General Manager Operations

Sheffield Group; Wellington; On-site; NZD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Job summary

Sheffield Group – Wellington Central is seeking a General Manager Operations for Central Districts Water, the new water services organisation for Palmerston North, Rangitīkei and Horowhenua. You will lead safe, reliable delivery of drinking water, wastewater and stormwater, reporting to the Chief Executive and unifying three councils’ operations.

You will own relationships with Taumata Arowai and Horizons Regional Council, drive an integrated operating model, set health and safety standards, and

Qualifications

• Experience leading an integrated operations network across multiple sites.
• Strong compliance, safety and governance understanding.
• Track record of driving performance improvements in utilities.

Responsibilities

• Lead safe, reliable, compliant delivery of water services across three districts.
• Unify operations from three councils into one operating model.
• Manage relationships with regulators and local authorities (Taumata Arowai, Horizons Regional Council).
• Oversee emergency preparedness and health, safety standards for staff and networks.

Skills

Distributed service delivery

Operations leadership

Compliance & safety

Asset & maintenance discipline

Job description

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 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.

Applications close on 7 October 2026, 9am.

For more information please phone Nick Buck on [phone].