Senior Principal – Environmental / Civil Engineering

Tonkin + Taylor; Wellington; On-site; NZD 110,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

Tonkin + Taylor in New Zealand seeks a technical leader to guide waste infrastructure projects, delivering high-quality outcomes. You will support capability growth, manage risk, monitor programme performance, and engage clients to secure ongoing work.

You will build enduring client relationships, contribute to winning new work, and help shape growth within the waste and resource recovery space; open to candidates based in any NZ office, with flexible arrangements to suit project needs.

Qualifications

• Leadership of multidisciplinary teams on complex waste infrastructure projects
• Experience building client relationships and securing new work
• Ability to mentor and develop technical capability across teams
• Strong focus on risk, programme performance and delivery quality

Responsibilities

• Provide technical leadership across waste infrastructure projects
• Support capability growth across delivery teams
• Build enduring client relationships and contribute to winning new work
• Mentor and coach technical staff; represent leadership in industry forums

Skills

Technical leadership

Multidisciplinary teamwork

Client engagement

Mentoring

Project risk management

Business development

Education

Tertiary qualification in Civil or Environmental Engineering

Job description

Mō tō mātou āhuatanga | Who we are

Tonkin + Taylor is New Zealand's leading engineering and environmental consultancy, renowned for our technical excellence in solving complex challenges. We are a proudly New Zealand and 100% employee-owned company and our collective mission is to create and sustain a better world.

In the waste and resource recovery sector, our containment team provides consulting services across circular economy, resource recovery and waste infrastructure. We have long-term relationships with clients in New Zealand, Australia and the Pacific, and a strong pipeline of great projects through which we are helping build more resilient communities and future-focused solutions.

Kei te hiahia mātou ki ōu | We want your skills

The role

In this role, you will provide technical leadership across waste infrastructure projects, working alongside multidisciplinary teams to deliver high-quality outcomes. You will support and grow capability across all aspects of delivery, including risk management, programme performance and client engagement.

You will play a key role in building enduring client relationships, contributing to winning new work, and helping to shape future growth and opportunities within waste and resource recovery.

We are open to candidates based in any of our NZ offices.

What We Need You To Bring

We are looking for someone who is motivated by complex, multidisciplinary projects and enjoys working collaboratively to deliver practical, high-quality solutions. Experience, skills and attributes may include some of the following (recognising that no candidate will bring all of these):

• Bulk earthworks and stormwater design


• Containment systems, including geosynthetics and leachate management


• Landform design and rehabilitation


• Gas management or environmental control systems


• Geotechnical or stability assessment


• Broader civil or environmental engineering design solutions


• A tertiary qualification in Civil or Environmental Engineering (or a related discipline)


• Chartered Professional Engineer status (or equivalent), or working towards this


• Experience leading complex projects and working with multidisciplinary teams


• Strong client relationship skills and commercial awareness
  
• A collaborative approach, with a genuine interest in developing others

We welcome candidates with experience in related infrastructure or environmental sectors who bring transferable skills and a willingness to apply their expertise in the waste containment and resource recovery space.

Leadership and contribution

Beyond project delivery, you will play a key role in growing capability across our technical teams through mentoring and coaching, working alongside others to build confidence and depth of expertise. You will also represent T+T's leadership perspective in strategic industry forums.

Ngā Hua | Our benefits

• Work on a diverse range of challenging projects alongside internationally recognised engineers across our APAC network


• A highly supportive team environment where you are encouraged to shape your own career path


• Professional memberships and continuing education support


• Flexible working culture, including part-time options, flexible hours, remote working, and the ability to purchase extra leave


• Internal training and mentoring programmes


• $750 annual wellbeing allowance


• Active social club, free fruit, and morning teas (we love morning teas at Tonkin +Taylor!)


• Enhanced parental leave support, including salary top-up and back-to-work coaching


• State-of-the-art offices

T+T is not only a place to work - it's a place where your work will make a difference. 'Everyone Matters' is one of our three core values at T+T, and we are committed to attracting and retaining a diverse workforce who foster inclusion, participation, and equal opportunity. We are proud to be an Immigration New Zealand Accredited Employer, a member of Diversity Works, and Pūhoro STEMM Academy.