Team Leader - Water Planning Delivery

Watercare Services Limited; Auckland; On-site; NZD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Job summary

Watercare Services Limited is seeking an experienced Senior Infrastructure Leader to direct the Wastewater Planning Delivery function and align investment priorities with strategic goals for Auckland's water infrastructure. The role requires strong team leadership, stakeholder collaboration, and governance acumen.

You will drive feasibility, business cases and design transitions, balancing risk, cost and schedule while engaging with senior leaders, Council, iwi partners, and external

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Project Management, or a related discipline.
• At least 10 years' experience managing large-scale infrastructure programmes or projects.
• Demonstrated people leadership experience.
• Excellent stakeholder engagement and communication skills, with the ability to influence at senior leadership level.
• Sound knowledge of New Zealand's regulatory environment and infrastructure planning frameworks.
• Experience acting as an informed client and directing multidisciplinary professional-services partners.

Responsibilities

• Lead the Wastewater Planning Delivery function and its team of project managers with clear expectations and a strong performance culture.
• Translate strategic objectives and risks into clear portfolio and investment priorities.
• Own the definition, feasibility and transition of water infrastructure projects into design and delivery.
• Drive robust project definition, option assessment and business cases to improve cost, schedule and risk confidence.
• Manage portfolio performance across scope, budgets, forecasts, schedules, resources and risk.
• Provide strategic advice on investment choices and delivery implications to senior stakeholders.
• Lead portfolio governance, assurance and change-control disciplines.
• Direct the use of consultants and partners while growing internal capability.

Skills

Strategic infrastructure leadership

People leadership

Stakeholder engagement

Influence at senior leadership level

Regulatory/environment knowledge

Education

Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Project Management, or related discipline

Job description

He kōrero mō mātou | About Watercare

Ki te ora te wai, ka ora te whenua, ka ora te tangata

When the water is healthy, the land and the people are healthy

There's never been a better time to join Watercare. We're delivering a $15.2 billion, 10-year capital investment programme, the largest in our history, creating opportunities to work on transformative infrastructure, sustainability and digital projects that will shape Auckland's future. With more than $4 million invested every day, you'll be part of work that makes a lasting difference to our communities and environment.

He whakamārama mō te tūranga mahi | About the role

You'll lead Watercare's Wastewater Planning Delivery function, translating strategic priorities and the Asset Management Plan into a coordinated, investment-ready portfolio of infrastructure initiatives.

You'll provide strategic leadership across business need definition, feasibility and transition into design and delivery, ensuring projects are well defined, appropriately prioritised and positioned for successful downstream delivery.

You'll own performance across a portfolio of concurrent and interdependent work, balancing outcomes, affordability, resources, risk and delivery readiness.

You'll work closely with senior leaders, operational teams, Auckland Council, iwi partners, consultants, and community stakeholders to ensure infrastructure decisions are informed, sustainable, and aligned with future growth requirements.

Your Responsibilities Will Include

• Leading and developing the Wastewater Planning Delivery function and its team of project managers, with clear expectations, consistent disciplines and a strong performance culture.
• Translating Watercare's strategic objectives, enterprise risks and growth priorities into clear portfolio and investment priorities.
• Owning the definition, feasibility and transition of water infrastructure projects into design and delivery.
• Driving robust project definition, option assessment and business cases that improve cost, schedule and risk confidence.
• Managing portfolio performance across scope, budgets, forecasts, schedules, dependencies, resources and risk.
• Providing strategic advice on investment choices, trade-offs, delivery implications and emerging portfolio risks.
• Leading portfolio governance, assurance, change control and consistent project-management disciplines.
• Directing the effective use of consultants and strategic partners while growing Watercare’s internal capability.
• Building strong interfaces with technical planning, Programme Delivery, Operations, Consenting and Finance.
• Influencing senior internal and external stakeholders and communicating complex decisions clearly.
• Embedding sustainability, whole-of-life value, safety and wellbeing in planning and investment decisions.

Ngā pūkenga e rapu nei mātou | About you

You'll be a strategic infrastructure leader who can move confidently between long-term direction, investment decisions and practical delivery. You'll bring structure and momentum to a complex portfolio, make sound decisions with incomplete information, and build alignment across technical, operational, commercial and stakeholder interests.

You'll Bring

• A bachelor's degree in Engineering, Project Management, or a related discipline
• At least 10 years' experience managing large-scale infrastructure programmes or projects
• Demonstrated people leadership experience
• Strong judgement across investment, affordability, risk, delivery trade-offs, commercial management and contract management.
• Experience improving front-end project definition and successfully transitioning work into design and delivery.
• Excellent stakeholder engagement and communication skills, with the ability to influence at senior leadership level
• Sound knowledge of New Zealand's regulatory environment and infrastructure planning frameworks
• Experience acting as an informed client and directing multidisciplinary professional-services partners.

Experience in water, wastewater, utilities or related infrastructure sectors will be highly regarded, as will project or programme management certifications such as PMP, PgMP or MSP.

Ngā hua mōu | What's in it for you

We offer a competitive salary and staff benefits package including:

• Training and development opportunities
• Life and income protection insurance plans
• Generous parental leave
• Employee discounts at a range of large retailers