General Manager Operations

Sheffield Group; Manawatū-Whanganui; On-site; NZD 180,000 - 280,000; Full time

Job summary

Central Districts Water is seeking a General Manager Operations to lead the safe, reliable delivery of drinking water, wastewater, and stormwater across Palmerston North, Rangitīkei and Horowhenua. You will report to the CEO and guide area management teams responsible for operations and maintenance, alongside the compliance function.

The role requires unifying services from three councils, aligning systems and standards, owning relationships with Taumata Arowai and Horizons Regional Council, and

Qualifications

• Experience leading distributed service delivery organisations.
• Strong compliance instinct and asset/maintenance discipline.
• Ability to guide through merger or significant change.

Responsibilities

• Lead safe, reliable delivery of drinking water, wastewater, and stormwater.
• Report to the Chief Executive and manage operations/maintenance and compliance.
• Unify services from three councils into one operating model.
• Own relationships with Taumata Arowai and Horizons Regional Council.
• Set health, safety, and environmental standards for staff and contractors.

Skills

Operations leadership

Water utility experience

Regulatory compliance

Job description

Jora New Zealand will close on 16th September 2026. Thank you for being with us, we are cheering you on as you continue your career journey.

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 Operations, you will be accountable for the safe, reliable, compliant delivery of drinking water, wastewater and stormwater services to around 54,000 connections across Palmerston North, Rangitīkei and Horowhenua. You will report directly to the Chief Executive and lead the area management teams responsible for operations and maintenance, alongside the compliance function.

You will bring together operations currently run by three separate councils, with different systems, standards, crews and histories, and turn them into one operating model without interruption. You will own the relationship with Taumata Arowai as the regulator of drinking water quality and wastewater environmental performance, and with Horizons Regional Council.

You will also have responsibility for emergency preparedness and response for an essential infrastructure provider, and set the health, safety and environmental standard for everyone working on our networks.

About you | Mōhou ake

We are looking for an operations leader from water, another utility or a comparable network environment, who has run a distributed service delivery organisation and has the technical credibility to be trusted by crews as well as by a board.

Great candidates will have led operational teams through integration, merger or significant change, and you will know how to lift performance across sites that have historically done things their own way. You will bring a strong compliance instinct, asset and maintenance discipline, and the judgement to make decisions at speed. 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 Nick Buck on [phone].