Manager Customer Relations

NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi; Wellington; On-site; NZD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi is seeking a Manager Customer Relations to provide enterprise-level leadership of the complaints management approach, shaping and implementing a coordinated and centralised model across the organisation. You will set strategic direction, strengthen governance, and work with senior leaders to embed consistent, transparent, and customer-centred complaint practices.

Drawing on deep insight and analysis, you will unify complaint data, customer feedback, and risk

Responsibilities

• Lead NZTA's Customer Relations (Complaints) function, setting strategic direction, leading people and performance, and ensuring the delivery of high-quality complaint management and resolution services.
• Drive the development and implementation of a coordinated and increasingly centralised

Job description

• Provide enterprise leadership and strategic direction for NZTA’s complaints management approach
• Develop and implement a coordinated and increasingly centralised enterprise complaints model
• Turn complex complaint data and customer feedback into enterprise insight, risk intelligence, and action
• Influence senior leaders, strengthen organisational accountability, and drive system-wide service improvement
• Palmerston North is preferred but we will consider Wellington, Hamilton or Auckland

Te Whiwhinga mahi | The opportunity

As Manager Customer Relations, you will provide enterprise-level leadership of NZTA’s complaints management approach, shaping and implementing a coordinated and increasingly centralised model across the organisation. You will set strategic direction, strengthen governance and accountability, and work with senior leaders to embed consistent, transparent, and customer-centred complaint practices across diverse business areas. Drawing on a high degree of insight and analysis, you will bring together complaint data, customer feedback, operational performance, and emerging risk information to identify systemic themes and translate them into clear priorities, strategic advice, and organisation-wide improvement action. This is a highly influential role, focused on building enterprise capability, lifting service performance, and ensuring customer insight drives better decisions, continuous improvement, and organisational learning.

Key Responsibilities Include

• Lead NZTA's Customer Relations (Complaints) function, setting strategic direction, leading people and performance, and ensuring the delivery of high-quality complaint management and resolution services.
• Drive the development and implementation of a coordinated and increasingly centralised