General Manager Customer and Capability

Sheffield Group; Wellington; On-site; NZD 180,000 - 270,000; Full time

Job summary

Central Districts Water in Wellington is seeking an executive to lead customer and capability, reporting to the Chief Executive, and to drive customer experience, digital delivery, and people operations.

On day one, 54,000 connections become our customers as we establish the new organisation from three councils, and you will design the service model, billing approach, and digital platforms, while guiding the workforce transition and culture.

Qualifications

• We are looking for an executive who can develop and deliver a coherent strategy for customer, digital and people portfolios, with senior experience in customer experience or service delivery.
• Credible capability in workforce transition, culture building and health and safety leadership.

Responsibilities

• Lead the customer facing and people facing heart of Central Districts Water.
• Design and stand up the customer service model, the contact centre arrangements, the billing and customer communications approach, and the digital and data platforms that support them.
• Lead the transfer of employees from three councils into one organisation, building a single culture and safe working environment.

Job description

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Sheffield Group – Wellington Central, North Island

Central Districts Water is the new water services organisation for Palmerston North, Rangitīkei and Horowhenua. From 1 July 2027 we will deliver drinking water, wastewater and stormwater services to around 54,000 connections across the three districts, managing a $1.7 billion asset base and a capital programme of $1.4 billion.

We are jointly owned by Palmerston North City Council, Rangitīkei District Council and Horowhenua District Council, and established in partnership with Ngā Tapuwae o Hau, the alliance of tangata whenua across our three districts. We are being formed under the Local Government (Water Services) Act 2025.

Our kaupapa is to provide safe, reliable, affordable water services, delivered with care for the awa, the whenua and the communities that depend on them, both now and into the future.

Come and join us.

About the role | Mō te tūnga

As General Manager Customer and Capability, you will lead the customer facing and people facing heart of Central Districts Water. You will report directly to the Chief Executive and lead customer experience and insights, customer operations, digital delivery, incident and emergency management, people operations, and health, safety and quality.

On day one, 54,000 connections become our customers, and we need to be ready to respond. You will design and stand up the customer service model, the contact centre arrangements, the billing and customer communications approach, and the digital and data platforms that support them.

You will also lead the people side of establishment: the transfer of employees from three councils into one organisation, and the deliberate work of building a single culture out of three. You will set the standard for how CDW treats its people, how it keeps them safe, and how it behaves when things go wrong in public.

About you | Mōhou ake

We are looking for an executive who can develop and deliver a coherent strategy for customer, digital and people portfolios. You will bring senior experience in customer experience or service delivery in an essential service, utility or public facing environment, alongside credible capability in workforce transition, culture building and health and safety leadership.

You will have stood up new services or platforms before, and you will know how much work can sit between a customer strategy and a customer who feels well served. And, underpinning all of this, will be a genuine commitment to public service and to the communities CDW exists to serve.

For more information please phone Katy Anquetil on [phone].

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