Three Waters Technical Lead

Davis Ogilvie and Partners Ltd; Christchurch; Hybrid; NZD 130,000 - 170,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Professional development

Wellbeing program

Environmental initiatives

Community involvement

Longstanding local heritage

Job summary

Davis Ogilvie and Partners Ltd in Christchurch is seeking a Three Waters Technical Lead to deliver water engineering projects across the South Island. You will work within a multidisciplinary team, applying technical expertise in planning, design and delivery, and building strong relationships with clients, contractors and local authorities.

Ideal candidates have 5+ years’ experience, chartered or pursuing chartership, and a solid grasp of NZ standards.

Qualifications

• Minimum 5 years’ experience in water engineering.
• Be a Chartered Professional Engineer or working toward chartership.
• Strong understanding of NZ standards and codes of practice.
• Excellent English written and verbal communication.

Responsibilities

• Lead 3-waters infrastructure design across projects.
• Prepare hydraulic design calculations and reports.
• Manage projects and workloads with clients and local authorities.
• Collaborate with multidisciplinary teams to deliver integrated solutions.
• Provide construction administration and site observation.
• Engage with clients, contractors and authorities throughout delivery.
• Support Christchurch and South Island offices with expertise.

Skills

Water engineering

Project management

Client engagement

English communication

Education

Relevant tertiary qualification

Chartered Professional Engineer (or pursuing chartership)

Tools

SSA

EPANET

HEC-HMS

Job description

Three Waters Technical Lead - Christchurch

Position Three Waters Technical Lead - Christchurch

Job type Full time

Date 11 August 2026

We are seeking a 3-Waters Technical Lead to join our busy Christchurch team and play a key role in delivering our high-quality water engineering services across the South Island.

Who you are

• You're an enthusiastic and motivated water engineer who enjoys delivering practical infrastructure solutions and working closely with clients, contractors and local authorities.
• You thrive in a collaborative, multidisciplinary environment and enjoy contributing to projects that range from small residential developments through to commercial sites and larger infrastructure projects.
• You're confident managing your own workload and enjoy working in a dynamic, energetic consulting environment where initiative, technical capability and strong communication skills are valued.

Your purpose

You will play an important role in delivering water engineering projects from our Christchurch office, while also supporting our other South Island offices. Working within a multidisciplinary team of civil, structural, geotechnical and environmental engineers, surveyors and planners, you will contribute to the design and delivery of a wide range of projects throughout the South Island.

You will apply your technical expertise in the planning, design, and delivery of a variety of water infrastructure projects, while building strong working relationships with clients, contractors and local authorities throughout the project lifecycle.

This is a key technical role requiring sound engineering judgement, strong communication skills, and the ability to manage projects and deliver practical solutions for clients.

Your daily adventures will include

• Undertaking 3-waters infrastructure design, including the design of reticulated networks, pump station design, reservoir design and stormwater management design.
• Undertaking hydraulic design calculations using spreadsheets and modelling software such as PCSWMM, EPANET, HEC-HMS or similar.
• Preparing technical reports, design documentation, and engineering assessments.
• Carrying out construction administration and observation.
• Collaborating closely with our other teams to deliver integrated development solutions.
• Engaging with clients, contractors and local authorities throughout project delivery.
• Managing your own projects and workload to deliver high-quality outcomes for clients.

To be successful in this role you will ideally…

• Have a minimum of 5 years’ experience and hold a relevant tertiary qualification.
• Be a Chartered Professional Engineer or working toward chartership.
• Experience with stormwater and water modelling software such as SSA, EPANET, or HEC-HMS is a benefit.
• Have a strong understanding of relevant New Zealand standards and engineering codes of practice. An understanding of the local engineering standards would be advantageous.
• Demonstrate strong English communication skills, both written and verbal.
• Be able to manage your time effectively and take ownership of your workload and projects.
• Bring a positive, fun and outgoing personality to a collaborative team environment.

What we offer

At DO you have the opportunity to develop and craft your career. With a flat management structure, motivated individuals can rapidly progress, rather than being limited by hierarchy. You're valued for your unique skillset and experience as an individual, and in return we offer opportunity and flexibility.

We also offers excellent remuneration and a strong commitment to maintaining a healthy work-life balance.

In addition to working with a team of great people, you can also expect the following benefits:

• Professional development: We encourage our staff to keep learning and growing. We will cover the cost of Engineering NZ subscriptions and provide opportunity for meeting CPD requirements with a range of inhouse and external courses throughout the year.
• Wellbeing: We offer subsidised health insurance through Southern Cross, access to our online wellbeing programme, regular mental health and wellness presentations, paid entry into various sports events and 24/7 EAP services.
• Environmental: We care about the environment. We are a carbon positive company with a focus on minimising our impact as much as possible, and regular tree planting and other environmental initiatives.
• Communities: We care about the communities where we live and work. Supporting them is important to us, and we do this through hands‑on involvement, raising awareness, and supporting causes that make a difference to New Zealanders’ lives.
• History: Davis Ogilvie has been established in the South Island for over 90 years. We are locally owned and operated, and you will work side by side with company directors and other staff with an abundance of knowledge and experience.

Why DO is a great place to work

Our people are key to the success of our business. We have a strong team culture built around a non-hierarchical structure and a "leaders as coaches" philosophy. Principals and directors work alongside our teams day to day, creating an open, accessible environment where people can collaborate, keep learning and grow their careers.

We are highly skilled technical experts who care about what we do. We’re also a friendly, supportive, diverse and inclusive team, with a strong focus on creating a great place to work. We we have a strong social culture too, with regular events and activities that that help our people stay connected and have fun across the business.

Davis Ogilvie has five offices that work closely together on projects throughout the South Island, from residential and commercial developments through to roading, infrastructure, water and community projects. This gives you the opportunity to work with colleagues from our other offices and be involved in projects across different regions.