Head of Technical Capability

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

Benefits offered by this job

Health benefits

Learning opportunities

Insurance benefits

Job summary

Transpower seeks Head of Technical Capability to lead the capability systems, standards, tools and practices that enable Grid Development to deliver with confidence. You’ll oversee four teams across Asset & System Information, Cost Engineering, Digital Engineering, and Engineering Standards.

You’ll shape governance, drive scalable delivery, and translate complex technical issues into practical actions while building alignment with stakeholders across the enterprise.

Qualifications

• Strategic understanding of capability development, professional practice leadership and organisational capability systems.
• Proven success leading specialist technical, professional or centre-of-excellence functions.
• Leading through complexity, ambiguity and competing organisational priorities.
• Building alignment across technical and non-technical stakeholders.
• Using evidence and insights to improve maturity and decision‑making.
• Leading organisational change, capability uplift or practice transformation.
• Communicating complex technical issues clearly to diverse audiences.

Responsibilities

• Set direction for professional practice and frameworks that support scalable delivery.
• Facilitate Technical Engineering Authority process and support clear review, escalation and decision pathways.
• Mature digital engineering, cost engineering, asset and system information to improve usability, reliability and access.
• Drive value through continuous improvement and innovation.
• Lead specialist teams and strengthen collaboration across Grid Development and the wider enterprise.
• Translate complexity into practical action and guide escalation pathways.

Skills

Capability development

Professional practice leadership

Stakeholder alignment

Communication

Leading change

Job description

• Take ownership of a new leadership role in Auckland, Wellington or Christchurch
• Lead standards, tools and governance that lift delivery quality at scale
• Shape technical capability for New Zealand’s national grid

Our purpose is to empower the energy future for New Zealand, a future that delivers a net-zero carbon economy and a reliable, secure electricity system.

Our context

Our work programme is growing significantly, in scale and complexity. To meet this challenge, we are evolving how we work and building the infrastructure New Zealand will need for decades to come.

Grid Development shapes the future of New Zealand’s transmission network. It brings together network strategy, integrated planning, investment management, project engineering and technical expertise to meet customer, system and long-term energy needs.

The opportunity — a leadership role with broad influence

As Head of Technical Capability, you’ll lead the function responsible for the capability systems, standards, tools and practices that help Grid Development deliver with confidence. This includes technical and specialist capability that supports sound decisions and practical consistent outcomes.

You’ll lead managers and four teams across Asset & System Information, Cost Engineering, Digital Engineering, and Engineering Standards. You’ll influence how technical decisions are governed and how consistent, high-quality outcomes are enabled.

You’ll work with teams across Transpower to help specialist functions and technical professions scale and mature. You’ll bring clarity to complex issues, support effective escalation pathways and equip teams with the information, practices and tools they need to deliver at pace.

You’ll lead across

• Strategy and practice — set direction for professional practice and frameworks that support scalable delivery.
• Technical governance — facilitate the Technical Engineering Authority process and support clear review, escalation and decision pathways.
• Tools and information — mature digital engineering, cost engineering, asset and system information to improve usability, reliability and access.
• Continuous improvement and innovation — use insights, performance information and industry good practice to drive value
• Leadership and operating model maturity — lead specialist teams, clarify accountabilities and strengthen collaboration across Grid Development and the wider enterprise.

We’re looking for a leader who builds capability through people, systems and practice. You may have led specialist, engineering, infrastructure, asset, technical, standards, governance or centre-of-excellence functions. What matters is your ability to set direction, influence across professions and translate complexity into practical action.

You’ll bring sound judgement, strong stakeholder engagement and change leadership. You’ll be comfortable building alignment where priorities and perspectives differ. Electricity transmission or asset‑intensive infrastructure experience would be helpful, but we also welcome leaders who have lifted professional practice in complex environments.

In your CV, we’ll be looking for evidence of:

• Strategic understanding of capability development, professional practice leadership and organisational capability systems.
• Proven success leading specialist technical, professional or centre-of-excellence functions.
• Leading through complexity, ambiguity and competing organisational priorities.
• Building alignment across technical and non-technical stakeholders.
• Using evidence and insights to improve maturity and decision‑making.
• Leading organisational change, capability uplift or practice transformation.
• Communicating complex technical issues clearly to diverse audiences.

Join us at Transpower

At Transpower, our people are connected by purpose: empowering New Zealand’s energy future. We bring diverse perspectives together to solve complex challenges, make considered decisions, and deliver work that matters for generations to come.

In this seniorrole, visibility, connection, and communication matter.You’llhelp create clarity, bring people together, and lead through complexity as we deliver infrastructure outcomes of national significance.

• We offer intellectually stimulating work, ongoing learning, and a range of health, wellbeing, and insurance benefits.

This role could be based in Auckland, Wellington or Christchurch. Other Transpower office locations may be considered for outstanding candidates.

Role closes Monday 28 September