Engagement Advisor - Compliance

Waikato Regional Council; Hamilton; On-site; NZD 70,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

Waikato Regional Council in Hamilton seeks a proactiveCompliance Engagement Specialist to shape engagement and communication strategies related to environmental compliance. You will extend the reach of operational work by engaging regulated communities and partners, and by coordinating with council teams.

You will bring a proven ability to build relationships, manage complex stakeholder groups, and communicate clearly about regulatory requirements, trends, and outcomes.

Qualifications

• Bachelor level qualification in communications or related field.
• Minimum 5 years of engagement or influencing behaviour change experience.
• Experience in leading work packages from development to execution.

Responsibilities

• Assist development and implementation of engagement and communication strategies for environmental issues.
• Enhance effectiveness of operational compliance, monitoring and enforcement through stakeholder communication.
• Manage stakeholder relationships and special interest groups to improve understanding of compliance issues.
• Liaise with the council communications team for corporate content and branding standards.
• Facilitate regional and national compliance forums, workshops and conferences as required.
• Develop cross‑organisation relationships to strengthen engagement across teams.

Skills

Engagement

Stakeholder management

Communication

Influencing behaviour change

Education

Bachelor's degree in communications or related

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.

Waikato Regional Council – Hamilton, North Island

We’re looking for someone to join our compliance team who can help us engage with our community and industry and develop compliance strategies that help us to protect our environment.

Environmental compliance is all about encouraging, and sometime coercing, positive behaviour change. We use regulatory tools to encourage people to comply with environmental regulations. That’s got to be good for the environment, right? This may mean stopping pollution, protecting waterways, having cleaner air to breath or protecting our coastline.

Do you have proven ability to engage and build relationships? Are you a communication whizz with a deep care for the environment? Do you see the value of rules and people working to those rules?

We want an innovative and dynamic person who can own this role. You will assist with the development and implementation of compliance engagement strategies across our compliance, monitoring, and enforcement functions. The work you do will be extending the reach of our operational work through engagement and raising awareness.

We have an excellent track record in environmental compliance, but your role will be to learn our story and then develop ways of sharing it with others. This will mean working closely with our operational teams to understand both short and long-term environmental compliance issues.

The work will be varied and interesting and you’ll be equally comfortable building relationships within Council, in the rural and primary sector fields or at an industry partner’s conference. If you want to make a difference and you’re a great team player, come and join our supportive, passionate team.

Mō te tūranga | About the role

Assist development and implementation of engagement and communication strategies for both long standing and emerging environmental issues.

Enhance the effectiveness of existing operational compliance, monitoring and enforcement work through effective communication with the regulated and wider community.

Manage stakeholder relationships and special interest groups to enhance and maintain understanding of environmental compliance issues.

Liaise with the regional council communications team in regards providing content for corporate purposes as required, and ensuring corporate standards are being met with regards to the likes of signage, branding and livery.

Assist in the facilitation of regional and national compliance forums, workshops and conferences as required.

Develop and maintain cross organisation relationships to strengthen compliance engagement.

Relevant bachelors level qualification in communications or related.

Minimum 5 years of engagement or influencing behaviour change experience.

Experience in leading work packages, from development, to planning and execution.

Influencer, ability to motivate and influence behaviour change

Excellent communication skills – written and verbal

Social awareness and skill in dealing with sensitive and confidential issues (including bi-cultural sensitivity)

Proven success at building relationships and resolving issues with internal and external stakeholders

Experience in producing publications and collateral

Ability to deliver in an environment that could be high pressure and rapidly changing

Full NZ driver’s licence

We work hard to care for the mighty Waikato, so current and future generations will benefit from a healthy environment, strong economy, and vibrant communities.

Our mahi is as diverse as the region we care for and the people who share it. Our work helps look after our region's water, soil, air, geothermal areas and coasts - so we can all enjoy these precious resources for generations to come.

Customers sit at the heart of everything we do, and all staff have an important role to play in the delivery of exceptional customer service.

By partnering with iwi and working with many others in our communities, our collective kaitiakitanga will make the Waikato region even better. Together, we’ll create a sustainable future that will make a positive difference to people’s lives.

Applications will be reviewed as they come in, and this role will close on Tuesday 15 September 2026

If you have any questions about the role, please contact ***************@waikatoregion.govt.nz