Lead a skilled frontline team delivering essential water and drainage services
Hands-on leadership role combining team management, problem-solving, and field work.
Help protect critical infrastructure and deliver safe drinking water to communities.
This is a full-time position, 40 hours per week
The opportunity
We have an opportunity for a supportive leader for the delivery of water and drainage maintenance services across the South Wairarapa region, ensuring safe, reliable, and efficient network operations for the community. This hands-on leadership role is responsible for managing frontline crews, responding to pipeline and utility faults, leaks and remedial issues. This means you will lead the coordination of planned and reactive maintenance, and supporting strong health, safety, and environmental outcomes. You’ll play a key role in maintaining critical community infrastructure while building a high-performing and customer-focused team.
Lead a frontline reticulation team delivering planned and reactive maintenance services.
Coordinate the response to water and drainage network faults, outages, and customer requests.
Mentor and develop team capability through coaching, training, and performance support.
Manage resources, workloads, contractors, and operational priorities to meet service standards.
Promote strong health, safety, environmental, and customer service outcomes across all activities.
About you
To be successful in this role, you will bring:
Level 4 certificate in pipeline construction and maintenance, or the historical equivalent.
Proven experience leading frontline water, drainage, or infrastructure maintenance teams.
Strong knowledge of reticulation networks, fault response, and planned maintenance activities.
Full NZ Class 1 and 2 licences and relevant infrastructure or civil industry certifications.
Ability to manage workloads, contractors, and operational priorities in a fast-paced environment.
Commitment to health, safety, environmental compliance, and customer-focused service delivery.
About us
This position will be employed directly by South Wairarapa District Council and offers the opportunity to make a meaningful contribution to a close-knit community while supporting the delivery of essential services across the South Wairarapa district.
Applications close:7th June 2026
How to apply
To view a copy of the position description, please contact kelly.ashford@wellingtonwater.co.nz
To apply for the role, click on the” apply” button or visit the Wellington Water Careers site. Please note that if you are a Wellington Water employee, please apply using your work email.
Applicants for safety-sensitive roles may be required to undergo drug and alcohol testing prior to commencing employment with South Wairarapa District Council. You must also be legally entitled to work long-term in New Zealand or eligible to obtain a working visa.
Our water, our future.
Wellington Water is a Council Controlled Organisation (CCO) that manages the water infrastructure assets on behalf of Wellington, Hutt, Upper Hutt and Porirua city councils, South Wairarapa District Council, and Greater Wellington Regional Council, from source to sea. This includes all three waters - water supply, stormwater and wastewater.
We supply water, plan, investigate, design, project manage and maintain pipes, reservoirs and pump stations in the region. We are passionate about water conservation, efficiency and providing the best level of service for ratepayers in the Wellington region.
Want to work with us?
People work at Wellington Water because they want to make a difference. If you want to help deliver great outcomes to the community and influence the health, environment and wellbeing of the region, then our fast-paced company wants to hear from you!
We’re always on the lookout for great engineers, planners, operators and business folk with a passion and interest in the environment and the water industry.
In our fun, family friendly and flexible working environment, you will thrive if you value collaboration, hard work and delivering results.
If this sounds like you, then register your interest in working for us today at https://careers.wellingtonwater.co.nz/ and hear what’s it’s like to work at Wellington Water from the people who work here.
