Job Description

This is one of two key senior leadership roles within our Water Services Directorate, forming part of a collaborative and driven team. In this role you will ensure oversight and leadership across the delivery of water, wastewater, and stormwater services from end-to-end. At its core, the role is focused on ensuring safe, reliable, and compliant operational performance across treatment, network, maintenance, and service delivery functions, while lifting capability, systems, and customer outcomes.

Given the evolving nature of the broader Water Services structure, this role will also play an important integration and enablement function across operational delivery, service improvement, and strategic alignment. Working alongside other senior leaders within the directorate, you will help ensure strong coordination between day-to-day operations, planning, and capital delivery activity, supporting effective decision-making and organisational readiness as required.

This is a key leadership role within Water Services, contributing to operational performance, service improvement, and organisational priorities as part of a broader leadership team. The role suits someone who can bring structure, clarity, and momentum in a complex and evolving environment, while maintaining a strong focus on delivery and outcomes.

Te Āheinga - The Opportunity

• Provide senior leadership across water, wastewater, and stormwater service delivery, ensuring safe, reliable, and compliant operational performance

• Oversee key operational functions including treatment, networks, maintenance, SCADA/operational systems, and incident response capability

• Strengthen service performance, customer experience outcomes, and internal coordination across technical and operational teams

• Support alignment between operational delivery, planning, and capital investment activity in partnership with other senior leaders

• Lead multidisciplinary teams and contribute to building a strong culture of safety, accountability, performance, and continuous improvement

• Support organisational readiness and improvement initiatives as the Water Services structure and functions continue to evolve

• Participate in the executive leadership team and on-call roster, providing senior operational oversight and decision support

He kōrero mōhou - About You

• Senior leadership experience in complex, service-critical environments such as infrastructure, utilities, transport, energy, or other regulated sectors

• Proven ability to lead large, multidisciplinary teams and lift operational performance, safety, and service outcomes in complex systems

• Comfortable working in environments of change or transition, bringing structure, clarity, and steady direction where priorities may be evolving

• Strong stakeholder engagement and influencing capability, with experience working across operational, technical, and strategic interfaces

• Commercially and operationally grounded, with sound judgement in balancing service delivery, risk management, and organisational priorities

• Water sector experience is advantageous but not essential - strong transferable leadership experience from other asset-intensive environments is highly valued

Ngā painga mōhou - What we Offer

• Employee Assistance Program (OCP)

• Quarterly values awards + Birthday vouchers + Social club

• Free flu vaccinations (annual)

• Ka Awatea Cultural Wānanga + NCC Kapa Haka

• Te Reo Māori language classes

Kia mōhio mai - Please note

Napier City Council is moving toward a joint regional water entity under the Local Water Done Well reform. This means future changes to how water services are governed and delivered are likely, including potential shifts in organisational structure, reporting lines, and regional collaboration. Applicants should be comfortable working in a dynamic environment and open to evolving responsibilities as part of a larger, regional approach to water management.

This is a fixed term, full time opportunity working 40 hours per week, Monday-Friday. You will be based in Napier’s CBD.

The annual salary package for this role is between $168,152 - $197,826 (including KiwiSaver) 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

He kōrero mō Te Kaunihera o Ahuriri - About NCC

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.

Please visit Napier City Council Careers website to see full job description

– Head of Water Services