Team Leader Portfolio Delivery (Fixed Term)

Taituarā; Napier; On-site; NZD 124,000 - 138,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Employee Assistance Program (OCP)

Quarterly values awards

Birthday vouchers

Social club

Free flu vaccinations (annual)

Flexi work arrangements

Job summary

Napier City Council seeks a Team Leader – Portfolio Delivery to guide a team of Portfolio Leads and oversee several capital portfolios, ensuring on-time delivery within scope and budget. You will collaborate with consultants, contractors, and internal teams to strengthen governance and delivery practices.

You will bring substantial experience in capital/infrastructure programme delivery, mentoring professionals and a solid grasp of procurement, governance and contracts.

Qualifications

• Strong experience delivering capital, infrastructure or complex project programmes.
• Experience leading, mentoring or supporting project and programme delivery professionals.
• Good understanding of project governance, procurement and contract management.
• Confident working with consultants, contractors and other delivery partners.
• Ability to see the bigger programme picture while handling detail when needed.
• Strong communication, judgement and relationship skills.

Responsibilities

• Lead, support and develop a team of Portfolio Leads, providing practical day-to-day guidance, coaching and direction.
• Maintain oversight across multiple capital portfolios, helping keep delivery on track across scope, budget, programme, risk and quality.
• Work alongside the team to identify and resolve delivery challenges, competing priorities and programme-level risks.
• Build strong working relationships with consultants, contractors, internal teams and other delivery partners.
• Strengthen programme governance, reporting and project delivery practices, bringing greater consistency across the programme.
• Provide clear programme-level insights to support decisions, priorities and forward planning.
• Help build capability and improve the way we deliver as Water Services prepares for its future operating environment.

Skills

Leadership

Delivery management

Governance

Procurement

Contract management

Communication

Stakeholder management

Mentoring

Relationship skills

Job description

At Napier City Council, we have an exciting programme of water infrastructure work underway across water, wastewater, and stormwater assets, including new ocean outfall pipe, new pump stations, new trunk mains and new reservoirs. If you’re keen to work on some complex infrastructure projects we’re looking for an experienced delivery leader who can step in, support our people and help keep that programme moving.

As Team Leader – Portfolio Delivery, you’ll work alongside the Manager Capital Delivery to provide hands-on leadership across our team of Portfolio Leads. You’ll create oversight across multiple portfolios, help navigate delivery challenges and make sure our people have the support, direction and consistency they need to deliver well.

This isn’t a role where you’ll be sitting on the sidelines. You’ll be close to the work – working through priorities, risks and delivery challenges with the team, partnering with consultants and contractors, and helping strengthen the way our capital programme is planned, governed and delivered.

With the water sector preparing for transition to a new regional entity, this fixed-term opportunity comes at an important time. We need someone who can bring experience, stability and practical leadership to the team while continuing to deliver the infrastructure our community relies on.

Te Āheinga - The Opportunity

• Lead, support and develop a team of Portfolio Leads, providing practical day-to-day guidance, coaching and direction.
• Maintain oversight across multiple capital portfolios, helping keep delivery on track across scope, budget, programme, risk and quality.
• Work alongside the team to identify and resolve delivery challenges, competing priorities and programme-level risks.
• Build strong working relationships with consultants, contractors, internal teams and other delivery partners.
• Strengthen programme governance, reporting and project delivery practices, bringing greater consistency across the programme.
• Provide clear programme-level insights to support decisions, priorities and forward planning.
• Help build capability and improve the way we deliver as Water Services prepares for its future operating environment.

You know what good infrastructure delivery looks like and, just as importantly, you know how to help people deliver it.

You may already be leading a capital delivery or programme team, or you could be an experienced Programme Manager, Senior Project Manager or Portfolio Lead ready to take the next step into broader people leadership. What matters most is that you can bring practical delivery experience, sound judgement and the confidence to support a busy team working across multiple priorities.

You’ll also bring:

• Strong experience delivering capital, infrastructure or complex project programmes.
• Experience leading, mentoring or supporting project and programme delivery professionals.
• A good understanding of project governance, procurement and contract management.
• Confidence working with consultants, contractors and other delivery partners.
• The ability to see the bigger programme picture while still getting into the detail when needed.
• Strong communication, judgement and relationship skills, with a practical and solutions-focused approach.
• Employee Assistance Program (OCP)
• Quarterly values awards + Birthday vouchers + Social club
• Free flu vaccinations (annual)
• Flexi work arrangements

This is a fixed term until 30 June 2027, full-time opportunity working 40 hours per week, Monday-Friday. You will be based in Napier

The annual salary package for this role is $123,817 - $138,383 (including KiwiSaver), with the final offer depending on your skills and experience.

We will be interviewing applications as we receive them and may close the role when we have found the right person.

At Napier City Council, we are proud to be an equal opportunity employer that values diversity.

We welcome applicants from all backgrounds and work to make our hiring process fair and accessible.

If you need any support or adjustments during your application or interview, let us know—we’re happy to help!

Our success is grounded in strong partnerships with Mana Whenua and Iwi, supported by our Māori Partnerships team, Te Waka Rangapū, which builds cultural capability through education and training.

Before you join, you’ll need to complete pre-employment checks (including criminal background checks, with some roles requiring health screening and drug & alcohol testing). As an NCC employee, you may also be called on to support Civil Defence emergencies when our community needs us most.