Southern Waters HR Advisor - Fixed Term

Central Otago District Council; Alexandra; On-site; NZD 70,000 - 90,000; Part time

Job summary

Central Otago District Council seeks an HR Advisor to support Southern Waters’ establishment by shaping HR policies, leading recruitment, and advising on employment matters. The role requires collaboration across councils to ensure compliant change management and effective workforce planning.

You will work alongside the People Workstream Lead in a fixed-term capacity until 31 July 2027, helping to transition to a unified water services entity with a strong emphasis on fair process and timely

Qualifications

• Experience in a generalist HR or HR Advisor role.
• Experience with consultation, restructuring or organisational change.
• Track record in end-to-end recruitment.
• Strong knowledge of the Employment Relations Act 2000, the Holidays Act 2003 and good faith obligations.
• Ability to build trust with people at every level.
• Calm, organised approach to juggling priorities in a fast-moving environment.

Responsibilities

• Develop and review HR policies that work across a multi-council organisation and meet New Zealand employment law
• Lead recruitment from start to finish - scoping roles, writing position descriptions, advertising, running interview panels, preparing offers and onboarding new people
• Support workforce planning and retention including reviewing employment agreements, consultation documents and letter templates so they're accurate and procedurally sound
• Support the formal consultation process and give advice on individual employment matters
• Build strong relationships with council HR leads, union delegates and other stakeholders
• Help keep HR communication clear and consistent throughout the transition

Skills

Generalist HR experience

Consultation & restructuring

End-to-end recruitment

Employment relations familiarity

Stakeholder engagement

Organised & multi-priority

Education

HR / Employment relations / Business qualification or equivalent

Job description

Posted: 22/10/2026

Closing Date: 08/11/2026

Job Type: Temporary

Location: Alexandra

Job Category: Human Resouces & Recruitment

About The Opportunity

Southern Waters is a new water services entity being established by Central Otago, Clutha, Gore and Waitaki District Councils to deliver safe, reliable and financially sustainable water services for our communities. It will be the largest joint Council water services entity in the South Island, delivering water, wastewater, and stormwater services to approximately 84,100 people across an area of 24,702 km².

Why join us

We're building something that matters. Wai is a taonga, and our job is to look after it for our communities now and for generations to come. With a $750 million capital works programme to 2034 and more than 5,000km of pipeline in our care, we need great people to get us there. We're bringing staff, systems and services together from four councils into one organisation. That's a big task, and our people are at the heart of it.

Job Description

About the role

As HR Advisor, you'll work alongside the People Workstream Lead to shape and deliver the HR framework, policies and processes Southern Waters needs from day one. You'll combine hands-on HR work with trusted advice, helping the transition run fairly, consistently and at pace. This is a fixed term role to support the establishment project ending 31 July 2027.

What You'll Do

• Develop and review HR policies that work across a multi-council organisation and meet New Zealand employment law
• Lead recruitment from start to finish - scoping roles, writing position descriptions, advertising, running interview panels, preparing offers and onboarding new people
• Support workforce planning and retention including reviewing employment agreements, consultation documents and letter templates so they're accurate and procedurally sound
• Support the formal consultation process and give advice on individual employment matters
• Build strong relationships with council HR leads, union delegates and other stakeholders
• Help keep HR communication clear and consistent throughout the transition

Southern Waters Job Description

Desired Skills and Experience

What You'll Bring

• A qualification in HR, employment relations or business - or equivalent practical experience
• Experience in a generalist HR or HR Advisor role
• Experience with consultation, restructuring or organisational change
• A track record in end-to-end recruitment
• Sound knowledge of the Employment Relations Act 2000, the Holidays Act 2003 and good faith obligations
• The ability to build trust with people at every level
• A calm, organised approach to juggling priorities in a fast-moving environment

Applications close: 8/11/2026

If you have any questions about this role please contact Lucy Smyth [e-mail]