Communications & Engagement Manager

Selwyn District Council; Rolleston; Hybrid; NZD 120,000 - 160,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Life insurance

Flexible working

Career coaching

Wellbeing leave

Volunteer leave

Paid leave days

Job summary

Selwyn District Council in Rolleston is seeking an experienced communications and engagement leader to embed a new business partnering model across Council and to lead a team of Advisors delivering proactive, strategic and audience-focused support.

You’ll build trusted relationships with leaders, provide strategic advice on complex issues and coach your team to succeed, enabling a more proactive and consistent way of working across Communications & Engagement.

Qualifications

• Extensive experience in communications and engagement in the public sector.
• Proven experience leading people in a complex, public-facing organisation.
• Strong planning and relationship management skills.
• Ability to provide strategic advice and sound judgement.
• Experience leading teams through change and embedding new ways of working.

Responsibilities

• Lead and embed the Communications & Engagement business partnering model across Council.
• Lead forward planning, prioritisation and workload management across the partner stream.
• Provide strategic advice on complex, sensitive communications and engagement matters.
• Coach Advisors to develop capability as strategic partners.
• Create a collaborative, high-performing team culture across Communications & Engagement.

Skills

Leadership

Stakeholder management

Strategic advisory

Team coaching

Public sector experience

Education

Degree in communications/public administration

Job description

Lead the business partnering function, building trusted relationships across Council.

Coach and develop a high-performing team of Communications and Engagement Advisors.

Competitive salary + life insurance + Flexible working

Join us at a pivotal moment for local government

New Zealand's local government sector is experiencing significant change, creating exciting opportunities to be part of something bigger than business as usual.

At Selwyn District Council, you'll help shape how we communicate and engage with our communities, support leaders through change and build trust around the decisions that matter to our district.

As one of New Zealand's fastest-growing districts, you'll work across complex issues and diverse stakeholders, with the opportunity to make a genuine difference to how Council connects with its communities.

About the role:

We're looking for an experienced communications and engagement leader to help embed a new business partnering model across Council and lead a team of Advisors to deliver proactive, strategic and audience-focused support.

You’ll build trusted relationships across the organisation, lead forward planning and prioritisation, provide strategic advice on complex issues, and coach your team to succeed.

You’ll play a key role in creating a more proactive, consistent and sustainable way of working across Communications & Engagement.

Key areas of focus include:

• Leading and embedding the Communications & Engagement business partnering model across Council.
• Building trusted relationships with leaders and helping business units plan early for communications and engagement.
• Leading forward planning, prioritisation and workload management across the business partner stream.
• Contributing to strategic advice on complex, sensitive and high-profile communications and engagement matters.
• Overseeing engagement and consultation planning to ensure approaches are appropriate, inclusive and audience-focused.
• Developing consistent processes, tools and ways of working that improve quality and reduce rework.
• Coaching and developing Advisors, building their confidence and capability as strategic partners.
• Creating a collaborative, supportive and high-performing team culture.
• Working across the wider Communications & Engagement team to continuously improve how we deliver value to Council.

About You:

You’ll be an experienced communications and engagement professional ready to lead through others and make a broader organisational impact.

You’ll bring:

• Strong experience in communications, engagement, marketing or a related strategic advisory environment.
• Proven experience leading people or functions in a complex, public-facing organisation.
• Strong planning, prioritisation and relationship management skills.
• The ability to provide strategic advice and exercise sound judgement.
• Experience leading teams through change and embedding new ways of working.
• A coaching mindset and commitment to building capability in others.
• Excellent communication skills and a strong focus on customers and communities.
• Experience in local government or the public sector would be advantageous, as would experience in business partnering, account management, service design or programme leadership.

What we can offer:

• Great work-life balance with flexibility
• Career coaching and development
• Life insurance
• Wellbeing and volunteer leave
• Three additional paid leave days each year
• Two weeks paid Partners Leave
• Sick leave from day one
• Discounts with local and national businesses

About us:

Selwyn is New Zealand's fastest growing district. We have a fantastic quality of life, great communities, and a thriving economy. Our Council works actively with residents to provide the services and facilities that help our communities to thrive and grow.

Our head office is based in Rolleston (only 25km from Christchurch), which offers an enviable family lifestyle, outstanding local facilities and an easy drive to the ski fields, rivers and hills that make up Canterbury's stunning landscape.

• Be a good human
• Be brave - Think differently
• Better together- Make it happen for Selwyn.

We honour Te Tiriti o Waitangi and we are committed to working with our Treaty partner to deliver on our obligations under Te Tiriti o Waitangi.