• Guide experienced planners through complex proposals and fast-track processes
• Build strong relationships and help deliver sound outcomes for Waitaha | Canterbury
• Talk to us about flexible working opportunities

Kaunihera Taiao ki Waitaha │ About Environment Canterbury

As a regional council, we are responsible for managing natural resources including air, soil, water and land. We work in partnership with mana whenua Ngāi Tahu to protect the health of our environment to ensure a sustainable and prosperous future for our region.

The region’s evolving environmental and political context means we will continue to be agile and adaptive, as we respond to regulatory and environmental changes.

Our mahi (work) is organised around the delivery of our three core services:

• Environmental Regulation and Protection
• Community Preparedness and Response to Hazards
• Public Transport

Council plays an important role in responding to national legislation and policy changes – this mahi is part of our operating environment and is embedded in our everyday mahi. The current proposals from central government are significant, and Council is working through the opportunities and implications. However, our mahi must continue to deliver our three core services for our partners, communities and te taiao (environment).

Kōrero mō te Tūranga | About the Role 

Some of Canterbury’s most significant proposals come with challenging questions, close scrutiny and demanding timeframes. As Team Leader Significant Consents and Fast Track, you’ll lead the planners working through these applications and help them do their best work. You’ll balance clear priorities and sound regulatory judgement with a supportive team culture, working alongside applicants, technical specialists and decision makers to keep complex work moving. It is a role for someone who enjoys developing people, making sense of complexity and finding a practical path forward without losing sight of environmental outcomes.

More about the role:

• Lead, coach and support an experienced team of consent planners, maintaining a strong culture where people ask questions, exercise sound judgement and grow their careers
• Oversee a changing programme of significant and fast-track applications, setting priorities, allocating work and supporting the team through demanding statutory timeframes
• Help navigate complex issues with applicants, mana whenua, technical specialists, legal advisers and decision makers, bringing the right people together at the right time
• Provide leadership on difficult decisions and emerging risks, including environmental, legislative, financial and reputational matters
• Improve the systems, guidance and learning that help the team deliver consistent, high-quality work as the resource management landscape evolves
• Support the section to deepen its understanding of te ao Māori and give proper consideration to mana whenua perspectives and aspirations

For more information on this role, please refer to the job description at the bottom of the advert.

Mōu │ About You

You enjoy leading capable people through work that matters. You know when to give someone room to solve a problem and when to step in with a clear steer. You bring calm, curiosity and good judgement to competing priorities, and you take real satisfaction in helping others develop.

You’ll be comfortable building relationships across a wide range of interests and explaining complex issues clearly. You can hold constructive conversations when views differ, while keeping the team focused on fair process and well-reasoned outcomes for Canterbury’s communities and environment.

You’ll bring a solid understanding of resource management and consent processes, ideally supported by a tertiary qualification. Experience with significant or complex applications, fast-track processes, or leading work through legislative change would be valuable. An understanding of how local government carries out its resource management functions is desirable.

You can see the bigger picture while staying close enough to the detail to spot a risk, remove a roadblock and support a sound decision. You bring practical leadership skills, confidence under pressure and a willingness to work collaboratively across disciplines.

You’ll have an interest in ensuring mana whenua aspirations are reflected in our regulatory work.

Ngā hua o te Mahi i te Kaunihera Taiao ki Waitaha | Working at Environment Canterbury  

Our mahi is underpinned by our values:

• Kaitiakitanga (stewardship)
• Pononga (integrity)
• Manaakitanga (people first)
• Whanaungatanga (collaboration)
• Māiatanga (can do)

We understand and embrace a diverse workforce; this diversity will enable us to better serve our people, our community, and our greatest taonga, the environment. We value everyone’s contribution, diverse thinking, and skills. 

We're on a journey to become a treaty partner of excellence, including incorporating te ao Māori into our work. We offer supportive opportunities to develop capability in this area and encourage our people to use kaupapa Māori, mātauranga Māori, and te reo Māori in our daily work. We welcome you with an open heart & mind, wherever you are on your personal te ao Māori journey.

Ko ētahi atu kōrero | Additional Information

For a confidential chat about this role, please contact Anna Stewart by texting first on 027 269 2485.

To be considered for this opportunity, candidates must have the legal right to work in New Zealand at the time of application and hold work rights that will enable them to fulfil the full term of employment.

Apply directly by completing the online application form and submitting your CV and cover letter. Applications close on Sunday, 4 October, with applications being reviewed as they are received, so early applications are encouraged. Interviews may begin before the closing date, and we reserve the right to close the advertisement early.

Short-listed candidates will be required to complete an interview process, reference checks, and a criminal check. Further background checking will be required when relevant to the role. 

We are committed to creating a diverse, inclusive, and authentic workplace. If you're excited about this role but don't meet every qualification in the job description, we still encourage you to apply.

Me mahi tahi tātou - Together we can