Background
Basketball has been part of the fabric of Hawke’s Bay for half a century. The first Hawks team took the floor in 1976; 2026 marks 50 years since.
The Hawke’s Bay Basketball Foundation Inc. is the charitable organisation behind the Big Barrel Hawks — Hawke’s Bay’s team in the Sal’s National Basketball League. The Hawks are one of only two codes from this region competing in a nationally televised competition, which gives the Foundation a platform, and a responsibility, well beyond the size of the organisation itself.
Our vision is to always be soaring to new heights — empowering excellence through teamwork, across all levels of the organisation.
Our mission is that the Hawks are a high performance team, fostering a legacy of athletic achievement and community pride.
Five values shape how we operate, how we govern, and how we hold ourselves to account:
- Kotahitanga (Unity) – Working together as a team. Moving as one.
- Pono (Honest) – Truthful to each other, our stakeholders and community. Upstanding.
- Hiranga (Excellence) – We hold ourselves to high standards in all we do for the Hawks.
- Pāuaua (Determined) – We look to grow what we have while making the most of what we have got.
- Ahu (Disciplined) – We commit to goals and give our best to deliver on them.
These values are not decoration. They set the standard we expect of our people, our partners and our Board.
Locally, the Hawks play out of the Rodney Green Arena in Napier. Alongside the NBL team, the Foundation delivers the Total Energies Rapid League programme and community initiatives including Hawks in Schools and Hawks LABs.
The Board comprises up to five members. The organisation is run day to day by a General Manager supported by part-time staff and contractors, with the Board operating in a governance capacity.
For more information on the organisation, please visit www.hawks.org.nz.
Where we are now
The Foundation’s current strategic workplan runs to 2026 and is anchored in five priorities: winning; building engine-room resources; better marketing; financial sustainability and growth; and community legacy. Members appointed now will help set the cycle that follows it.
Considerable work has gone into lifting the standard of the Foundation’s governance and operations. Reporting, financial discipline and decision-making are materially stronger, and the organisation now runs on a genuinely professional footing.
That work is the platform, not the destination. The next phase is commercial, and it is where this Board will focus:
- Growing commercial revenue and securing new, longer-term partnerships that go beyond traditional sponsorship
- Assessing a new entity structure to better enable commercialisation and support future partnership opportunities
- Enhancing the experience the Foundation provides to its players and staff, so the Hawks is a place high-calibre people want to be
Alongside this, the Board remains committed to on-court success and to the Hawks’ role in the wider Hawke’s Bay basketball community.
Positions
The Foundation is seeking applications for one to two Board Members vacancies.
All Board members need to: demonstrate governance knowledge and leadership, apply a future-focused mindset, understand confidentiality, contribute to highly functional board dynamics, be able to work collaboratively within a high trust environment, and have an understanding and appreciation of Te Tiriti o Waitangi.
Beyond the boardroom, members are expected to champion the kaupapa — to turn up, open doors, advocate for the Hawks within their networks, and be visible in the community.
The Board is seeking to appoint people who bring diversity of thought and perspective to enhance board decision-making.
Desirable skills and experience
The Foundation has a specific and immediate need for a new member , preferably with a legal background. With a review of the Foundation’s entity structure underway, and an expanding commercial and partnership programme, the Board requires legal capability around the table — someone able to interrogate structure, contracts and obligations, and to tell the Board plainly when something does not stand up. A practising or recently practising lawyer, in-house counsel, or a member with substantial legal training is strongly encouraged to apply.
Applications are welcomed from candidates who bring one or more of the following. Those who also add diversity of thought and strategic thinking to the current board mix will be looked upon favourably by the Panel:
- Legal — commercial and contract law, entity structuring for charitable and commercial activity, and an understanding of Incorporated Societies and charitable trust obligations
- Commercial board exposure, ideally with experience growing revenue in a lean organisation
- Sponsorship, partnership development or commercialisation of assets
- Financial literacy, audit or risk experience
- Te Ao Māori, and established iwi and hapū relationships within Hawke’s Bay
- Connections to regional business and philanthropic networks
- Marketing, media, digital or fan-experience capability
- Currency and connectivity to the wider sporting world, especially high performance sport
Members provide governance oversight and are not engaged to act as the Foundation’s legal adviser. Any conflict between a member’s professional practice and Foundation business is managed under the Board’s conflicts of interest process.
Time commitment and term
As a guide, members should expect approximately 6–8 Board meetings per year. The bulk of Board business is conducted outside the playing season, when strategy, budgets and planning are set; the meeting load is lighter in-season. Sub-committee or project work is additional and by agreement.
Members are also encouraged to attend games and community events as their availability allows.
Terms are 3 years, and members are eligible for re-appointment for a further 2 terms.
Remuneration
These are voluntary, unpaid governance positions. Reasonable pre-approved expenses incurred on Foundation business are reimbursed.
Selection process
Applications are assessed by the current board and an independent selection panel.
Shortlisted applicants will be invited to an informal conversation. All applicants will be advised of the outcome, whether shortlisted or not. Applications and all information provided are treated as confidential.
To apply
Applications are made online at:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSesW0Ay_BNMFYmXAiEuNVuP1Rur7ITZzgWT3ROot_F4QgZqGA/viewform
Applications must be accompanied by the applicant’s full CV, which is uploaded through the online form. The form also asks a short set of governance questions, which the Panel scores.
