Chief Operating Officer

Brannigans Consulting Limited; Christchurch; On-site; NZD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Five weeks' annual leave

Employer superannuation up to 8%

Health insurance

Relocation assistance

Job summary

Brannigans Consulting Limited in Christchurch invites applications for the role of Chief Operating Officer at Tasman District Council. This broad enterprise leadership position focuses on organisational performance, continuous improvement and strategic change across the Council.

You will influence across the organisation to align people, systems and processes and act as a trusted advisor to the Chief Executive and elected members.

Qualifications

• Proven experience leading large-scale transformation and organisational performance initiatives.
• Strong leadership across people, culture, technology and business improvement.
• Ability to build trusted relationships and influence across diverse stakeholder groups.
• Experience operating within strong governance frameworks.
• Collaborative, authentic leadership style and commitment to high-performing teams.
• Understanding of, or commitment to, Te Tiriti o Waitangi and iwi partnerships.

Responsibilities

• Lead organisational performance, digital innovation, people and culture, governance, and enterprise-wide risk and improvement initiatives.
• Drive continuous business process improvement and strategic change across the Council.
• Provide trusted advisory support to the Chief Executive and elected members.
• Influence and align people, systems and processes across the organisation.

Skills

Transformation leadership

People and culture

Technology leadership

Governance

Stakeholder influence

Collaborative leadership

Te Tiriti o Waitangi understanding

Job description

Jora New Zealand will close on 16th September 2026. Thank you for being with us, we are cheering you on as you continue your career journey.

Brannigans Consulting Limited - Christchurch, South Island

Tasman District Council is a dynamic and forward-thinking local authority serving the beautiful Tasman region. With a strong focus on community wellbeing, sustainability and future resilience, the Council plays a vital role in delivering essential services, shaping growth and making a real difference for the community, businesses and visitors alike.

Reporting to the Chief Executive, the Chief Operating Officer is a key member of the Executive Leadership Team, leading organisational performance, digital innovation, people and culture, governance, legal services, communications, and enterprise-wide risk and improvement initiatives.

The opportunity

This is a broad enterprise leadership role focused on enabling organisational performance, continuous business process improvement and strategic change across Council. Success will come through influence and collaboration. You'll work across the organisation to support the align people, systems and processes, build capability and embed a culture of accountability, improvement and innovation. As a trusted advisor to the Chief Executive and elected members, you'll play a key role in shaping Council's future direction and delivering meaningful outcomes for the community.

About you

You are an experienced executive leader with a track record of delivering organisational improvement and leading change in complex environments.

You will bring:

• Proven experience leading large-scale transformation and organisational performance initiatives
• Strong leadership across people, culture, technology and business improvement
• The ability to build trusted relationships and influence across diverse stakeholder groups
• Experience operating within strong governance frameworks
• A collaborative, authentic leadership style and a commitment to developing high-performing teams
• An understanding of, or commitment to, Te Tiriti o Waitangi and meaningful iwi partnerships

Local government experience is advantageous but not essential.

Why Tasman District Council?

Join a high-performing executive team and help shape the future of one of New Zealand's most progressive councils.

Based in the stunning Tasman region, you'll lead meaningful change, contribute directly to community outcomes, and enjoy an executive benefits package including five weeks' annual leave, employer superannuation of up to 8%, health insurance, and relocation assistance where applicable.

• five weeks' annual leave
• employer superannuation of up to 8%
• health insurance
• relocation assistance where applicable

To view the job description, please copy and paste this link into your browser: https://bit.ly/4yrtKJD

To view the candidate briefing pack copy and paste this link into your browser: https://bit.ly/3TkPKXT

Applications close Sunday 4 October 2026

For further inquiries, contact Odette Shearer at **************@brannigans.co.nz, ph 021 270 8657 or Nick Carter at ***********@brannigans.co.nz, ph 0275 913 422.