CRL Day One Readiness Project Manager - Train Operations

Auckland One Rail; Auckland; On-site; NZD 80,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

A prominent rail organization in Auckland is seeking a strategic Project Manager to drive operational readiness for the City Rail Link launch. This role involves leading change management, aligning business processes, and engaging with various stakeholders. The ideal candidate will have extensive experience in rail operations and change management, and strong planning skills. This fixed-term contract runs through June 2026.

Benefits

Free Train Travel

Travel Discount

NZ Railways Trust Membership

Qualifications

• Proven experience in rail operations, project delivery, or change management.
• Strong stakeholder engagement skills, including union collaboration.
• Excellent planning, communication, and risk management capabilities.
• Ability to work across office and operational environments.

Responsibilities

• Lead change management and readiness planning across train operations.
• Act as the key liaison between delivery teams and operational staff.
• Align business processes with new operational procedures and standards.
• Engage with unions and internal stakeholders to support smooth transitions.
• Monitor readiness metrics and report progress to senior leadership.

Skills

Rail operations experience

Change management skills

Stakeholder engagement

Planning and communication

Risk management

Job description

Overview

Auckland One Rail (AOR) is seeking a strategic and collaborative Project Manager to drive operational readiness for the Day 1 launch of the City Rail Link (CRL) timetable. This role bridges project delivery and business-as-usual operations, ensuring crew procedures, service planning, and performance standards are aligned and ready. If you have what it takes to lead operational readiness for Auckland's most transformative rail timetable launch, apply today.

This is a fixed term contract through to the end of June, 2026.

Responsibilities

• Lead change management and readiness planning across train operations.
• Act as the key liaison between delivery teams and operational staff.
• Align business processes with new operational procedures and standards.
• Engage with unions (RMTU) and internal stakeholders to support smooth transitions.
• Monitor readiness metrics and report progress to senior leadership.

Qualifications

• Proven experience in rail operations, project delivery, or change management.
• Strong stakeholder engagement skills, including union collaboration.
• Excellent planning, communication, and risk management capabilities.
• Ability to work across office and operational environments.

Benefits

• Free Train Travel: Enjoy complimentary train travel on Auckland passenger trains.
• Travel Discount: Nominate a person and up to 3 dependents for train travel discounts.
• NZ Railways Trust Membership: Benefit from discounted holiday accommodation and medical perks.