Senior Programme Manager

Auckland Council; Auckland; On-site; NZD 120,000 - 160,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible work

Employee benefits

Oranga Day

Leisure centre discount

Job summary

Auckland Council's Development Programmes team is seeking a Senior Programme Manager for a 12-month fixed-term appointment to lead infrastructure assessments and coordinate Infrastructure Investment and Phasing (IIP) activities across Auckland.

This strategic planning and coordination role focuses on informing sequencing, funding decisions, and long-term infrastructure requirements amid growth, working with Council, CCOs, and external partners.

Qualifications

• Experience in infrastructure planning, urban development, or programme management.
• Strong stakeholder engagement and coordination skills.
• Analytical and strategic thinking for long-term planning.
• Clear, confident communication - written and oral.
• Relevant technical qualification (planning, engineering, urban design, or similar).
• Experience in horizontal infrastructure planning and/or urban development programmes.

Responsibilities

• Leading infrastructure assessment programmes across a range of locations in Auckland.
• Advising on infrastructure sequencing and priority infrastructure requirements to support growth, rather than delivering physical infrastructure projects.
• Lead cross-council assessments of unanticipated development proposals, identifying cumulative infrastructure impacts, service gaps, and choices about when infrastructure should be provided.
• Develop evidence and advice on how infrastructure costs arising from unanticipated growth could be funded or recovered, working with Council teams and infrastructure providers.
• Coordinating across Council teams, CCOs, developers, and other stakeholders with differing priorities.
• Informing Auckland's Spatial Plan, Infrastructure Strategy, and related planning frameworks.
• Managing budgets, reporting, risks, and programme governance.

Skills

Infrastructure planning

Stakeholder engagement

Analytical thinking

Communication

Urban development

Programme management

Education

Planning/engineering/urban design degree

Tools

GIS

Job description

Select how often (in days) to receive an alert:

• Lead long-term infrastructure assessments and sequencing to support Auckland's growth and development
• Build a robust, evidence-based understanding of infrastructure requirements to support housing and employment growth.
• Coordinate across Council, CCOs, and external stakeholders to align infrastructure responses to growth.

Auckland Council's Development Programmes team is seeking a Senior Programme Manager for a 12-month fixed-term opportunity to lead infrastructure assessments and coordinate Infrastructure Investment and Phasing (IIP) activities across a range of locations in Auckland.

This role sits within a growing programme of work to build a comprehensive, long-term understanding of infrastructure requirements across Auckland. The team focuses on long-term infrastructure planning, assessment, sequencing, and investment prioritisation. Rather than delivering physical infrastructure projects, the team develops the evidence base and strategic direction that helps shape where, when, and how infrastructure investment is needed to support growth.

You will play a critical role in developing a long-term view of infrastructure requirements, aligning infrastructure providers across multiple organisations and mandates, and informing sequencing to support housing, employment, and broader strategic outcomes. This is a strategic planning and coordination role focused on influencing future infrastructure investment decisions, rather than delivering infrastructure projects or overseeing construction programmes.

This includes responding to both planned and unplanned growth in a dynamic and evolving planning environment. You will often work with incomplete information, requiring sound judgement to develop a clear and credible view of infrastructure needs.

Your work will contribute to a robust and defensible evidence base that supports infrastructure planning, investment prioritisation, and funding decisions across Auckland. Working at the intersection of growth, infrastructure, and strategic planning, you will help ensure Auckland is well-positioned to respond to future development opportunities and challenges.

Day-to-day you could expect to work on:

• Leading infrastructure assessment programmes across a range of locations in Auckland
• Advising on infrastructure sequencing and priority infrastructure requirements to support growth, rather than delivering physical infrastructure projects
• Lead cross-council assessments of unanticipated development proposals, identifying cumulative infrastructure impacts, service gaps, and choices about when infrastructure should be provided.
• Develop evidence and advice on how infrastructure costs arising from unanticipated growth could be funded or recovered, working with Council teams and infrastructure providers.
• Coordinating across Council teams, CCOs, developers, and other stakeholders with differing priorities
• Informing Auckland's Spatial Plan, Infrastructure Strategy, and related planning frameworks
• Managing budgets, reporting, risks, and programme governance

We are looking for a strategic thinker and programme manager who thrives in complex, high-stakes and ambiguous environments.

You will have:

• Experience in infrastructure planning, urban development, or programme management
• Strong stakeholder engagement and coordination skills
• Analytical and strategic thinking for long-term planning
• Clear, confident communication - written and oral
• Relevant technical qualification (planning, engineering, urban design, or similar)
• Experience in horizontal infrastructure planning and/or urban development programmes

Nice-to-haves:

• Experience with infrastructure staging, sequencing, or growth planning frameworks
• Familiarity with Auckland growth and development context
• GIS/spatial data skills
• Public sector experience

Auckland Council is the largest local government council across Oceania, serving over 1.7 million people and contributing towards making Tāmaki Makaurau a world-class city.
We offer a range of employee benefits and proudly support flexible working options where possible.

You will have access to a range of fantastic Auckland Council benefits, EAP services, an Oranga Day and discounted Leisure Centre membership and a range of other partnership discounts! View a snapshot of some of our employee benefits here .

We are a diverse organisation - we value diversity in our thinking, and we can only achieve that with a diverse team!

Ehara taku toa, he takitahi, he toa takitini - My success is not mine alone, but the success of many.

Please note: Qualification Checks will be conducted along with other relevant pre-employment checks required for employment with Auckland Council.

Our employer Kiwisaver contribution is additional to base salary offered.

Auckland Council is committed to protecting your privacy in accordance with the Privacy Act 2020. We collect personal information directly from you and, where relevant for the purpose of assessing you for employment with Auckland Council, and employing you as part of the transport reform process, from third parties such as referees, previous employers (including Auckland Transport) recruitment agencies, and background checking providers.

By applying for this role, you consent to Council obtaining a reference from your current employer, including information about any active conduct investigations and current performance management processes, if you are the preferred candidate. Reference checks will only be undertaken at the preferred candidate stage. Any non-active performance or conduct matters may also be discussed with referees as part of the reference checking process.

If you do not consent to this information being provided, Council may be unable to properly assess your application and your application will not progress further. If you wish to withhold your consent, or to access or correct your personal information, please contact the Privacy Officer at [e-mail] .

Auckland Council is an equal opportunity employer (EOE) and we are committed to providing a working environment that embraces and values diversity and inclusion. If you have any support or access requirements, we encourage you to advise us at the time of application to assist you through the recruitment process.