Job Description

Kaunihera Taiao ki Waitaha │ About Environment Canterbury

As a regional council, we are responsible for managing natural resources including air, soil, water and land. We work in partnership with mana whenua Ngāi Tahu to protect the health of our environment to ensure a sustainable and prosperous future for our region.

The region’s evolving environmental and political context means we will continue to be agile and adaptive, as we respond to regulatory and environmental changes.

Our mahi is organised around the delivery of our three core services:

• Environmental Regulation and Protection
• Community Preparedness and Response to Hazards
• Public Transport

Kōrero mō te Tūranga | About the Role

This is a newly created leadership role where you will be responsible for creating and imbedding work programmes with each Papatipu Rūnanga to ensure that partnership commitments are being met.  These work programmes will in turn ensure quality services are delivered to our communities in accordance with our values, strategies, ways of working and Long-Term/Annual Plan commitments.

As part of this you will evolve assurance reporting to the Executive Leadership team and will champion Tuia Te Herenga and Te Tiriti partnership excellence ways of working across the organisation.

You and your team will support kaimahi capability to demonstrate Te Tiriti partnership delivery excellence.

You will ensure agreements and systems are in place with Papatipu Rūnanga entities to provide mana whenua advice, information and expertise that enables Tiriti partnership commitments and Council statutory requirements to be met.     You will also lead engagement with Council corporate functions to ensure Tiriti partnership aspirations and commitments can be realised through Council policy, systems and processes.

Mōu │ About You

We are looking for an experienced leader, who can lead a team to ensure that initiatives and commitments are put into action and can be monitored and reported on.    To be successful in this role you will bring:

• 8-10+ years’ experience providing advice, influence and managing others implementing programmes and/or change preferably within large, complex, or regulated organisations.
• Demonstrated experience applying business and management principles in strategic planning, resource allocation, change management, and bringing out the best in our people when working in new ways.
• A firm understanding of working within an organisation with a strong regulatory framework and ngā kaupapa taiao/ Māori resource management obligations.
• Expert knowledge of local and central government, programme and policy management experience.
• Proven relationship building and communication skills at a senior level, with the ability to facilitate, resolve, influence and engage at all levels.
• Demonstrable experience working with hapū and iwi and/ or within Māori communities and an active commitment to upholding the values, tikanga, kawa of cultural practice and traditions as guided by mana whenua, Ngāi Tahu.  Ideally you will also bring strong knowledge of the Ngāi Tahu tribal context.
• Strong knowledge, competency and fluency in te reo Māori me ōna tikanga Māori.
• A deep understanding of Te Tiriti o Waitangi (and its application in a public sector environment). 

Ngā hua o te mahi i te Kaunihera Taiao ki Waitaha | Working at Environment Canterbury  

Our mahi is underpinned by our values:

• Kaitiakitanga (stewardship)
• Pononga (integrity)
• Manaakitanga (people first)
• Whanaungatanga (collaboration)
• Māiatanga (can do)

We understand and embrace a diverse workforce; this diversity will enable us to better serve our people, our community, and our greatest taonga, the environment. We value everyone’s contribution, diverse thinking, and skills.

We're on a journey to become a treaty partner of excellence, including incorporating te ao Māori into our work.

We offer supportive opportunities to develop capability in this area and encourage our people to use kaupapa Māori, mātauranga Māori, and te reo Māori in our daily work. We welcome you with an open heart & mind, wherever you are on your personal te ao Māori journey.

Ko ētahi atu kōrero | Additional Information

View the position description here.

For a confidential kōrero about this role, or for more information contact Carl Church or Awhina Kanohi at Niche Recruitment

Carl Church - 021 166 6441 | carl.church@nicherecruitment.co.nz

Awhina Kanohi - 027 484 9939 | awhina.kanohi@nicherecruitment.co.nz

Applications close on Friday 18 July 2025. 

Me mahi tahi tātou - Together we can