General Manager Planning and Delivery

Taituarā; Waitaki Bridge; On-site; NZD 180,000 - 260,000; Full time

Job summary

Central South Island Water is seeking a strategic General Manager, Planning and Delivery to help shape the organisation’s infrastructure future. You will lead water services strategy, asset management and capital delivery, and oversee growth planning while connecting investment to customer outcomes and financial sustainability.

You will work with the executive team to develop the first Water Services Strategy, test the investment pipeline, and build capability across the organisation to deliver

Responsibilities

• Developing a clear water services strategy and prioritised investment programme.
• Building planning capability, reliable asset information and disciplined decision-making.
• Leading capital delivery with clear expectations for safety, quality, cost and performance.
• Developing people and improving processes, with accountability for the service benefits investment delivers.

Job description

GM Planning and Delivery – Shape Futures

• Bring fresh thinking to infrastructure strategyand investment.
• Build capability and turn evidence into betterlong-term decisions.
• Join a collaborative executive team with sharedresponsibility for success.

Central South Island Water | Help shape what comes next

CentralSouth Island Water has been established to deliver drinking water andwastewater services across the Timaru and Mackenzie districts, alongsidestormwater services for both councils. Preparing to commence operations on 1July 2027, the organisation has a clear ambition: reliable services, decisionsgrounded in evidence and a genuine focus on customers and the communities itserves.

The new roleof GM Planning and Delivery is an opportunity to shape the organisation’sinfrastructure future - building planning capability, challenging assumptionsand directing investment towards the outcomes that matter most. Sound like you?

About the opportunity| Establish, Build, Shape

Reporting tothe Chief Executive, you will join three other new General Managers who willcollectively build and lead Central South Island Water. Your contribution willextend across the organisation, helping the executive team make sounddecisions, navigate competing priorities and deliver shared outcomes.

You willlead water services strategy, asset management, capital delivery and planningfor growth. An immediate priority will be developing the first Water ServicesStrategy, connecting asset condition, service needs and future demand withcredible, affordable investment choices.

This rolehas significant scope to influence how the organisation thinks and invests. Youwill test the investment pipeline, strengthen the evidence behind decisions andhelp determine what needs to happen first, what can wait and where a differentapproach could deliver better value.

Through yourteam and specialist partners, you will build asset management capability andoversee an achievable capital programme. Working closely with fellowexecutives, you will connect infrastructure decisions with operational needs,customer outcomes and financial sustainability.

Yourpriorities will include:

• Developing a clear waterservices strategy and prioritised investment programme.
• Building planning capability,reliable asset information and disciplined decision-making.
• Leading capital delivery withclear expectations for safety, quality, cost and performance.
• Developing people and improvingprocesses, with accountability for the service benefits investment delivers.

About you | Fresh thinking, New Ideas

You are astrategic infrastructure leader who can connect long-term thinking withpractical delivery. You bring the judgement to challenge investmentassumptions, the commercial discipline to navigate constrained funding and theleadership to build capability through others.

Yourbackground could be in electricity, utilities, transport, infrastructure oranother asset-intensive environment. We welcome transferable experience andfresh perspectives from beyond water and local government.

Water-sectorexperience would be valuable, but it is not essential – it’s your ability tounderstand complex infrastructure, lead technical specialists and bring soundjudgement to investment decisions that will matter most.

You willbring:

• Senior leadership experience ininfrastructure planning, asset management, capital delivery or a comparableportfolio.
• A record of translatingstrategy into credible investment priorities and achievable programmes.
• Strong analytical andcommercial judgement, including the ability to test asset evidence, lifecyclecosts and delivery options.
• The ability to develop people,set clear expectations and build a culture of performance and continuousimprovement.
• Confidence advising executivesand Boards, explaining complex choices and working constructively with deliverypartners and stakeholders.
  

You will becomfortable with ambiguity, willing to challenge established approaches andcommitted to working as one executive team. Above all, you will connectinfrastructure investment with reliable services and lasting value forcustomers and communities.

Help establish an organisation,strengthen its capability and shape infrastructure for generations to come.

Applications close: Friday 6 November 2026.