Programme Team Leader

Palmerston North City Council; Palmerston North; On-site; NZD 122,000 - 144,000; Full time

Job summary

Join Palmerston North City Council as a Programme Team Leader and contribute to impactful infrastructure projects. This role entails leading a specialist team to ensure effective delivery of programmes and building relationships across stakeholders. Enjoy competitive remuneration, extensive leave, and a vibrant work environment in a progressive and community-focused city.

Benefits

5 weeks annual leave

Hybrid working principles

Professional memberships assistance

Corporate training and development

Parental leave benefits

Qualifications

• 5+ years' experience in programme or project delivery.
• Experience leading and mentoring teams.
• Strong capability in portfolio and programme governance.

Responsibilities

• Lead and develop the Programme Team for performance.
• Oversee governance frameworks for project delivery.
• Drive business improvement initiatives for project efficiency.

Skills

Leadership

Communication

Problem Solving

Relationship Building

Education

Degree in Business or Engineering

Job description

Why join us?

• Make a Difference: Contribute to the development of Palmerston North City while enjoying a fulfilling career that positively impacts our community
• Learning and Development Opportunities: Take your career to new heights with Learning and Development opportunities within Palmerston North City Council.
• Benefits: We do more than just pay you a salary too. We have awesome benefits to support you including 5 weeks annual leave and hybrid working principles

About the role

We’re looking for a future-focused Programme Team Leader to lead and develop a specialist team responsible for programme and portfolio governance across the Infrastructure Group. Your leadership will ensure our programmes and projects are delivered effectively, with the right frameworks, reporting, and continuous improvement processes in place.

You'll collaborate with a range of stakeholders—internally and externally—and play a vital role in supporting project delivery excellence across Palmerston North City Council's infrastructure projects.

This is a full-time, permanent position, working 40 hours per week, Monday to Friday.

Your focus in this role will include:

• Leading and developing the Programme Team to achieve strong performance outcomes.
• Managing programme governance frameworks to ensure the successful delivery of Council’s infrastructure portfolio.
• Overseeing reporting and forecasting of capital and operational programmes to enable sound governance and decision-making.
• Driving business improvement initiatives that enhance the consistency, efficiency, and effectiveness of project delivery.
• Championing lessons learned and best practice knowledge sharing across the PMO and project teams.
• Building and maintaining positive relationships with key stakeholders, consultants, and service providers.

About you

You’ll be an inspiring and solutions-driven leader with a strong background in programme, project, or portfolio management—ideally with infrastructure or complex project environments.

To be successful in this role, you’ll have:

• A degree in Business, Engineering, or a similar discipline.
• 5+ years’ experience leading, mentoring, and developing teams.
• 5+ years’ experience in programme or project delivery (preferably with infrastructure experience).
• Strong capability in portfolio and programme governance frameworks and reporting.
• High-level planning, risk management, and strategic problem-solving skills.
• Exceptional communication, negotiation, and relationship-building skills.
• Commercial acumen and the ability to drive improvements across complex environments.
• A professional project management qualification (e.g., PMP, PRINCE2) is desirable.

About us

Palmerston North (or as we like to call it, Palmy) is a growing, innovative and exciting city. With small city benefits and big city ambition, Palmy has secured its place on the map as a creative and exciting city, with leading innovation and developments! We’re proud to be a city that includes, supports, connects and uses the talents of the whole community in our pursuit to provide a connected and safe community. We’re also a future-focused city who cares about enhancing our natural and built environment. Our future looks bright; it looks vibrant and progressive.

What we offer:

• Competitive remuneration between $122,319 and $143,905 with a 3% KiwiSaver employer contribution (where eligible)
• 5 weeks annual leave and a community service day every year
• Additional long service leave after qualifying periods
• Parental leave benefits, including paid partner's leave, and top-up payments
• Free access to our on-site fitness equipment
• Free annual flu vaccinations and subsidised health and eye checks every 2 years
• Confidential counselling service
• Waiata group
• Professional memberships and assistance with study leave and fees
• Corporate training and development programmes
• Various wellbeing spaces, including parents’ room and wellness/prayer room; we value our employee experience

Applications close: 11.00 pm, Tuesday 15 July 2025 We are an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer and welcome applications from all those suitably qualified for this position.

Job Profile

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