Programme Manager Natural Environment

Auckland Council; Auckland; On-site; NZD 111,000 - 124,000; Full time

Job summary

Auckland Council’s Policy department has an opportunity for a Programme Manager Natural Environment to join the Natural Environment Strategy team on a fixed-term until July 2027 to cover parental leave.

This role focuses on ensuring the team’s work programme delivers milestones and strategic outcomes, translating strategy into council-wide delivery, and collaborating across departments in a politically sensitive environment to achieve positive environmental results.

Qualifications

• Experience in programme management for strategies and policies within large, complex, or political organisations.
• Ability to translate adopted strategy and policy into council-wide delivery programmes with milestone reporting.
• Strong interpersonal and presentation skills in a politically demanding environment with diverse audiences.
• Understand Auckland’s natural environment and how regulatory and non-regulatory tools influence outcomes.

Responsibilities

• Track and facilitate the implementation and refresh of the Auckland Water Strategy with cross‑council input.
• Provide programme support for the Indigenous Biodiversity Strategy’s development and adoption after public engagement.
• Lead implementation planning for the Revitalise Manukau Harbour strategy across departments.
• Support resource management reforms and contribute to the regional spatial plan development.

Skills

Programme management

Stakeholder engagement

Policy implementation

Reporting

Presentation skills

Political awareness

Tools

Microsoft Office

Job description

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• Combine strategy, influence and real-world delivery

Auckland Council’s Policy department has an opportunity for a Programme Manager Natural Environment to join the Natural Environment Strategy team on a fixed-term until July 2027 to cover parental leave.

This is a critical role for the Council and will focus on ensuring the team’s natural environment work programme achieves milestones and programme delivery, including linkages to other department input, delivery and organisational requirements for reporting. However, this is not a traditional programme management role - it's hands‑on and helping to create direction and traction.

You could expect to work on:

• tracking and facilitating the organisational implementation and refresh of the Auckland Water Strategy, with subject matter experience on how various parts of the council group contribute to this broad strategy.
• programme support for the Indigenous Biodiversity Strategy’s development and adoption following public engagement in early 2027.
• implementation planning for the recently adopted Revitalise Manukau Harbour strategy including liaison with multiple council departments to consider how they deliver activities to achieve the adopted outcomes.
• resource management reforms, including the team’s input into central government’s National Policy Direction, the council’s response to national standards, and facilitating the council’s development of a regional spatial plan.

This role requires experience in the programme management space, while also being familiar with local government’s implementation of central government direction, and council‑adopted policy and strategy programmes. You have experience in similar roles within large, complex, or political organisations.

Key role requirements:

• programme management skills in the development, tracking and adoption of strategies and policies and associated updates.
• able to effectively translate adopted strategy and policy into council‑wide delivery programmes and the fostering of reporting on milestones through various avenues.
• strong interpersonal and presentation skills including the use of Microsoft Office software, while working in a politically demanding environment with a range of interests and audiences.
• understand Auckland’s natural environment and the pressures on it, and how council and other interests can influence achievement of positive environmental outcomes through the various regulatory and non‑regulatory tools at its disposal.

We still encourage you to apply if you have some but not all these requirements.

At Auckland Council, you will join a dynamic, supportive environment where your mahi (work) will directly impact the lives of over 1.8 million Aucklanders. We offer flexible working conditions, a focus on well‑being, and a culture of continuous improvement.

We are proud to be recognised for our commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion. We are accredited by GenderTick, a signatory of the Pride Pledge. These commitments reflect our ongoing efforts to create a workplace where all staff feel valued, respected, and empowered to thrive.

Together, we can create a Tāmaki Makaurau we can all be proud of.

This role's ideal start date: 7th December 2026

Salary Range: 111k-124k

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