Programme Change & Readiness Manager

Northland Waters Establishment Programme | 9 month contract | Hybrid role

Northland Waters is building a single water services organisation from the ground up. That means that during the Establishment Phase, every process, system, team and working relationship is being designed now, and the people side of that shift needs someone at the centre of it.

We're looking for a Programme Change & Readiness Manager to lead change management and stakeholder readiness across all eight Establishment workstreams, from Asset Management and Capital Delivery through to People & Organisation and Systems & Technology.

This is a rare kind of role. You won't be managing change for a single team or a single project. You'll be the person who makes sure staff, leaders, councils, partners and communities across Northland are informed, prepared and genuinely ready for Day 1, whatever form that change takes in each part of the programme.

What you'll be doing

Working closely with the Programme Manager, Workstream Leads and the wider Establishment Team, you will:

• Build and run a consistent change strategy and readiness framework across the whole programme
• Assess stakeholder impacts and design engagement and adoption plans that reflect Northland's cultural and geographical realities
• Coach workstream leaders to lead change well
• Design the pulse checks, feedback loops and readiness measures that tell leadership where the gaps are before they become problems
• Own the Day 1 readiness framework and give the programme real assurance that the people side of this transition is covered

What you'll bring

You've led change through large scale transformation, establishment or transition programmes before, ideally in infrastructure, utilities, local government or the wider public sector. You know how to hold a consistent approach across multiple workstreams without losing sight of what makes each one different. You're a strong facilitator and coach, comfortable in front of senior leaders and governance forums, and you understand why Te Tiriti o Waitangi concepts need to sit at the heart of how change and engagement are done here, not added on afterward.

Why this role matters

Northland Waters won't succeed because of new systems or new structures alone. It will succeed because the people delivering water services every day feel ready, supported and part of what's being built. That's the role in one sentence: make Day 1 feel like a beginning.

Contract term

• September 2026 – June 2027
• Three days per week in Whangarei essential

If you have the expertise to help shape the future of water services in Northland, we’d love to hear from you.  Please apply online via Seek attaching your CV and cover letter.  For queries about the role or to request a position description, please contact Joanne Ashby at [email protected].