Scheduling Principal Specialist

NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi; Wellington; On-site; NZD 110,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi is seeking a Scheduling Principal Specialist to lead scheduling best practices across projects and programmes. You will provide expert guidance to project teams and senior stakeholders, helping identify critical path risks and improve forecasting confidence.

Working alongside project controls, risk and delivery specialists, you will strengthen decision-making through high-quality schedule insights.

Qualifications

• Extensive experience in project scheduling and project controls.
• Strong understanding of critical path analysis and schedule risk management.
• Experience developing and assuring complex infrastructure schedules.
• Strong analytical and forecasting capability.
• Ability to communicate complex information to both technical and non-technical audiences.
• Collaborative approach and a passion for building capability.

Responsibilities

• Lead scheduling best practice across projects and programmes.
• Provide expert advice, assurance and coaching to project teams and senior stakeholders.
• Identify critical path risks and improve forecasting confidence.
• Strengthen decision-making through high-quality schedule insights.
• Collaborate with project controls, risk and delivery specialists.

Skills

Scheduling

Project controls

Critical path analysis

Forecasting

Infrastructure scheduling

Analytical ability

Communication

Collaboration

Tools

Primavera

Job description

• Open to being located at any one of our main NZTA offices
• Turn complexity into clarity. Deliver confidence through planning.

• Permanent, full time,
• Open to being located at any one of our main NZTA offices
• Turn complexity into clarity. Deliver confidence through planning.

Major infrastructure projects depend on robust schedules, credible forecasts and clear visibility of risk.

As our Scheduling Principal Specialist, you'll provide specialist leadership and guidance across NZTA's Infrastructure Development & Delivery portfolio, helping delivery teams improve planning quality, schedule realism and forecasting confidence.

Te Whiwhinga mahi | The opportunity

You'll lead scheduling best practice across projects and programmes, providing expert advice, assurance and coaching to project teams and senior stakeholders.

Working alongside project controls, risk and delivery specialists, you'll help identify critical path risks, improve forecasting confidence, and strengthen decision-making through high-quality schedule insights.

You can find out more about this role via the position description here

Ko koe tēnei | About you

This role will suit an experienced project controls or scheduling professional who understands how robust planning, forecasting and critical path analysis drive successful project outcomes. Experience with Primavera is beneficial but not essential.

You’ll Bring

• Extensive experience in project scheduling and project controls
• Strong understanding of critical path analysis and schedule risk management
• Experience developing and assuring complex infrastructure schedules
• Strong analytical and forecasting capability
• The ability to communicate complex information to both technical and non-technical audiences
• A collaborative approach and a passion for building capability.

Why join us?

• Help shape delivery outcomes across nationally significant projects and programmes
• Influence scheduling maturity and forecasting confidence across NZTA
• Work alongside experienced infrastructure and project delivery professionals
• National role with flexibility to be based from any NZTA office.

Rā Katinga | Applications close:

30 August 2026

For further information, email: [e-mail]

To be considered for this position you must have a legal right to live and work in New Zealand.

Waka Kotahi is an equal opportunity employer (EOE). We recognise the importance of diversity and inclusion and are committed to providing a working environment that embraces these values. Please let us know if you need any support or have any access requirements that will help you through the recruitment process.

Please note that we may begin shortlisting as we receive applications. We encourage early applications as we may withdraw the advertising at any time.