Principal Engineer - Regulatory Engineering

Auckland Council; Waiheke; Hybrid; NZD 125,000 - 155,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid role with flexible working

KiwiSaver contribution

Job summary

Auckland Council seeks an experienced Principal Engineer to lead technical excellence within Regulatory Engineering. You will shape outcomes, influence standards, and drive continuous improvement across assessments and processes.

You will provide specialist advice, develop guidance, deliver training, and support complex decisions impacting communities and development. Hybrid role with competitive salary and KiwiSaver contribution.

Qualifications

• Tertiary qualification in Civil or Environmental Engineering.
• 10+ years' experience in land development civil engineering.
• Extensive knowledge of New Zealand regulatory processes and legislation.
• Strong engineering judgement and problem-solving ability.
• Experience developing and delivering technical training and guidance.
• Exceptional stakeholder engagement and influencing skills.
• Ability to think strategically, prioritise effectively, and lead through collaboration.

Responsibilities

• Lead technical excellence across regulatory engineering assessments.
• Shape regulatory engineering outcomes and respond to Act changes.
• Develop engineering guidance, deliver training, and QA activities.

Skills

Engineering judgement

Stakeholder engagement

Strategic thinking

Problem solving

Training delivery

Leadership

Education

Tertiary qualification in Civil or Environmental Engineering

Job description

• Lead technical excellence. Shape regulatory engineering outcomes. Influence the future.
• Hybrid role with flexible working and based in Albany, Auckland
• Salary will be $125,000 to $155,000 plus KiwiSaver contribution

We are seeking an experienced Principal Engineer to provide technical leadership within our Regulatory Engineering function. This is an influential role where you will help drive consistency, quality, innovation, and continuous improvement across engineering assessments and regulatory processes. You will also help Regulatory Engineering respond to changes in the Resource Management Act, Building Act, and the introduction of the National Engineering Design Standards over the coming years.

As a trusted technical expert, you will provide specialist advice, develop engineering guidance, deliver training, undertake quality assurance activities, and support complex regulatory engineering decisions that have a lasting impact on communities and development outcomes.

What you will bring

• Tertiary qualification in Civil or Environmental Engineering
• 10+ years' experience in land development civil engineering
• Extensive knowledge of New Zealand regulatory processes and legislation
• Strong engineering judgement and problem-solving ability
• Experience developing and delivering technical training and guidance
• Exceptional stakeholder engagement and influencing skills
• Ability to think strategically, prioritise effectively, and lead through collaboration

Why you will thrive in this role

You will enjoy working independently while partnering with a diverse range of stakeholders within Council and the Development industry. You are a confident decision-maker who seeks input from relevant stakeholders, takes ownership, provides practical solutions, and communicates complex technical concepts clearly. You are passionate about developing others and continually improving engineering practice.

Auckland Council is one of the largest local authorities in the South Pacific providing essential services and facilities to more than 1.8 million people. We are progressive socially, culturally, and environmentally while we work towards creating change having an impact on our journey to becoming a world-class city for our ratepayers, residents, and visitors.

In return for your hard work, you will be rewarded with a competitive salary and be a part of a friendly and collaborative team that is dedicated to our customers. You will receive opportunities for training and development and be supported to help build your career and maintain your technical expertese.

If you are ready to lead technical excellence and make a meaningful contribution to regulatory engineering outcomes, we would love to hear from you.

Applications close Thursday 17 September at 11.59pm

*Please note this role is deemed safety-sensitive and will require a pre-employment drug & alcohol test.

Auckland Council is an equal opportunity employer (EOE) and we are committed to providing a working environment that embraces and values diversity and inclusion. If you have any support or access requirements, we encourage you to advise us at the time of application to assist you through the recruitment process.