01st April, 2026
Mō mātou | About us
Waikato Waters is a brand-new, publicly owned water utility bringing together water and wastewater services across the Waikato region — built from the ground up to deliver for communities today and for generations to come.
Te tūranga | The role
Reporting to the Chief Operations Officer, the Engineering Manager — Operations is the senior technical leader at the heart of Waikato Waters water and wastewater operations. You will inherit assets, systems and maintenance practices from six councils — built separately, managed differently, varying widely in condition and documentation — and bring them together into a unified, risk-based engineering function. Hands-on leadership: as comfortable in the field as in a planning meeting.
Ō mahi | What you’ll do
- Lead operational engineering, systems and maintenance planning — setting technical standards and delivery accountability across water and wastewater
- Oversee maintenance planning, scheduling and materials coordination, prioritised by risk and delivered efficiently
- Provide technical assurance and operational input to renewals and capital works programmes
- Enable effective use of Infor as the single source of truth for maintenance management and asset data
- Drive continuous improvement in asset performance using data, failure analysis and operational feedback
- Build a capable, cohesive engineering team from a standing start
Ō pūkenga | What you’ll bring You are a senior engineering leader with deep experience in water, wastewater or utilities operations — credible with engineers and operators alike and proven at leading technical teams through change in complex, multi-site environments.
- Bachelor of Engineering or equivalent qualification
- 10+ years’ experience in operations management encompassing people, plant and process
- Strong knowledge of maintenance planning methodologies and asset management systems (Infor or equivalent)
- Proven track record leading technical teams and driving engineering capability uplift
- Experience in policy development and delivering business change in an engineering environment
- Background in water, wastewater or utility network operations is essential
- Full driver’s licence (essential)
He aha ai mātou | Why join us Waikato Waters is being built once — and you’d be part of that. He waka eke noa, we are all in this together. The work is real, the impact is visible, and the team we’re assembling is genuinely exceptional. We offer competitive remuneration, health insurance, and hybrid working where the role allows. To learn more about us, visit: www.waikatowaters.co.nz
Me pēhea te tono | How to apply Applications close 29 April. To apply, simply click 'Apply Now'. For a full position description or for a confidential chat contact us via HR@waikatowaters.co.nz and we will be in touch.
Apply For Job