Job Description

About Us | Mō mātou   

Our Water Services Reform programme is at the heart of one of New Zealand’s most significant infrastructure transformations. Through Local Water Done Well, we are reshaping how water services are planned, funded and delivered—strengthening local decision-making, sustainability and regulatory confidence.

We work in partnership across government, with iwi and Māori, local authorities, regulators and communities to deliver safe, reliable and future-ready water services. With reform now in implementation, this is a unique opportunity to help shape a nationally significant system that underpins the health, wellbeing and prosperity of all New Zealanders—now and into the future.

In December 2025, the Government announced the establishment of a new agency, the Ministry of Cities, Environment, Regions and Transport. MCERT will bring together the Ministry for the Environment, Ministry of Housing and Urban Development, Ministry of Transport and the Local Government functions from Internal Affairs. The Water Services team will move to the new Ministry on 1 July 2026. 

The role | Te tūnga 

As Director, Water Services, you will lead system stewardship, performance and planning across the water services portfolio, playing a pivotal role in embedding the outcomes of Local Water Done Well into how the system operates day-to-day. You will operate at the intersection of strategy, policy, regulation and delivery, ensuring alignment across all elements of the water system.

You will translate reform direction into practical implementation—developing operational policy, setting performance expectations, and using data and insights to drive decision-making. With a strong whole-of-system perspective, you will identify risks, interdependencies and opportunities, ensuring investment and policy decisions deliver sustainable, long-term outcomes for communities.

Leading a small, high-performing team, you will also build trusted relationships across central and local government, regulators, iwi and Māori, and the wider sector. Your ability to influence, collaborate and provide clear direction will be critical to delivering a safe, resilient and high-performing water system.

What you bring | Nōu te rourou 

• Proven senior leadership experience in the NZ public sector, including advising Ministers or executives
• Strong background in water services, infrastructure or complex service delivery environments
• Experience leading system reform, policy implementation or performance frameworks
• Ability to think strategically and use data to inform decisions and drive outcomes
• Strong stakeholder leadership skills, including working with iwi/Māori and cross-sector partners
• A collaborative people leader who builds capability and delivers through others

For you | Mōu 

At the Department of Internal Affairs, we are committed to offering a collaborative and innovative culture where your perspective and ideas will be welcomed. We want our people to thrive within a culture of best practice, while being able to set and achieve goals and being encouraged to challenge the status quo. 

To learn more about the diverse, important mahi we do at the Department and see why we're a great place to work check out our website  https://www.dia.govt.nz/ 

Benefits -  About Internal Affairs - Careers with us - Benefits - dia.govt.nz 

The appointing range for this role is $177,733 - $221,179  

To review the full job description, please click here 

How to apply | Me pēhea te tuku tono 

We are unable to accept applications via email. Please click the apply button to submit your application. 

We're committed to ensuring our application process is accessible to everyone. Please let us know if there is any support, we can provide to ensure the process is accessible to you. 

Applications for this role close Monday 8 June, 5pm. Please also note that you must have the legal right to live and work in New Zealand to be considered for this role. 

If you have any questions, please email askhr@dia.govt.nz