Senior Corporate Planner

Mō te tūranga | About the role

Help shape the future of the Waikato.

Are you motivated by meaningful work that makes a real difference to communities and the environment? This is a great opportunity to play a central role in how Waikato Regional Council plans, prioritises, and delivers its work for the region.

Reporting to the Corporate Planning Manager, you’ll work across the organisation to translate Council’s vision and strategic direction into clear, coordinated work programmes. Your work will directly support good decision-making and help deliver outcomes that matter for the Waikato, now and into the future.

In this role, you will:

• Lead the development of the Annual Plan and contribute to shaping Council’s next Long Term Plan.
• Coordinate enterprise-wide business planning, including supporting the delivery and tracking of Long Term Plan work programmes.
• Prepare corporate reports and submissions to external agencies on matters of interest to Council.
• Support organisation-wide reporting on performance against Council’s goals, priorities, and measures.
• Provide sound, practical advice to support Council’s obligations under relevant legislation.

This is a varied and influential role, offering exposure to senior leaders, councillors, and a wide range of internal and external stakeholders.

Mō te tangata | About you

You enjoy working at the intersection of strategy, planning, and delivery, and you’re comfortable navigating complexity. You bring a collaborative mindset and take a proactive approach to getting things done.

You’ll also bring:

• Strong relationship-building skills and confidence working with a wide range of people across an organisation.
• Excellent time management skills, with the ability to juggle competing priorities and negotiate realistic timeframes.
• An ability to interpret strategic direction and turn it into practical planning processes, while identifying risks, challenges, and opportunities.
• Well-developed analytical skills, attention to detail, and a solutions-focused approach.

We value diverse perspectives and are open to candidates who may have developed these skills in different contexts or sectors.

Mō ngā pūkenga | Qualifications and experience

• Experience in corporate planning or a related field such as strategy, policy, planning, law, or resource management, supported by a relevant tertiary qualification.
• Experience contributing to or leading complex projects, ideally in a large or multi-stakeholder environment.
• An ability to interpret legislation and provide practical advice, with familiarity with the Local Government Act an advantage.
• An understanding of effective communication and engagement practices, including IAP2 principles.

If you meet most, but not all, of the above, we still encourage you to apply.

Mō te tīma | About the team

You’ll be part of the Corporate Planning team within the Finance and Business Services directorate. The team is responsible for leading Council’s Long Term Plan, annual planning and reporting, and supporting strategies and policies.

We work closely with teams across Council, territorial authorities, regional partners, and our communities. The team also supports major corporate projects, working alongside staff at all levels of the organisation as well as elected members.

We’re a supportive, collaborative team that values professionalism, continuous improvement, and delivering high-quality outcomes together.

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. ·
• 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 7 June.
• If you have any questions about the role, please contact ***email_hidden***
• To apply for this job, please click ‘apply’ and include your CV & cover letter with your application. Apply now!