Stead said he was looking forward to driving the Black Caps existing campaign plans for the upcoming world cup, and putting in place new ones for other pinnacle events and series on his radar.
"It's a matter of helping maintain New Zealand's strong form on the international scene, but also respecting what's happened over the past four or five years by continuing to push for improvement," he said.
"This is a well-established and high-performing Black Caps side with an excellent captain in Kane Williamson, and a real desire to win series and titles.
"It's an honour and a privilege to be part of that, and I can't wait to get started."
Stead will officially start his two-year contract on September 1.
His first assignment with the Black Caps will be the test, ODI and T20 series against Pakistan in the UAE, starting late October.
NZC chief executive David White said Stead was an outstanding candidate who came from a background steeped in high-performance, and had the ability to add value to the Black Caps environment.
"We're delighted for Gary - he has excellent qualifications, a solid temperament, vast experience, and is open to innovation.
"I also think it's great NZC is continuing to invest in, and recognise the primacy of, our own domestic competitions and coaching programmes."
