New Zealand on international conservation issues.
Operations Group
Deputy Director-General: Michael Slater
Michael Slater
Each region is led by an Operations Director based in Whangārei, Hamilton, Taupo, Palmerston North, Christchurch, Nelson, Hokitika and Invercargill.
The group looks after everything we manage locally including:
- pest control and threatened species management
- recreation work, ie tracks, camps and reserves
- visitor centres
- commercial opportunities and wildlife and collection permits
- Resource Management Act, statutory land management and management planning
- local community engagement including community conservation, education, events and media
- strategic iwi relationships including Treaty settlements.
The Operations Group also includes planning, permissions and land teams, engineers, Pou Tairangahau, fire and compliance work.
Biodiversity and Engagement Group
Acting Deputy Director-General: Kevin O'Connor
The Biodiversity Group builds our scientific and technical knowledge and applies it to conservation.
It works to inspire people to connect with and care for New Zealand's natural environment.
The group's key functional areas are:
- aquatic
- terrestrial ecosystems
- threats
- planning and support
- customer engagement (communications and marketing)
- Threatened Species Ambassador.
Ginny Baddeley
People Group
Deputy Director-General: Ginny Baddeley
The People Group's key functional areas are:
- organisational development
- human resources
- health and safety.
Policy and Visitors Group
Bruce Parkes
Deputy Director-General: Bruce Parkes
The Policy and Visitors Group develops sound conservation policy to protect our nature, and help create a national network of science and research capability that will drive conservation knowledge and innovation.
The group's key functional areas are:
- government services
- heritage and visitors
- policy
- pricing and economics
Corporate Services Group
Deputy Director-General: Rachel Bruce
Rachel Bruce
The Corporate Services Group ensures we have the business systems, tools and support we need to achieve our missions and objectives.
The group’s key functional areas are:
- business and investment
- business assurance
- information systems and services
- business shared services
- legal services
- outcomes management
- administration.
Kāhui Kaupapa Atawhai
Michelle Hippolite
Deputy Director-General: Michelle Hippolite
Kāhui Kaupapa Atawhai ensures we fulfil our responsibilities to Māori under the Conservation Act; manages our funding teams, and monitors the activities of the Queen Elizabeth II National Trust.
Te Tohu Huarahi (Future direction/strategic positioning): Leads the integration of Kaupapa Māori in DOC as essential to conservation management and works to position us to meet our responsibilities to Māori under the Conservation Act.
Te Putahitanga (Strategic partnerships): Coordinates our connection with whanau, hapū and iwi with the Pou Tairangahau network. Works closely with our Policy Negotiation Unit regarding the Treaty settlement process.
Te Kotahitanga (Strategic cultural capability): Leads projects and processes to build our cultural awareness and cultural capability to enable us to work effectively in a Māori dimension.
Whenua Muna (Non-departmental funds): This grouping comprises the Ngā Whenua Rāhui and the Mātauranga Kura Taiao Fund. Also part of this group is Pūtea Urutapu which is the Nature Heritage Fund and Biodiversity, Condition and Advice Fund as well as the Terrestrial and Freshwater Biodiversity Information Systems Fund.