PT Operations Lead- fixed term to February 2027

Auckland Transport; Auckland, Kumeu; On-site; NZD 110,000 - 150,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Public transport discount

Professional development

Study assistance

Health benefits

Leadership opportunities

Job summary

Auckland Transport is seeking an experienced Operations Lead to oversee day-to-day public transport operations across bus, rail and ferry networks on a fixed-term basis until February 2027. The role is based in Auckland's control room environments and requires a strong operational leader capable of decisive action during incidents.

You will coordinate readiness, manage real-time responses, and work with operators, contractors and stakeholders to ensure safe, reliable, and customer-focused

Qualifications

• Tertiary qualifications or equivalent operational experience.
• CIMS Level 4 or equivalent emergency/incident management experience.
• NZ Driver Licence (Current and valid).
• Minimum 7 years in a complex operational environment.
• Experience leading or coordinating responses to incidents or disruptions.
• Strong stakeholder engagement and communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Lead and coordinate public transport service continuity across bus, rail and ferry networks.
• Assess operational and customer impacts arising from planned and unplanned events.
• Make informed operational decisions and provide escalation advice during complex incidents and disruptions.
• Develop and coordinate operational readiness plans for planned works, events and network changes.
• Coordinate multi-stakeholder responses to disruptions across environments and modes.
• Maintain situational awareness and provide timely operational information to support decision-making and customer communications.

Skills

Operational leadership

Incident management

Stakeholder engagement

Communication skills

Multi-source analysis

Public transport ops

Decision making

Education

Relevant tertiary qualification or equivalent

CIMS Level 4 qualification or equivalent

NZ Driver Licence

Job description

PT Operations Lead- fixed term to February 2027

Operations Lead - Public Transport- FIXED TERM

At Auckland Transport (AT), we are on a mission to transform Auckland into a vibrant city that moves, so Aucklanders can connect with the people and places they love.

From delivering critical infrastructure projects to improving everyday customer journeys, we're creating a transport system that is safe, reliable, connected and customer focused.

We are looking for an experienced and collaborative Operations Lead to join our Day of Operations team on a Fixed term contract and help shape the future of public transport operations across Auckland. The role is primarily based in control rooms at either the Auckland Transport Operations Centre (ATOC) at Smales Farm in Takapuna or the Auckland Rail Operations Centre (ATOC) at Central Park in Ellerslie. You’ll work 80 hours per fortnight on a rotating shift pattern aligned with the Day of Operations
operating hours.

The Operations Lead plays a critical role in maintaining public transport service continuity across Auckland's bus, rail, and ferry networks.

Operating across Auckland Transport's control room environments, this role provides a network-wide operating picture, coordinates responses to planned and unplanned events, and works closely with operators, contractors, and stakeholders to ensure customers experience the best possible transport outcomes.

This role combines operational leadership, service continuity planning, disruption management, and real-time decision-making. It supports Auckland Transport's ability to respond as one integrated public transport network by connecting information, people, and processes across multiple operating environments.

No two days are the same. One day you may be coordinating operational readiness for a major event or infrastructure project, and the next you may be leading a network-wide response to an unexpected disruption.

Working in a fast-paced environment, you'll use your operational expertise, situational awareness, and communication skills to assess impacts, support decision-making, coordinate stakeholders and drive positive customer outcomes.

Key Responsibilities

Service Continuity and Operational Leadership

• Lead and coordinate public transport service continuity across bus, rail and ferry networks.
• Assess operational impacts and customer impacts arising from planned and unplanned events.
• Make informed operational decisions and provide escalation advice during complex incidents and disruptions.
• Support network recovery activities to minimise disruption and restore services efficiently.

Operational Readiness

• Develop and coordinate operational readiness plans, contingency plans for planned works, planned events and network changes.
• Assess the public transport impacts of projects and activities occurring across the Auckland network.
• Ensure stakeholders are aligned on readiness, escalation pathways and customer communication requirements.
• Contribute to continuous improvement initiatives to enhance network resilience and operational performance.

Real-Time Operations

• Validate and verify incidents and operational information from multiple sources.
• Lead and coordinate responses to disruptions affecting public transport services.
• Facilitate collaboration across Auckland Transport teams, operators, contractors and control rooms to achieve coordinated outcomes.
• Maintain situational awareness and provide accurate, timely operational information to support decision-making and customer communications.

Network Integration and Stakeholder Management

• Build and maintain effective working relationships with public transport operators, KiwiRail, Auckland One Rail, contractors and internal stakeholders.
• Coordinate multi-modal responses where disruption extends beyond a single environment or transport mode.
• Provide expert operational advice relating to service continuity, customer experience and network performance.
• Champion a customer-focused approach to operational planning and disruption management.

You’ll be a confident operational leader who thrives in complex and dynamic environments. You’ll be comfortable making decisions, influencing stakeholders and coordinating responses under pressure while maintaining a strong customer focus.

You’ll bring:

• Relevant tertiary qualification or equivalent operational experience.
• CIMS Level 4 qualification or equivalent emergency management or incident management experience.
• Current and valid New Zealand Driver Licence (or equivalent).
• Minimum 7 years' experience in a complex operational environment.
• Experience leading or coordinating responses to incidents, disruptions or operational events.
• Demonstrated ability to assess information from multiple sources and make sound operational decisions.
• Strong stakeholder engagement and relationship management skills.
• Excellent communication skills, with the ability to influence and collaborate across diverse groups.
• Experience in public transport, transport operations, emergency management, logistics, network operations or similarly complex environments would be advantageous.
• Understanding of, or willingness to learn about, local government and the public transport sector.

Why Join Us?

This is an opportunity to be part of a team that helps keep Auckland moving every day.

You'll play a key role in supporting customer outcomes, improving network resilience and shaping how Auckland Transport responds to both planned and unplanned events across the transport network.

At Auckland Transport, we embrace inclusion and support a workplace where people feel safe, respected, valued and empowered to succeed.

Our values guide everything we do:

• Tiakitanga – Safe with us

In addition, we offer:

• 25% discount on public transport services across Auckland
• Professional development and training opportunities
• Opportunities to grow your leadership career
• Paid parental and partner leave
• Study assistance
• Health and wellbeing benefits
• Professional memberships

Help shape the future of Auckland's public transport network and contribute to delivering safe, reliable and customer-focused transport outcomes for Aucklanders.

We tiaki all those who use transport in Tāmaki Makaurau

Location(s) Western Auckland, Central Auckland, North Auckland