Wai Hononga - Customer Services Lead

New Plymouth District Council; New Zealand; Presencial; NZD 120.000 - 180.000; Jornada completa

Descripción de la vacante

New Plymouth District Council is seeking a Customer Services Lead to shape Wai Hononga’s customer strategy and operating model from New Plymouth. You will oversee customer experience, engagement and billing services, collaborating with NPDC and service providers as Wai Hononga establishes its capabilities.

You are a senior customer leader who can translate insights into practical improvements, build relationships with stakeholders and drive continuous service improvement in a complex public

Formación

• Leadership experience in customer services or delivery within a complex organisation.
• Experience developing and implementing customer strategies and service standards.
• Strong ability to translate insights into actionable service improvements.

Responsabilidades

• Lead Wai Hononga’s customer strategy, service standards and operating model.
• Oversee customer experience, engagement, insights and continuous service improvement.
• Provide strategic oversight of customer services and billing arrangements.
• Establish customer performance measures and use insights for investments.
• Build strong relationships across Wai Hononga, NPDC, customers and stakeholders.

Conocimientos

Leadership experience

Experience shaping customer strategy

Customer experience management

Stakeholder engagement

Change management

Descripción del empleo

Wai Hononga - Customer Services Lead

Company : New Plymouth District Council

Job Type : Full Time

Wai Hononga Water Services Limited is a new Water Services Council Controlled Organisation (WSCCO) established under the Local Government (Water Services) Act 2025, owned 100% by New Plymouth District Council (NPDC). It will be responsible for the delivery of water services (two waters - drinking and wastewater) to the New Plymouth region.

We are seeking an experienced Customer Services Lead to lead the development of Wai Hononga’s customer strategy, service standards and customer operating model, and help shape how we engage with and deliver services to our customers and communities in the future. Based in New Plymouth, this role offers the opportunity to combine strategic leadership with the rare experience of helping establish a new public water services organisation from the ground up.

About the Role

Reporting to the Manager Partnerships & Performance, the Customer Services Lead will play a key role in shaping how Wai Hononga delivers trusted, customer-centred services.

The role provides strategic leadership across customer experience, engagement, billing services, customer insights and continuous service improvement. During establishment, you will work closely with NPDC and other service providers to oversee customer services delivered through Service Agreements, while progressively developing Wai Hononga’s future customer capability and operating model.

Key Accountabilities

• Lead Wai Hononga’s customer strategy, servicestandardsand customer operating model.
• Lead customer experience, engagement,insightsand continuous service improvement.
• Provide strategic oversight of customer services and billing arrangements, including services delivered through NPDC.
• Establish customer performance measures and use customer insights to inform service and investment decisions.
• Build strong relationships across Wai Hononga, NPDC, customers,communitiesand other key stakeholders.

A full position description is available on request.

About You

You are an experienced customer leader who can think strategically whileremainingstrongly connected to what good service looks like for customers and communities. You are comfortableworking across organisational boundaries, influencing senior leaders and service providers, and turning customer expectations and insights into practical improvements.

You will bring

• Leadership experience across customer services, customerexperienceor service delivery in a complex organisation.
• Experience developing customer strategies, servicestandardsand improving customer outcomes.
• Strong strategic, relationship management,influencingand communication skills.
• Experience working with service delivery arrangements,partnershipsor shared services.
• Experience in local government, infrastructure, utilities, regulatedenvironmentsor organisational transition would be an advantage, as willcommercialexperience.

Applications closeFriday 30 th October2026