Senior Commercial Partnering Advisor

Join our team; Ngaruawahia; On-site; NZD 120,000 - 140,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Free parking

Flexible working options

Annual performance reviews

Remuneration reviews

Health insurance

Birthday leave

Work-life balance day

Job summary

Waikato District Council is seeking a Senior Commercial Partnering Advisor to deliver value from major commercial relationships and investments that matter to our communities. You’ll shape complex strategies, lead high-value procurement activities and guide senior leaders across Council.

You'll provide expert commercial leadership, establish strategic supplier relationships, ensure governance and probity, and build capability across the organisation while driving continuous improvement and

Qualifications

• Significant experience in commercial partnering, procurement, contracting or supplier management.
• Proven success leading complex, high-value procurement and contract activities.
• Strong negotiation, influencing and stakeholder engagement skills.
• Experience providing advice and recommendations to senior leaders.
• Sound governance, risk and public sector procurement principles.
• Excellent analytical, facilitation and communication skills.
• Relevant tertiary or professional qualifications, or equivalent experience in a related field.

Responsibilities

• Develop and implement commercial and procurement strategies.
• Lead complex sourcing activities, evaluations and negotiations.
• Support major programmes and projects with commercial expertise.
• Establish and manage strategic supplier relationships.
• Provide coaching and technical guidance across the organisation.
• Ensure governance, probity and compliance practices.
• Identify opportunities to optimise value, reduce risk and improve outcomes.
• Contribute to Council-wide commercial capability and continuous improvement initiatives.

Skills

Negotiation

Stakeholder engagement

Analytical thinking

Communication skills

Education

Relevant tertiary or professional qualifications

Job description

Shape major investments. Build trusted partnerships. Deliver real value for our communities.

At Waikato District Council, we're committed to creating a vibrant, connected and thriving district. As we continue to grow and transform, we're looking for an experienced Senior Commercial Partnering Advisor to play a key role in delivering value from some of our most important commercial relationships and investments.

The opportunity

This is more than a procurement role. You'll be a trusted strategic advisor, working with senior leaders across Council to shape complex commercial strategies, lead high-value procurement activities, manage critical supplier relationships, and ensure our investments deliver long-term benefits for our communities.

With responsibility for some of Council's most complex and strategically significant procurement and commercial partnering activities, you'll help guide decisions that influence major capital programmes, essential services, risk management, innovation and long-term value creation.

What will I do?

As our Senior Commercial Partnering Advisor, you'll provide expert commercial leadership across procurement, contracting and supplier management activities.

You'll lead end-to-end procurement processes for complex, high-value and high-risk initiatives, provide strategic advice to senior stakeholders, negotiate commercial outcomes, and help embed best-practice commercial approaches across Council.

• Develop and implement commercial and procurement strategies
• Lead complex sourcing activities, evaluations and negotiations
• Support major programmes and projects with commercial expertise
• Establish and manage strategic supplier relationships
• Provide coaching and technical guidance across the organisation
• Ensure strong governance, probity and compliance practices
• Identify opportunities to optimise value, reduce risk and improve outcomes
• Contribute to Council-wide commercial capability and continuous improvement initiatives

What will I bring?

You’ll be a commercially savvy and strategic thinker who enjoys solving complex challenges and influencing outcomes at a senior level.

• Significant experience in commercial partnering, procurement, contracting or supplier management
• Proven success leading complex, high-value procurement and contract activities
• Strong negotiation, influencing and stakeholder engagement skills
• Experience providing advice and recommendations to senior leaders
• Sound understanding of governance, risk and public sector procurement principles
• Excellent analytical, facilitation and communication skills
• Relevant tertiary or professional qualifications, or equivalent experience in a related field

Experience in local government, infrastructure, transport, construction, professional services or other complex service environments will be highly regarded.

Knowledge of Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency procurement requirements would be advantageous, and for designated transport-focused portfolios a recognised Level 5 procurement qualification may be required.

Why join our team?

There's never been a more exciting time to join Waikato District Council.

We're progressing through a significant organisational transformation that is creating new opportunities, strengthening our capabilities, and helping us deliver even better outcomes for the communities we serve. You'll join a collaborative and forward-thinking environment where your expertise will be valued, your ideas welcomed, and your impact visible.

You’ll have the opportunity to:

• Influence major strategic decisions and investment programmes
• Work alongside senior leaders, project teams and subject matter experts across the organisation
• Lead complex commercial initiatives that make a real difference for our district
• Build strong supplier partnerships that drive innovation and value
• Contribute to a culture of continuous improvement and commercial excellence

Additional Information

Salary circa $130K dependent on skills and experience.

Waikato District Council offers a range of benefits to employees:

• Enjoy free parking.
• Make work, work for you with flexible working options.
• Benefit from annual performance and remuneration reviews.
• Access subsidised health insurance.
• Celebrate with a day of birthday leave.
• Receive a work-life balance day every six months after your first year.
• Access confidential support through our Employee Assistance Programme.
• Take advantage of our employee wellbeing programme.
• Receive free health checks, training and education at our annual Work Safe Home Safe event.
• Save with Boost discounts and special offers from New Zealand retailers and service providers.

Please note we will be screening applications as they come through.

We have a strong safety culture and as part of this our preferred candidates will be required to undergo pre-employment medical assessment which includes alcohol and drug testing.

Applicants must have the legal right to work in New Zealand.