Principal Advisor - CME

Mō te tūranga | About the role

• Reporting to the Regional Compliance Manager, you will work closely with the Investigations Team Leader and our legal provider to ensure that statutory risks are identified and well managed in our work.
• In this role, you will take a lead role in providing high-quality CME advice and guidance to policy and consent authors.
• The ongoing and regular CME best practise training you facilitate will lift our collective capability as it relates to the sectors and activities we regulate.
• You will support our CME teams to develop and implement compliance plans for all major regulated industries and activities.
• You'll enjoy working alongside a well-established and highly experienced leadership team with a great sense of camaraderie.
• Based in our modern, purpose-built offices at the heart of Hamilton's bustling CBD, and benefiting from a flexible working environment, this could be a career defining role for the right candidate.

Mō te tangata | About you

• We are looking for a senior regulatory practitioner with a depth of experience to inform their professional advice and actions, balanced with a forward-thinking and people-centred approach to lifting CME capabilities in others.
• You foster a constructive and learning-focused team environment through modelling the standards, open communication and relationship-building approach that gets results.
• Motivated and committed to making a lasting difference for the Waikato. You'll be passionate about sustainable management of our resources, but also able to see the big picture, pragmatically and diplomatically navigating competing interests to achieve the best long-term outcomes.
• You'll be a solution and people-focused problem solver that's calm under pressure, with the agility and resourcefulness to measure up to this high-profile role.
• A strong understanding of Te Ao Māori and being able to demonstrate a clear commitment to working with iwi to meet both our Treaty obligations and the growing expectations of tangata whenua across the region is a must*.*

Mō ngā pūkenga | Qualifications and experience

• Qualified Detective in the NZ Police, or equivalent, or holding a degree in environmental planning, resource management, law, or physical or environmental sciences.

• You have at least 15 years’ operational experience in regulatory or enforcement agencies with no less than five years in senior roles associated with implementation of regulatory compliance.

• You have applied experience in working with the Resource Management Act, including an intricate knowledge of all facets of compliance, monitoring and enforcement.

• Your experience in working with legislation associated with NZ Court processes includes but is not limited to:

  • Evidence Act
  • Search and Surveillance Act
  • Criminal Procedure Act
  • Criminal Disclosure Act
  • Sentencing Act

• You have a demonstrated ability to train, mentor and influence others.

• Previous experience in a primary sector or local government role could be an advantage, along with recent experience of working with iwi and hapū groups.

Mō te tīma | About the team

• Reporting to the Regional Compliance Manager, your role supports the section and works closely across all Team Leads, as well as the Engagement Advisor – Compliance.
• Our four teams of CME officers sit at a range of levels and specialise in using well established CME practices to navigate complex and changing regulatory landscapes to achieve positive environmental outcomes.
• An Investigations team work on a range of our most serious cases and work to the high standard expected of matters before the Courts.
• A dedicated Incident Response team ensures that we provide support 24/7 to any environmental incident in our region.

Mō mātou | About us

• We work hard to care for the mighty Waikato, so current and future generations will benefit from a healthy environment, strong economy, and vibrant communities.
• Our mahi is as diverse as the region we care for and the people who share it. Our work helps look after our region's water, soil, air, geothermal areas and coasts - so we can all enjoy these precious resources for generations to come.
• Customers sit at the heart of everything we do, and all staff have an important role to play in the delivery of exceptional customer service.
• If you’d like to understand more about what we do please click here The work we do | Waikato Regional Council.
• By partnering with iwi and working with many others in our communities, our collective kaitiakitanga will make the Waikato region even better. Together, we’ll create a sustainable future that will make a positive difference to people’s lives.

Mō te tuku tono | How to apply

• Applications will be reviewed as they come in, and this role will close on Sunday, 23 August 2026.
• For a copy of the role description, please click here.
• If you have any questions about the role, please contact [email protected]
• Please click ‘apply’ and include your CV & cover letter as a pdf. Apply now!