Contract Manager - Water

fultonhogan; Fernhill; On-site; NZD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical insurance

Life insurance

KiwiSaver employer contributions

Parental leave top up

Training and development

Retail discounts

Job summary

Fulton Hogan in Hawke's Bay is seeking a Contract Manager - Water to lead the Hastings District Council 3 Waters Maintenance contract, delivering safe, high-quality work for the community from source to sea.

You will lead safety, financial outcomes and team leadership, driving performance through planning and budgeting, and building strong client and contractor relationships while fostering accountability and continuous improvement.

Qualifications

• Proven experience in contract management within water, civil contracting, or infrastructure operational environment.
• Strong relationship skills and the confidence to work closely with clients, understand what matters to them and negotiate practical outcomes.
• Solid commercial and contractual knowledge, including NZS3910 and disciplined contract management.
• Financial management experience, with the ability to lead against plans, budgets and targets.
• People-first leadership style with a safety focus and ability to build capable teams.

Responsibilities

• Lead the HDC 3 Waters Maintenance contract to deliver safe, high-quality work for customers, on time and within budget.
• Drive strong contract performance through planning, budgeting, forecasting and disciplined commercial management.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with Hastings District Council, subcontractors, suppliers and key stakeholders.
• Lead operational delivery across reactive and planned maintenance, while managing risk and identifying opportunities for improvement.
• Lead and develop your team by setting clear expectations, backing people to perform and creating a culture of accountability, safety and good work.

Skills

Contract management

Relationship building

Commercial acumen

Leadership

Financial management

Job description

Mō te tūranga | About the role

This is a great next step role in Hawke's Bay for someone with strong water sector experience and a genuine drive to make a difference. As Contract Manager - Water, you'll lead the Hastings District Council 3 Waters Maintenance contract and help deliver excellent service to the community across vital lifeline infrastructure - from source to sea - keeping taps running, toilets flushing, and drains functioning across the Hastings region.

You'll be responsible for the contract's performance across safety, operational delivery, customer relationships, financial outcomes and team leadership. It's a role with real scope, responsibility and the chance to keep improving how we work and what we deliver. If you're motivated by ownership, performance, progress and leading good people to do good work, this could be the right fit. If you're considering a move to Hawke's Bay, a generous relocation package is available.

Ngā tino kawenga mahi | Key role responsibilities

• Lead the HDC 3 Waters Maintenance contract to deliver safe, high-quality work for customers, on time and within budget.
• Drive strong contract performance through planning, budgeting, forecasting and disciplined commercial management.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with Hastings District Council, subcontractors, suppliers and key stakeholders.
• Lead operational delivery across reactive and planned maintenance, while managing risk and identifying opportunities for improvement.
• Lead and develop your team by setting clear expectations, backing people to perform and creating a culture of accountability, safety and good work.

Kei te kimi mātou i tētahi e whai ana i ēnei pūkenga | We're looking for someone with

• Proven experience in contract management within water, civil contracting, or infrastructure operational environment.
• Strong relationship skills and the confidence to work closely with clients, understand what matters to them and negotiate practical outcomes.
• Solid commercial and contractual knowledge, including a sound understanding of NZS3910 and disciplined contract management.
• Financial management experience, with the ability to lead against plans, budgets and targets while staying close to performance.
• A people-first leadership style, strong safety focus and the ability to build capable teams who work hard, back each other and keep moving forward together.

He pai te mahi, he pai ngā painga | Good work, good benefits

• Medical insurance after an eligibility period.
• Life insurance from day one.
• KiwiSaver employer contributions after service milestones, up to 7%.
• Parental leave top up payment with additional return to work support.
• Ongoing training and development, with clear career growth and progression opportunities.
• Great discounts at a wide range of retailers.

Ko wai mātou | About us

At Fulton Hogan, Good Work is more than what we deliver. It's how we show up, how we treat each other and how we move forward together. We're not big on layers or ego. We're flat, friendly and practical, and we back good people to do their best work.

You'll be trusted to get stuck in, backed by good people and given the space to grow. In Hawke's Bay, you'll be part of a team doing work that matters and helping shape the future of our water business.