Purchasing Team Leader

Transpower owns and operates New Zealand’s National Grid, connecting electricity from where it is generated to homes, businesses, and communities across Aotearoa.

Supporting that work takes more than infrastructure alone - it also relies on well-coordinated operational functions that ensure critical materials and services are in place when and where they’re needed.

About the team

Our Inventory and Logistics team provides governance, strategy, and leadership across Transpower’s inventory and logistics activities. Within this, the Inventory and Purchasing group ensures materials and equipment are available when and where they’re needed to support grid maintenance and project delivery.

Working closely with Grid Delivery, Engineering, Procurement, and Warehousing, the team delivers a coordinated purchasing function that underpins reliable network operations.

The opportunity

As Purchasing Team Leader, you’ll lead and support a team responsible for managing purchasing activities related to major projects and maintenance, ensuring materials are sourced, tracked, and delivered efficiently to support critical infrastructure work.

This is a hands-on leadership role where you’ll stay close to the detail, managing a sub-set of purchasing activities while developing your team, and build strong relationships across the business and with external suppliers. As a newly created role, it offers the opportunity to shape the function, improve processes, and create efficiencies.

This role is Wellington-based, as the team is located there and visible in-person leadership is important.

Your key responsibilities will include

• Leading, coaching, and developing a team of purchasing coordinators, creating an environment where people feel supported, valued, and motivated to perform at their best.
• Overseeing end-to-end purchase order management to ensure timely delivery of inventory and project materials.
• Partnering with internal teams including Procurement, Grid Delivery, Engineering, and Finance to coordinate purchasing activity and support operational outcomes.
• Building strong relationships with suppliers, maintaining visibility of delivery timelines and performance.
• Driving continuous improvement across purchasing systems, processes, data quality, and reporting to support efficiency, accuracy, and reduced manual work.

You’ll thrive in this role if you enjoy balancing leadership with operational delivery, staying organised under pressure, and working across a range of stakeholders to achieve outcomes.

What will you bring?

We’re looking for a people-focused leader who demonstrates sound judgement, strong relationship skills, and the ability to manage competing priorities in a fast-paced environment.

To be considered, your CV and cover letter will demonstrate:

• Demonstrated experience in people management or in leading change or project initiatives.
• At least 5 years’ experience in a purchasing, supply chain, or similarly complex operational environment.
• A sound understanding of purchasing principles and procedures, and confidence working with purchasing systems, data, and reporting.
• Strong stakeholder engagement skills, with the ability to build effective working relationships across teams, functions, and suppliers.
• Strong planning and organisational skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities and maintain attention to detail.
• The ability to identify process gaps, drive practical improvements, and support positive change.

Join us at Transpower

Aotearoa is powered by the people who work here. With over 28 nationalities, our people provide diverse perspectives, knowledge, and deep and varied experience which they love to share and which we celebrate.

We work in the office or on-site for a minimum of three days each week to build relationships, support learning, deliver outcomes, and sustain our culture. We also offer flexibility around daily start and finish times to support work and personal commitments.

Your wellbeing is prioritised with a range of employee health and wellness benefits - check them out here: Staff benefits | Transpower

Next steps

If you’re ready to step into a leadership role that combines people development, operational delivery, and cross-functional collaboration, please review the position description above and submit your application along with a cover letter outlining your interest without delay.

Role closes Sunday 28 June; however, applications will be reviewed as received, and we may contact you before the close date for an initial exploratory conversation to facilitate shortlisting.

Existing eligibility to work in New Zealand is a requirement.