Specialist - Service Delivery Support (Process Improvement)

Auckland Council; Auckland; Hybrid; NZD 91,000 - 107,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible working options

Hybrid work arrangement

Career progression opportunities

Staff training & development

Diversity and inclusion

Job summary

Auckland Council is seeking a Specialist to join the Resource Consents team in a hybrid role based in Central Auckland.

You will apply process improvement, quality uplift, learning and knowledge management to deliver practical improvements that support staff, customers and the wider organisation.

The role involves planning, coaching, capability development, and stakeholder engagement with Māori partners to advance Auckland’s growth and regulatory excellence.

Qualifications

• Experience applying process improvement, organisational development, or regulatory improvement practices, ideally within a complex or public-sector environment.
• Experience supporting learning and development activities, including training, coaching, or knowledge sharing.
• Ability to provide constructive guidance and positively influence others without relying on formal authority.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving and systems-thinking capability.
• Ability to interpret information and turn insights into practical improvements.
• Experience contributing to cross-functional projects or improvement initiatives.

Responsibilities

• Supporting the planning, coordination and delivery of improvement initiatives, projects, and programmes across Resource Consents.
• Providing technical and practical support for process improvement, service quality, and capability uplift activities.
• Assisting with the implementation of agreed changes to systems, processes, guidance, and ways of working.
• Supporting learning, training, coaching, and knowledge-sharing initiatives that build capability across teams.
• Developing and maintaining guidance materials, templates, standard operating procedures, and other knowledge resources.
• Using data, evidence, and operational insights to identify opportunities to improve efficiency, consistency, and customer experience.
• Contributing to business reporting, programme coordination, and monitoring activities to support delivery of unit priorities.
• Providing specialist advice and support to practitioners and managers to encourage consistent application of standards, processes, and good practice.
• Building effective relationships across council, partner agencies and with Māori stakeholders.
• Supporting delivery of the Māori Responsiveness Plan for Tāmaki Makaurau and contributing to wider outcomes for Māori.

Skills

Process improvement

Organisational development

Learning & development

Knowledge management

Systems thinking

Analytical skills

Stakeholder engagement

Problem-solving

Education

Tertiary qualification in planning/public administration/organisational development/business improvement

Tools

Lean

Agile

Six Sigma

Job description

Specialist - Service Delivery Support (Process Improvement)

• Help shape the Future of Resource Consents in Tāmaki Makaurau
• Provide technical and practical expertise to support process improvements, quality uplift, learning initiatives, and knowledge management across Resource Consents.
• Hybrid role with flexible working options based in Central Auckland
• Salary will be $91,000 to $107,000 plus 3.5% KiwiSaver contribution

We have an opportunity for a Specialist to join our Resource Consents team, where you will play an important role in supporting service improvement, capability development, and operational excellence initiatives across Resource Consents.

This role combines process improvement, quality uplift, learning and development, knowledge management, project support, and business support activities. You will work alongside experienced specialists, practitioners and managers to help turn improvement opportunities into practical outcomes that support our people, customers, and wider organisation.

As a Specialist, you will provide technical and practical expertise to support improvement initiatives, capability programmes, and operational priorities across Resource Consents. You will contribute to projects and programmes, support the implementation of agreed changes, and help ensure teams have the tools, guidance, and information they need to deliver consistent, high-quality outcomes.

This is an ideal opportunity for someone who enjoys working collaboratively, is naturally organised and analytical, and wants to build experience across business improvement, project support, capability development, and regulatory operations.

Your work will include:

• Supporting the planning, coordination and delivery of improvement initiatives, projects, and programmes across Resource Consents.
• Providing technical and practical support for process improvement, service quality, and capability uplift activities.
• Assisting with the implementation of agreed changes to systems, processes, guidance, and ways of working.
• Supporting learning, training, coaching, and knowledge-sharing initiatives that build capability across teams.
• Developing and maintaining guidance materials, templates, standard operating procedures, and other knowledge resources.
• Using data, evidence, and operational insights to identify opportunities to improve efficiency, consistency, and customer experience.
• Contributing to business reporting, programme coordination, and monitoring activities to support delivery of unit priorities.
• Providing specialist advice and support to practitioners and managers to encourage consistent application of standards, processes, and good practice.
• Building effective relationships across council, partner agencies and with Māori stakeholders.
• Supporting delivery of the Māori Responsiveness Plan for Tāmaki Makaurau and contributing to wider outcomes for Māori.

You will have the opportunity to work across a varied portfolio, connecting people, processes and ideas to help Resource Consents continue to evolve and improve.

You can find the position description HERE

You are a collaborative and solutions-focused professional who enjoys understanding how things work and finding practical ways to make them better. You’ll be comfortable working in a complex environment, engaging with a range of stakeholders and influencing positive change through your expertise, relationships, and approach.

We are particularly interested in your:

• Experience applying process improvement, organisational development, or regulatory improvement practices, ideally within a complex or public-sector environment
• Experience supporting learning and development activities, including training, coaching, or knowledge sharing
• Ability to provide constructive guidance and positively influence others without relying on formal authority
• Strong analytical, problem-solving and systems-thinking capability
• Ability to interpret information and turn insights into practical improvements
• Experience contributing to cross-functional projects or improvement initiatives

In addition to the above, you will ideally have:

• A tertiary qualification in planning, public administration, organisational development, business improvement, or a related discipline
• Experience or certification in Lean, Agile, Six Sigma or a similar improvement methodology, which would be advantageous
• A current New Zealand driver licence
• Experience within planning and/or local government, which would be an advantage
• A demonstrated interest in and commitment to working with Māori and within Māori worldviews.

We offer flexible working arrangements and a competitive salary. You will be joining a team of dedicated and respected experts working collaboratively across the region to contribute to Auckland’s growth and development. We are committed to diversity, and have a culture built on trust and valuing individual as well as collective contributions.

We also offer:

• Career progression, development opportunities; opportunities to change career directions
• A fantastic learning environment with in-house training and development from one of the best staff training functions in NZ
• Opportunities to work from both home and our central Auckland office as well as a range of staff benefits available to Council employees
• Be involved in a diverse variety of exciting and high-profile projects
• Networking opportunities across Auckland Council, CCO’s and the development sector

We offer a range of employee benefits and proudly support flexible working options where possible. View a snapshot of some of our employee benefits HERE

This is an opportunity to have an impact beyond your own workload. You will help shape how work gets done, support people to succeed and contribute to improvements that can make a tangible difference to both our teams and the communities we serve.

Applications close on Friday 9 October at 11:59pm.

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.