Corporate Policy Advisor

Join Our Team, Waikato; Auckland; Hybrid; NZD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid working

Growth opportunities

Visible impact

Five weeks leave

Job summary

Join Our Team, Waikato is seeking a Corporate Policy Advisor in New Zealand to shape council policies, bylaws and long-term planning. You’ll work across the Strategy and Policy team, translate complex legislation into practical guidance, and engage with iwi, communities and stakeholders.

This is not entry-level; we need someone who can hit the ground running. You’ll influence decisions with evidence-based policy work, lead or support bylaw reviews, and contribute to performance reporting and

Qualifications

• At least three years’ relevant experience in local government corporate planning, policy or a similar analytical role.
• Working knowledge of relevant legislation and planning processes.
• Ability to juggle multiple projects and prioritise effectively.
• Clear writing, sound judgement and the confidence to ask good questions.
• Strong relationship skills and collaboration across teams.
• Big-picture thinking with attention to detail.
• Awareness of Te Tiriti o Waitangi and engaging well with Māori.
• Interest in improving how services are planned, measured and communicated.
• Experience in supporting or leading bylaw reviews is a real advantage.

Responsibilities

• Collaborate across the Council to keep projects on track and moving forward.
• Research local issues and assess implications for communities and services.
• Develop and review policies, strategies and bylaws guiding Council actions.
• Translate legislation and technical reports into practical advice.
• Build strong relationships with tangata whenua, community groups and stakeholders.
• Contribute to the Long-term Plan and Annual Plan decisions and measurement.
• Produce high-quality planning and policy work that makes a real difference.
• Prepare clear, engaging information for elected members and the public.

Skills

Policy development

Policy analysis

Stakeholder engagement

Policy writing

Project management

Bylaw development

Legislation knowledge

Te Tiriti o Waitangi awareness

Public engagement

Job description

Ready to use your local government experience in a role that genuinely influences Council decisions?

We're looking for a Corporate Policy Advisor to join our Strategy and Policy team.

This is not an entry-level policy role. We're looking for someone who already understands how local government works and can hit the ground running from day one.

You'll help shape the plans, policies and bylaws that guide how the Council serves its communities. One week you might be supporting a Long-term Plan project, the next you could be leading a bylaw review, analysing performance information, preparing community engagement material, or helping turn complex legislation into practical advice.

It's varied, fast-paced, often challenging work and a chance to be involved in decisions that have a visible impact across the Coromandel.

What you’ll be doing

• Working with people across the Council to keeping our projects on track and moving forward.
• Researching local issues and helping the Council understand what they could mean for our communities and services.
• Developing and reviewing policies, strategies and bylaws that guide what our Council does.
• Turning legislation, technical reports and complex information into practical advice that people can understand and use.
• Building positive relationships with tangata whenua, community groups and key stakeholders.
• Helping shape the Council's Long-term Plan and Annual Plan, including decisions about the services we provide and how we measure success.
• Producing high-quality planning and policy work that makes a genuine difference for our communities.
• Preparing clear, engaging information that helps elected members and the public understand issues and make informed decisions.

What we’re looking for

• At least three years’ relevant experience in local government corporate planning, policy or a similar analytical role
• Working knowledge of relevant legislation and planning processes
• Someone who can juggle multiple projects without dropping the important ones
• Clear writing, sound judgement and the confidence to ask good questions
• Strong relationship skills — because nothing in local government gets done alone
• Big-picture thinking with an eye for detail
• Awareness of Te Tiriti o Waitangi and the importance of engaging well with Māori
• A genuine interest in improving how services are planned, measured and communicated.

A real advantage would be experience in supporting or leading bylaw reviews and development.

• Flexible and hybrid working options
• Real opportunities to grow and take on responsibility
• Work that has visible impact on how services are delivered across the Coromandel
• Five weeks of annual leave + sick leave from the start of employment.

If you've worked in local government planning or policy and you're looking for a role where you can broaden your experience across corporate planning, performance reporting and bylaw development, we'd love to hear from you.