Head of Growth & Development — Flexible Work & Impact

Join our team; Ngaruawahia; Remote; NZD 144,000 - 198,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Free parking

Flexible working options

Salary reviews

Subsidised health insurance

Birthday leave

Work-life balance day every six months

Employee Assistance Programme

Wellbeing programme

Health checks and education at Work Sa

Boost discounts

Job summary

Waikato District Council seeks an exceptional Head of Development and Growth to lead the end-to-end development service and guide sustainable growth across the district. You will report to the General Manager Customer and Community and work with developers, iwi, and elected members to ensure timely, high-quality development outcomes.

This strategic, commercially minded leader balances customer experience, regulatory requirements and long-term community benefits, while managing budgets and

Qualifications

• Senior leadership experience in multi-functional teams.
• Strong knowledge of the development lifecycle from pre-application to consent.
• Experience working with developers, consultants, infrastructure providers, and regulators.
• Commercial, financial, and operational management capability.
• Customer-focused mindset and service excellence.
• Strong communication and relationship-building skills.
• Commitment to continuous improvement and delivering results.

Responsibilities

• Lead end-to-end development service from pre-application engagement to approvals.
• Provide strategic leadership for development and growth activities.
• Build relationships with developers, consultants, customers and industry stakeholders.
• Drive service performance: timely, compliant and customer-focused approvals.
• Lead continuous improvement to enhance productivity and quality.
• Provide visible leadership to a team of leaders and specialists.
• Oversee budgets, financial performance, procurement and contracts.
• Champion cross-Council collaboration to deliver a connected customer experience.

Skills

Leadership

Stakeholder relations

Development lifecycle

Strategic thinking

Financial acumen

Communication

Customer focus

Continuous improvement

Education

Tertiary qualification

Job description

Waikato District Council seeks an exceptional Head of Development and Growth to lead the end-to-end development service and guide sustainable growth across the district. You will report to the General Manager Customer and Community and work with developers, iwi, and elected members to ensure timely, high-quality development outcomes.

This strategic, commercially minded leader balances customer experience, regulatory requirements and long-term community benefits, while managing budgets and