Questions about the role or the process can be directed to Sally Crown at sally@hawks.org.nz.
The closing date for applications is 12.00pm on Monday 31August 2026.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
This following answers the questions we are most often asked by people considering a governance role. If your question isn’t here, contact Sally Crown at sally@hawks.org.nz — we would rather have the conversation than have you self-select out on a guess.
THE ROLE
What is the Board actually responsible for?
Governance, not operations. The Board sets strategy, approves the budget, appoints and oversees the General Manager, manages risk, and holds the organisation to account for delivery. It does not run game day, sell sponsorship, or select the team.
How big is the Board?
The constitution allows a minimum of three and a maximum of five members. It is a small board, which means every member carries real weight — there is nowhere to hide, and no passenger seats.
How long is a term?
Three years, expiring at the end of the relevant Annual General Meeting. A member may serve a maximum of three consecutive terms.
Do I need previous board experience?
No. Formal governance experience is valuable and we will weigh it, but we are equally interested in people who bring capability the current Board does not have — particularly legal, commercial and partnership expertise. If this would be your first governance role and you bring genuine skill, apply.
Do I need to know basketball?
No. Several of the skills we need most have nothing to do with the sport. What we do ask is that you care about the kaupapa and are willing to be visible in support of it.
Do I need to live in Hawke’s Bay?
Not strictly, and we will consider strong candidates based elsewhere. But this is a regional organisation whose value comes from local relationships, so a Hawke’s Bay base — or deep, current connections to the region — is a real advantage.
Can I apply if I work for, or contract to, the Foundation?
No. Under clause 6.5 of the constitution, employees of and independent contractors to the Foundation are disqualified from serving on the Board.
TIME AND COMMITMENT
How often does the Board meet?
The constitution requires a minimum of six meetings a year. In practice the Board meets approximately 8–10 times, plus the Annual General Meeting.
When are meetings held?
Meetings are generally held weekday evenings, from 5.30pm and run for approximately [90 minutes to two hours. Dates are set in advance so you can plan around them.
Are meetings in person or online?
Both. The default is in person at Rodney Green Arena, Napier, because a small board works better face to face. The constitution expressly permits attendance by audio or video link, and members join remotely when travel or work requires it. Expect roughly the majority of meetings in person, with the balance online or hybrid.
How much preparation is involved?
A board pack is circulated in advance of each meeting. Allow around an hour to read it properly. Members are expected to arrive having read it.
What is the realistic total time commitment?
Roughly two to four hours per month on average across meetings and preparation, with more in the off-season when strategy, budget and planning work is done, and less during the playing season. Sub-committee or project work is additional and by agreement.
Am I expected to attend games?
Encouraged, not required. Members are expected to champion the kaupapa — turning up, opening doors, advocating for the Hawks in their networks and being visible in the community. How that looks in practice varies by person and we are realistic about it.
What does the year actually look like?
The bulk of Board business sits outside the playing season, when strategy, budgets and roster planning are set. In-season the meeting load is lighter and the focus shifts to monitoring performance and supporting the operation.
MONEY, RISK AND CONDUCT
Is the role paid?
No. These are voluntary, unpaid governance positions. The Foundation is a charitable organisation and the constitution prohibits distributions of profit or income to officers.
How are conflicts of interest handled?
The Foundation maintains a register of interests. A member who is interested in a matter must disclose the nature and extent of that interest as soon as practicable, and must not vote, take part in the discussion, or sign documents relating to it, unless all non-interested members consent. If half or more of the Board is interested in a matter, it goes to a Special General Meeting.
I run a business. Can it still do work for the Hawks?
Potentially, but only at arm’s length on terms comparable to an unrelated party, and you cannot influence the decision. The conflict process above applies. Being a supplier is not a barrier to applying — concealing it would be.
We are recruiting for legal expertise. Would I be the Foundation’s lawyer?
No. A member with a legal background provides governance oversight — asking the right questions about structure, contracts and obligations. You are not engaged as the Foundation’s legal adviser, and any professional work would be managed through the conflicts process.
THE ORGANISATION
What is the biggest challenge facing the Board?
Commercial growth. The Hawks have a strong brand, a nationally televised platform and a loyal community, and the organisation is not yet extracting the commercial value that should follow from that. The Board’s job over the next cycle is to change that without compromising the community kaupapa.
What is the entity structure review?
The Foundation is assessing whether its current structure is the right vehicle for its commercial ambitions and future partnerships. No decision has been made. A new member will be part of working that through, which is one reason legal and structural capability is a priority in this round.
Who runs the organisation day to day?
A General Manager, supported by part-time staff and contractors. The General Manager reports to the Board, attends meetings when required, and has no vote.
THE PROCESS
How do I apply?
Through the online application form, which asks for your CV and a short set of governance questions. The link is in the Position Brief.
When do applications close?
5.00pm on Friday 4 September 2026.
Will I hear back either way?
Yes. Every applicant is advised of the outcome, whether they proceed or not. Applications and all information provided are treated as confidential.
Can I talk to someone before I apply?
Yes, and we would encourage it. Contact Sally Crown at sally@hawks.org.nz for a confidential conversation. Talking to us first does not advantage or disadvantage your application.
