Senior Communications and Engagement Advisor

Selwyn District Council; Rolleston; On-site; NZD 70,000 - 110,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Great work-life balance with flexiblty

Career coaching and development

Life insurance

Wellbeing and volunteer leave

Three additional paid leave days per v

Two weeks paid Partners Leave

Sick leave from day one

Discounts with local and national基商家

Job summary

Selwyn District Council invites applications for a Senior Communications and Engagement Advisor to partner with the infrastructure and property portfolios, shaping proactive communications for major capital projects and community facilities.

You will advise on sensitive issues, plan engagement activities, and coordinate multi-channel delivery with internal clients. A background in public sector comms and qualifications in communications or journalism are preferred.

Qualifications

• Strong experience in senior communications or related roles.
• Demonstrated experience providing strategic communications advice on sensitive or high-profile issues.
• Strong planning, prioritisation and project coordination skills.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to adapt tone and content for different audiences.
• A sound understanding of media relations, issues management and reputational risk.
• A collaborative approach, with a willingness to share knowledge and support others to do their best work.
• Experience working with infrastructure projects is desirable and local government or public sector experience would be advantageous.

Responsibilities

• Partner with the infrastructure and property portfolios, building a strong understanding of their priorities, risks and audiences as they deliver capital projects and maintain Selwyn's community facilities.
• Provide strategic communications advice on complex, sensitive and high-profile issues.
• Develop communications and engagement plans for significant projects, campaigns and consultations.
• Work with internal clients early to scope needs, agree realistic approaches and feed into team-wide forward planning.
• Coordinate delivery across digital, media, publications and campaign channels with marketing and design colleagues.
• Support proactive and reactive media work, including releases, key messages and spokesperson briefings.
• Actively contributing to planning, evaluation and continuous improvement across the team.
• Contribute to Council's emergency and adverse event communications, and to peer review and mentoring that lifts capability across the team.

Skills

Senior communications

Strategic communications

Planning & coordination

Written & verbal communication

Media relations

Issues management

Reputational risk

Collaborative approach

Public sector experience

Infrastructure projects experience

Education

Communications/public relations/journalism qualification

Job description

Jora New Zealand will close on 16th September 2026. Thank you for being with us, we are cheering you on as you continue your career journey.

Senior Communications and Engagement Advisor

We're looking for an experienced communications and engagement professional to act as a trusted business partner for a the Infrastructure and Property portfolio, shaping approaches early so they are well planned, audience-focused and deliverable.

You’ll advise on complex, sensitive and high-profile issues, plan for significant projects and consultations, coordinate delivery across channels, and support the Advisors around you through peer review and mentoring.

You’ll be joining us at a pivotal moment for local government. The sector is entering a period of significant change, and at Selwyn you’ll help communities understand and influence important decisions, support leaders through change, and build trust between Council and the people it serves. It is the kind of work that builds skills, relationships and professional credibility, in one of New Zealand’s fastest-growing districts.

Key areas of focus include:

Partnering with the infrastructure and property portfolios, building a strong understanding of their priorities, risks and audiences as they deliver capital projects and maintain Selwyn's community facilities

Providing strategic communications advice on complex, sensitive and high-profile issues.

Developing communications and engagement plans for significant projects, campaigns and consultations.

Working with internal clients early to scope needs, agree realistic approaches and feed into team-wide forward planning.

Coordinating delivery across digital, media, publications and campaign channels with marketing and design colleagues.

Supporting proactive and reactive media work, including releases, key messages and spokesperson briefings.

Actively contributing to planning, evaluation and continuous improvement across the team

Contributing to Council's emergency and adverse event communications, and to peer review and mentoring that lifts capability across the team.

About You

You’ll be a confident communication professional who enjoys being the person leaders turn to when an issue is complicated, and who brings a genuine commitment to Te Tiriti o Waitangi and to inclusive, culturally responsive practice.

You'll bring:

Strong experience in senior communications or related roles, ideally in complex or public-facing environments.

Demonstrated experience providing strategic communications advice on sensitive or high-profile issues.

Strong planning, prioritisation and project coordination skills.

Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to adapt tone and content for different audiences.

A sound understanding of media relations, issues management and reputational risk.

The ability to keep quality and professionalism high when the pressure comes on.

A collaborative approach, with a willingness to share knowledge and support others to do their best work.

Experience working with infrastructure projects is desirable and local government or public sector experience would be advantageous. Ideally you will be qualified in communications, public relations or journalism, with training or experience in community engagement and consultation practice.

What we can offer:

Great work-life balance with flexibility

Career coaching and development

Life insurance

Wellbeing and volunteer leave

Three additional paid leave days each year

Two weeks paid Partners Leave

Sick leave from day one

Discounts with local and national businesses

About us:

Selwyn is New Zealand's fastest growing district. We have a fantastic quality of life, great communities, and a thriving economy. Our Council works actively with residents to provide the services and facilities that help our communities to thrive and grow.

Our head office is based in Rolleston (only 25km from Christchurch), which offers an enviable family lifestyle, outstanding local facilities and an easy drive to the ski fields, rivers and hills that make up Canterbury's stunning landscape.

Our values are important to us and represent the way we work:

• Be a good human
• Be brave - Think differently
• Better together - Make it happen for Selwyn.

We honour Te Tiriti o Waitangi and we are committed to working with our Treaty partner to deliver on our obligations under Te Tiriti o Waitangi.