Design Lead Facilities

Tiaki Wai Limited; Lower Hutt; Hybrid; NZD 117,000 - 165,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible working

Wellbeing programme

Professional development

Five weeks annual leave

Job summary

Tiaki Wai is seeking a senior Facilities Design Lead to head the Facilities Design team and guide the delivery of critical water infrastructure in Wellington. You will provide technical direction, shape design standards, and influence project outcomes across capital delivery and operations.

You will lead a high-performing team, coach staff, and collaborate with consultants, contractors and internal stakeholders to ensure practical, safe and cost-effective solutions across the full project

Qualifications

• Bachelor or Diploma in Engineering with civil/process/mechanical emphasis.
• Chartered status is highly desirable.
• 10+ years post-qualification experience in water infrastructure design and delivery.
• Strong leadership, coaching and people development capabilities.
• Solid project management across scope, budget and stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Lead and develop the Facilities Design team with clear direction and technical leadership.
• Provide technical advice and design assurance across major facilities projects.
• Drive development and continuous improvement of design and construction standards.
• Manage internally delivered facilities projects delivering safe, on-programme, within-budget solutions.

Education

Bachelor of Engineering or Diploma in Engineering

Chartered Professional Engineer status (desired)

leadership and mentoring

stakeholder engagement

project management

Job description

Jora New Zealand will close on 9th September 2026. Thank you for being with us, we are cheering you on as you continue your career journey.

• Use your expertise to shape quality designs
• Lead technical delivery while coaching and developing engineering capability
• Influence design standards and outcomes across Wellington’s water services

This is a full-time position of 40 hours per week.

The remuneration range for this role is $117,099 - $165,316 (including KiwiSaver) depending on skills and experience.

The opportunity

This is an opportunity to combine people leadership with senior technical expertise, leading Tiaki Wai’s Facilities Design team and helping shape the quality and delivery of critical water infrastructure.

You’ll lead and develop a team, while providing technical direction and assurance across internally and externally delivered facilities projects. From challenging design assumptions and supporting design risk workshops to influencing technical standards, commissioning and handover, you’ll have the opportunity to make a real impact across the project lifecycle.

Working across Capital Delivery, Operations and Strategy and Planning, as well as with consultants and contractors, you’ll help ensure facilities designs are practical, safe, technically sound and deliver the right outcomes for Wellington’s water services.

You will:

• lead and develop a high-performing Facilities Design team, providing clear direction, coaching, mentoring and technical leadership
• provide technical advice and design assurance across significant facilities projects, challenging assumptions and managing technical risks
• drive the development and continuous improvement of facilities design and construction standards
• manage internally delivered facilities projects, ensuring quality solutions are delivered safely, on programme and within budget.

About you

To be successful in this role you will bring:

• a Bachelor of Engineering or Diploma in Engineering, preferably in civil, process or mechanical engineering
• Chartered Professional Engineer status is highly desired
• extensive (10+) years post-qualification experience in water infrastructure design and delivery engineering
• strong technical knowledge of three waters facilities design, including detailed facilities design experience
• proven experience leading functional or project teams, with strong coaching, mentoring and people development capability
• sound project management knowledge across contract documentation, scheduling, budget management and stakeholder engagement
• strong commercial acumen and experience working collaboratively with internal teams, consultants, contractors and suppliers
• excellent communication, relationship management and influencing skills, with the ability to navigate complexity and achieve practical outcomes.

At Tiaki Wai, our purpose extends beyond delivering great water services for the region; we foster a thriving community, support a diverse workforce, and offer supportive development opportunities. We genuinely care about your safety and wellbeing.

Our benefits include:

• flexible working arrangements including up to two days working from home
• comprehensive wellbeing programme, including one paid wellbeing day annually
• formal and informal professional development opportunities
• five weeks annual leave accrual will be available following two years of continual service.

About us

Tiaki Wai is a council-owned organisation responsible for managing the delivery of drinking water, wastewater, and stormwater services across Hutt Valley, Porirua, and Wellington.

We manage public-owned extensive water infrastructure and oversee the delivery of safe and reliable services for our communities. We focus on long-term investment, asset management, maintenance, and delivering major infrastructure projects that support public health, environmental protection, and regional growth.

Water is a precious taonga. At Tiaki Wai, we put care into every drop and are guided by our values of Integrity, Care, and Leadership. We work directly with water consumers and in partnership with councils and mana whenua to deliver better water outcomes for current and future generations.

Applicants for safety-sensitive roles will be required to undergo drug and alcohol testing prior to commencing employment with Tiaki Wai. You must also be legally entitled to work long-term in New Zealand or eligible to obtain a working visa.