Manager – Three Waters Assets

Taituarā; Invercargill City; On-site; NZD 150,000 - 190,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Relocation support

Job summary

Invercargill City Council invites applications for a senior Manager – Three Waters Assets to guide strategic direction and long-term planning of the Council’s Three Waters asset portfolio. You will partner with the General Manager and lead a team to shape investment, renewal and data governance decisions.

With relocation support available, the role offers a rare opportunity to influence Water Services at regional scale while enjoying Southland’s lifestyle. Applications close 22 September 2026.

Qualifications

• Senior infrastructure or asset management leadership with strategic thinking and judgment.
• Ability to translate complex infrastructure into clear investment priorities and advice.
• Experience engaging with executives, elected members, regulators and external partners.

Responsibilities

• Set strategic direction for Three Waters assets and portfolio.
• Continue building the strategic asset management framework.
• Lead long-term investment and affordability planning.
• Prioritise renewal and infrastructure investment.
• Strengthen asset intelligence and data governance.
• Balance risk, service, compliance and affordability.
• Provide trusted advice to executives and Council stakeholders.
• Lead and develop asset management capability.
• Build regulatory and stakeholder relationships.

Skills

Senior leadership

Three Waters knowledge

Strategic asset planning

Lifecycle planning

People leadership

Regulatory relationships

Education

Relevant tertiary qualification (Civil Engineering/Law/Science)

Job description

• Help shape Invercargill’s future Three Watersinfrastructure
• Step into significant senior leadership
• Build, influence and grow your career
  

About the organisation

Decipher Group isdelighted to be partnering with Invercargill City Council in their search for aManager – Three Waters Assets. Invercargill City Council is entering animportant period for Water Services. Witha well-performing asset base, a highly experienced leadership team andsignificant investment planned, the Council is well positioned to respond tothe changing Three Waters environment and continue delivering resilient,affordable services for its community.

This newly created role withintheir new in-house Water Services business unit represents an investment in thefuture capability and succession of the Water Services team and provides a rareopportunity for an experienced infrastructure professional to influence howThree Waters assets are identified, planned, prioritised and managed fordecades to come.

Is growing yourprofessional expertise, and career, in a progressive and proactive environmentimportant to you?

About the opportunity

Reporting to the GeneralManager – Water Services, the Manager – Three Waters Assets will take ownershipof the strategic direction and long-term planning of Council’s Three Watersasset portfolio in accordance with our legislative reporting obligations.

As a senior member of theWater Services leadership team, you’ll work closely alongside the GM providingtrusted advice and taking a broad leadership role across strategic assetmanagement. With significant visibility across the organisation, this positionalso offers genuine scope to continue developing your leadership career.

You’ll join at a pointwhere you can make your mark. ICC is currently busy developing a new strategicasset management framework, creating the opportunity to shape the approachrather than inherit an established model.

A key focus will be to:

• Set strategic directionfor Three Waters assets
• Continue building thestrategic asset management framework
• Lead long-term investmentand affordability planning
• Prioritise renewal andinfrastructure investment
• Strengthen assetintelligence and data governance
• Balance risk, service,compliance and affordability
• Provide trusted advice toexecutives and Council stakeholders
• Lead and develop assetmanagement capability
• Build strong regulatoryand stakeholder relationships
• Lead, manage and motivatea small dedicated team of Asset Management professionals
  

About you

You’re a highlyexperienced infrastructure or asset management leader who can combine strongtechnical knowledge with strategic thinking, sound judgement and exceptionalcommunication.

You understand complexinfrastructure assets and can translate technical information into clearinvestment choices, priorities and advice. Equally important, you have thecredibility to engage across operational teams, senior executives, electedmembers, regulators and external partners.

You'll also bring:

• Strong Three Watersknowledge and experience under new national operating framework(s)
• Strategic asset andlifecycle planning expertise
• Strong people leadershipand capability development
• Confidence advisingexecutives, boards or elected members
• Sound commercial,financial and risk judgement
• Strong procurementexperience
• Strong water Industryknowledge and know how
• A relevant tertiaryqualification in ideally Civil Engineering, Law or Science related disciplines
  

You’ll be a collaborativeand forward-thinking leader who enjoys taking ownership, building capabilityand creating clarity around complex decisions. This is more than an opportunityto lead asset management. It is a newly created senior role with the scope toinfluence the wider Water Services functions, work closely with an experiencedGM and build toward broader leadership opportunities over time.

Add to thatthe Southland lifestyle – affordable living, minimal commuting and exceptionaloutdoor experiences within easy reach – and this is an opportunity to combine agenuinely interesting professional challenge with an enjoyable way of living.

Relocation support isavailable for the right candidate.

Applications close:Tuesday 22 nd September

Closing Date: Tuesday, 22 September 2026