He will work as batting coach in the absence of Luke Ronchi
Brownlie, who is a current Northern Districts network coach, will join the support staff led by Gary Stead.
“Dean was a fine player in his own right and it’s great to see him now progressing as a coach,” Stead said. “I know he’s been working really hard in the ND coaching system and gaining a wide range of experiences which are essential to development.
“His skills and knowledge of the game will certainly add to our group and I’m sure he’ll also get plenty out of his time with us.
“This is a good opportunity to grow our coaching depth in New Zealand, while also being mindful of the Major Associations who are at the business end of the Plunket Shield season.”
Brownlie retired at the end of the 2020-21 season having last played for Northern Districts. He also represented Canterbury earlier in his career and played a total of 14 Tests, 16 ODIs and five T20Is for New Zealand from 2010 to 2017.
New Zealand will host Netherlands for a one-off T20I, in Napier, and three ODIs, in Mount Maunganui and Hamilton. The T20I will be played on March 25 followed by the ODIs on March 29, April 2 and 4.