Corporate Policy Advisor

Thames-Coromandel District Council; Thames; Hybrid; NZD 80,000 - 110,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible and hybrid working options

Relocation allowance

Five weeks of annual leave + sick-leve

Job summary

Thames-Coromandel District Council is seeking a Corporate Policy Advisor to join its Strategy and Policy team. This role builds and reviews policies and bylaws, translating legislation into practical guidance for communities and decision-makers.

You’ll work across council projects, engage with tangata whenua and community groups, and contribute to Long-term and Annual Plans, ensuring services are well-planned, measured and communicated.

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 without dropping important ones.
• Clear writing, sound judgement and the confidence to ask good questions.
• Strong relationship skills — collaboration is essential in local government.
• Big-picture thinking with attention to detail.
• Awareness of Te Tiriti o Waitangi and engaging well with Māori.
• Genuine interest in improving how services are planned, measured and communicated.

Responsibilities

• Working with people across the Council to keep projects on track and moving forward.
• Researching local issues and helping the Council understand potential impacts for communities and services.
• Developing and reviewing policies, strategies and bylaws guiding Council activities.
• Translating legislation, technical reports and complex information into practical advice.
• Building positive relationships with tangata whenua, community groups and stakeholders.
• Helping shape the Council's Long-term Plan and Annual Plan, including service decisions and performance measures.
• Producing high-quality planning and policy work that makes a genuine difference for communities.
• Preparing clear, engaging information to help elected members and the public understand issues and make informed decisions.

Skills

Corporate planning

Policy development

Analytical thinking

Stakeholder engagement

Clear writing

Te Tiriti awareness

Multitasking

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.

Why join us

• Flexible and hybrid working options
• A supportive, high-trust team
• Real opportunities to grow and take on responsibility
• Work that has visible impact on how services are delivered across the Coromandel
• Relocation allowance
• 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.