• Auckland
• Permanent
• Full time

Help shape transport outcomes across Northland and Auckland

Bring your regional insight, transport expertise and ability to influence to a role where you will provide leadership to enable project delivery and help shape future transport investment.

Te Whiwhinga mahi | The opportunity   

We're looking for experienced transport professionals who thrive on influencing outcomes, building partnerships, and connecting strategy with delivery.

This is a rare opportunity to operate at the heart of regional transport planning and project development and delivery. Working closely with the Regional Manager Infrastructure Development & Delivery and project sponsors, you will provide regional leadership and insight to help projects succeed, connect delivery decisions with regional priorities, and support issues to be resolved across the full project lifecycle.

You'll work hand in hand with Transport System Planning to connect long-term system planning with the region’s infrastructure pipeline and delivery priorities.

As a trusted regional connector and advisor, you will support the Regional Manager and sponsors with clear advice on stakeholder expectations, regional context, risks and opportunities. You will work collaboratively with the Regional Manager and other key regional leaders to bring together councils, iwi and hapū, government agencies, industry partners, delivery teams and internal specialists to maintain alignment, strengthen relationships and support confident decisions. You will also work closely with the other Regional Infrastructure Development & Delivery Leads across the country, sharing regional insights and supporting consistent approaches across NZTA.

Working across NZTA, you will provide a strong regional voice into project governance, development and delivery, helping sponsors and teams navigate complex issues and keep work connected to agreed outcomes. You will also maintain a forward view of regional investment needs, contribute to the State Highway Investment Proposal, and shape a clear regional transport narrative. Pipeline development is an important part of the role, alongside active leadership and support for projects already in development and delivery.

 You will: 

• Provide regional leadership and insight across project development and delivery, ensuring decisions reflect local context, stakeholder expectations and agreed outcomes.
• Support the Regional Manager and sponsors with timely advice, issue resolution, stakeholder management and escalation of significant risks and opportunities.
• Work closely with the Regional System Planner to connect regional system planning and investment priorities with project development and delivery.
• Collaborate with the other Regional Infrastructure Development & Delivery Leads to share insights, strengthen consistency and help resolve cross-regional issues.
• Build trusted relationships and support the Regional Manager to secure alignment across councils, iwi and hapū, government agencies, industry, project teams and regional stakeholders.
• Represent the region in project governance and oversight forums, connecting regional, sponsor and delivery perspectives to support integrated outcomes.
• Help resolve complex project and transport system issues using sound judgement, planning expertise and knowledge of delivery and statutory processes.
• Lead or support correspondence, including OIAs, customer correspondence, briefings and updates.
• Advocate for well-evidenced regional priorities and help shape a credible forward pipeline, leading the regional inputs into the State Highway Investment Proposal, while maintaining focus on the performance and successful delivery of current projects.

Ko koe tēnei | About you 

You will be an experienced transport professional who can provide credible regional leadership across complex project development and delivery and work collaboratively across regional planning, investment and delivery functions. You can move confidently between strategic conversations, governance forums and the detail needed to resolve issues. You build trust quickly, understand the realities of working across central and local government, and know how to support Regional Managers, sponsors and project teams when priorities, perspectives and constraints differ.

To be successful in this role, you will bring: 

• Expertise in transport planning, investment planning, statutory processes, investment case development, and transport project development and delivery. 

• A strong understanding of central and local government responsibilities and transport investment frameworks, ideally including the NZTA investment approach. 

• Significant experience building effective partnerships, negotiating and influencing to achieve complex transport system outcomes. 

• Experience working constructively with Māori and an understanding of Te Tiriti o Waitangi and the obligations of public sector organisations. 

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to translate complexity and tell a clear, compelling story for different audiences. 

• Strong analytical judgement and the ability to work through ambiguity, competing priorities, risk and opportunity. 

• A relevant tertiary qualification, such as planning or engineering, or equivalent experience, along with a current full New Zealand driver licence or equivalent. 

He aha ngā painga o tēnei mahi mōu | Why join us? 

You will have the opportunity to influence transport outcomes that matter to communities across Northland and Auckland while contributing to nationally significant programmes. You will work across the full infrastructure lifecycle, alongside experienced leaders and specialists who are focused on lifting delivery performance, improving value for money and creating enduring benefits for New Zealand. 

Our purpose is simple: transport networks that deliver for people, places and New Zealand. If you are motivated by complex regional challenges, strong partnerships and turning strategy into deliverable outcomes, we would like to hear from you. 

Me pēhea te tuku tono | How to apply: 

Please click ‘Apply for this Job’ to upload your CV and cover letter. 

In your cover letter, tell us what you would bring to this influential regional role and why the opportunity appeals to you.

You will find out more about the role here: Position Description

Rā Katinga | Applications close:

For further information, email: careers@nzta.govt.nz

To be considered for this position you must have a legal right to live and work in New Zealand.

Waka Kotahi is an equal opportunity employer (EOE). We recognise the importance of diversity and inclusion and are committed to providing a working environment that embraces these values. Please let us know if you need any support or have any access requirements that will help you through the recruitment process.

Please note that we may begin shortlisting as we receive applications. We encourage early applications as we may withdraw the advertising at any time.