Principal Engagement Advisor

Selwyn District Council; Rolleston; On-site; NZD 90,000 - 140,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Great work-life balance

Career coaching and development

Life insurance

Wellbeing and volunteer leave

Three additional paid leave days each 

Two weeks paid Partners Leave

Sick leave from day one

Discounts with local and national bus

Job summary

Selwyn District Council is seeking a senior engagement practitioner to shape how the Council listens to and works with its communities. You will provide strategic advice to senior leaders, lead the engagement practice and ensure voices and needs influence Council decisions.

You will drive engagement for complex projects, build trusted relationships with iwi, community leaders and stakeholders, and deliver evidence-based insights to inform policy and infrastructure choices.

Qualifications

• Significant experience leading engagement in a complex, public-facing environment.
• Exceptional relationship-building and stakeholder management skills.
• Strong political awareness, judgement and the confidence to provide courageous advice.
• Experience working with iwi, mana whenua and diverse communities.
• A strong understanding of engagement principles, planning and evaluation, ideally including legislative consultation requirements.

Responsibilities

• Lead and shape Council's engagement frameworks, standards and best-practice approaches.
• Provide trusted strategic advice on engagement opportunities, risks and community expectations.
• Lead engagement for major initiatives, infrastructure projects, reforms and policy changes.
• Build strong relationships with iwi, rūnanga, community leaders, business groups and key stakeholders.
• Ensure engagement is inclusive, evidence-based and aligned with legislative requirements.
• Turn engagement insights into meaningful advice that informs decision-making.
• Coach and support engagement practitioners and build engagement capability across Council.
• Work closely with communications colleagues to ensure engagement, messaging and channels are connected and effective.

Job description

Jora New Zealand will close on 9th September 2026. Thank you for being with us, we are cheering you on as you continue your career journey.

This is a senior opportunity to shape how Selwyn District Council listens to, understands and works with its communities.

As our senior engagement practitioner, you'll provide strategic advice to the Mayor, Chief Executive, Executive Leadership Team and senior leaders, while leading Council's engagement practice. You'll help ensure the voices, needs and aspirations of Selwyn's diverse communities are meaningfully considered in Council's decision-making.

You'll lead engagement strategy for complex, high-profile and sensitive projects, build trusted relationships with iwi, community leaders, businesses and key stakeholders, and provide expert advice where issues require sound judgement, political awareness and a strong understanding of community expectations.

What you'll do:

• Lead and shape Council's engagement frameworks, standards and best-practice approaches.
• Provide trusted strategic advice on engagement opportunities, risks and community expectations.
• Lead engagement for major initiatives, infrastructure projects, reforms and policy changes.
• Build strong relationships with iwi, rūnanga, community leaders, business groups and key stakeholders.
• Ensure engagement is inclusive, accessible, evidence-based and aligned with legislative requirements.
• Turn engagement insights into meaningful advice that informs decision-making.
• Coach and support engagement practitioners and build engagement capability across Council.
• Work closely with communications colleagues to ensure engagement, messaging and channels are connected and effective.

What you'll bring:

You'll be an experienced engagement professional who is comfortable operating at a strategic level and navigating complexity. You'll bring:

• Significant experience leading engagement in a complex, public-facing environment.
• Exceptional relationship-building and stakeholder management skills.
• Strong political awareness, judgement and the confidence to provide courageous advice.
• Experience working with iwi, mana whenua and diverse communities.
• A strong understanding of engagement principles, planning and evaluation, ideally including legislative consultation requirements.
• The ability to influence senior leaders and bring people with you through complex or sensitive issues.
• A passion for building organisational capability and lifting the quality and consistency of engagement practice.

Your experience may come from local or central government, infrastructure, utilities, health, environment, housing or another organisation where community trust, participation and stakeholder relationships are critical to success.

What we can offer:

• Great work-life balance with flexibility
• Career coaching and development
• Life insurance
• Wellbeing and volunteer leave
• Three additional paid leave days each year
• Two weeks paid Partners Leave
• Sick leave from day one
• Discounts with local and national businesses

If you're ready to influence how Council engages, strengthen community trust and help shape better decisions for Selwyn, we'd love to hear from you.