There is a difference in Chair appointments in New Zealand/Australia versus the US. In fact, a Chair in NZ does not automatically take on headship responsibilities as such. This is essentially an academic leadership position, where the successful appointee will be able to provide research leadership to the department.

There are some differences between the tenure system in the USA and New Zealand/Australia. Once you have completed an initial period (in this case 3-4 years) of employment, you will be granted tenure (continuation), provided that you have made contributions in your research, teaching and service to the University. It is extremely rare for an academic at the University not to be granted tenure.

Each country has a range of funding sources, some of which can be found by clicking on this link.