Senior Contracts Advisor

Greater Wellington; Wellington; On-site; NZD 101,000 - 152,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible working policy

Learning and development opportunities

Medical and trauma insurance

Employee assistance program

Job summary

Greater Wellington in Wellington is seeking a Senior Contracts Advisor to lead contract management, provide expert guidance on Metlink contracts, and support cross‑functional teams with commercial decisions.

You will oversee contract documentation, improve processes, and act as the go‑to expert on Bus, Rail and Ferry Operator agreements while minimising risk and ensuring compliance.

Qualifications

• Excellent commercial acumen and ability to build cross‑functional relationships in a public sector context.
• Experience delivering contract management in high‑value, complex environments.
• Ability to interpret and apply contractual terms with practical business sense.
• Strong stakeholder engagement and analytical problem‑solving skills.

Responsibilities

• Be the senior contract expert for Metlink and provide clear contractual input to stakeholders.
• Lead the development and improvement of contract management processes and tools.
• Identify and minimise contractual and commercial risk and oversee relevant documentation.
• Provide timely reminders of obligations and support information for Bus, Rail and Ferry Operators.

Skills

Commercial acumen

Contract management

Stakeholder management

Cross-functional collaboration

Risk assessment

Attention to detail

Job description

We're looking for an experienced commercially minded contract advisor to join our Commercial Partnerships Team in Metlink.

This is a permanent role based in our busy central Wellington office, reporting to the Manager Contracts and Partnerships.

About the role

Metlink develops and delivers public transport services for the Greater Wellington region and strives to be a symbol of pride for the region.

We are seeking someone with excellent commercial acumen and nous who has a proven ability to build and cultivate effective cross functional relationships. This is your chance to contribute to the commercial development, understanding and ongoing management of our strategic contractual relationships.

You will be a 'subject matter expert' for Metlink on our key contracts providing advice and assistance on all aspects of our contracts, which range in scale, value and complexity.

The Senior Contracts Advisor spans two key areas of responsibility:

Contract management leadership

• Assist with the identification of, and minimisation of Metlink' exposure to commercial and contractual risk.
• Oversee the management of documents for all Public Transport contracts, ensuring all related commercial documents are filed, archived and kept accessible as required.
• Develop and implement contract management processes and tools to improve contract management practices across Metlink, and in accordance with Greater Wellington policies and frameworks.
• Provide contract information to Metlink officers that gives a clear view of contract requirements, performance and risks, and opportunities for improvement.

Contract management advice

• Be a subject matter expert on the understanding of, and provision of advice regarding all Metlink contracts and in particular the Bus, Rail and Ferry Operator agreements.
• Act as an escalation point for the consistent interpretation and application of contractual terms and any issues of an unusual nature.
• Provide advice and answers to queries in relation to specific topics within the contract to key stakeholders e.g. setting out the contractual position on a topic, along with the relevant provisions etc to support discussions and well-informed decisions.
• Provide timely reminders (with data and information as needed), internally and externally, of contractual obligations with Bus, Rail and Ferry Operators e.g. when Bonds, Plans and Reports are due.

What you'll do

As a Senior Contracts Advisor at Metlink, you will:

• Be critical advisor to stakeholders across Metlink and conduit for Metlink for all things contractual.
• Work collaboratively with internal and external parties to ensure all contractual outcomes are delivered as required.
• Work with project teams and individuals as required to provide commercial/contractual input throughout the project continuum and beyond.
• Prepare and/or review contract variations, supply agreements, sub-contracts, MOUs, and renewals (all in conjunction with GWRC Legal and Procurement teams as required); review Vendor Agreements; and prepare other formal communications to Operators and other parties.

Skills and experience

We're seeking candidates with:

• Excellent commercial acumen and nous, with experience in providing contractual advice within a high-value, complex commercial environment.
• Curiosity, and a passion for working at the intersect of business/commercial/legal knowledge, and contracts, with demonstratable pragmatism in a local government context.
• Strong inter-personal skills and the ability to get on with colleagues while seeking common sense outcomes and providing feedback and insights.
• Problem-solving skills with a keen attention to detail and the ability to drive positive outcomes and results in collaborative as well as solo projects and situations.
• Comfort working with complexity and ambiguity, as well as having the ability to bring order to situations when appropriate.
• The ability to understand contractual (and associated) documentation in the finest detail with the ability to apply sound commercial, risk, political and customer considerations to outcomes.
• A commitment to the principles of te Tiriti o Waitangi and an awareness of Māori perspectives and values, and a willingness to learn in this area.
• You don't need to be a lawyer, but you will have an understanding of commercial law with experience founded through exposure via law, finance or business experience, knowledge and skills.

What we offer

• Work to suit your life and whānau with our flexible working policy.
• We'll encourage you to grow and prosper with a range of learning and development opportunities, with potential for internal secondments and career progression.
• Your wellbeing is our priority - we'll provide medical and trauma insurance, support through our employee assistance programme or Manawa Ora providers, generous annual leave, along with Tangihanga leave and support.
• We want you to have a sense of belonging, where you can reflect your personal and cultural identity in the way that you work.
• Social clubs, staff networks and a friendly and inclusive culture.
• Great working environment in our central Wellington office.

Greater Wellington is proud to be a member of Te Uru Tāngata Centre for Workplace Inclusion. We value diversity and are committed to an inclusive, flexible, and supportive workplace. We encourage candidates from all backgrounds and welcome the unique talent and experience you will bring to our team.

We are passionate about ensuring our recruitment processes are fair and equitable. Please let us know if you have any accessibility needs or adjustments that need to be made so we can offer a recruitment process that is more accessible to you.

For further information, please contact Paul Zimmerman, Manager Contracts and Partnerships on [e-mail].

Applications close: 5.00pm Thursday 17 September 2026. We will be reviewing applications as they are submitted.

All applicants will be required to provide proof of their eligibility to work in New Zealand.

The total remuneration for this position, inclusive of all benefits, is $101,204 to $151,806 with a midpoint of $126,505.

Starting remuneration will depend on the skills and experience of the successful applicant.

Greater Wellington is an accredited Living Wage Employer. We're committed to making sure our people, including people in our supply chain, earn enough to meet life's basic needs, support their whānau, and participate fully in their communities.