Corporate Planning, Policy and Performance Advisor – Intermediate or Senior

Already know your way around council planning cycles, elected member reporting and legislation that doesn’t come with a user guide? If terms like LTP, Annual Plan and service performance reporting don’t make you blink — read on.

We’re growing our Strategy and Policy team and are looking for an intermediate/senior Corporate Planner / Policy Advisor. This is work that genuinely matters — shaping how Council plans, performs and makes decisions for our communities.

You’ll be jumping right into the middle of long-term planning, policy development, bylaw reviews, performance reporting and cross-Council projects. Its varied, often complex, always fast-paced – and rarely boring. This role suits someone who understands how local government works and can hit the ground running from day one. If you’ve got solid experience in local government planning, policy, or strategic analysis we’d like to hear from you.

We’ll appoint at intermediate or senior level depending on your experience and the additional capability you bring.

What you’ll be doing

• Helping lead or support long-term and annual planning processes
• Coordinating work across teams to keep planning programmes moving
• Developing and reviewing policies, strategies, bylaws and consultation material
• Turning legislative and technical information into advice people can actually understand
• Supporting engagement with communities and iwi
• Packaging service performance information so elected members and the public can clearly see what’s working — and what isn’t
• Keeping an eye on social, economic and environmental trends that affect our services
• Delivering solid, well-thought-through planning and policy work.

• At least three years’ relevant experience in corporate planning, policy or a similar analytical role
• Working knowledge of relevant legislation and planning processes
• Someone who can juggle multiple projects without dropping the important ones
• Clear writing, sound judgement and the confidence to ask good questions
• Strong relationship skills — because nothing in local government gets done alone
• Big-picture thinking with an eye for detail
• Awareness of Te Tiriti o Waitangi and the importance of engaging well with Māori
• A genuine interest in improving how services are planned, measured and communicated.

• Leading complex planning or policy programmes and influencing direction
• Providing trusted strategic advice to senior leaders and elected members
• Mentoring others and lifting the overall quality of work
• Confidence working through ambiguity and competing priorities
• Deeper experience with long-term planning, bylaws or policy work.

• Flexible and hybrid working options
• A supportive, high-trust team
• Real opportunities to grow and take on responsibility
• Work that has visible impact on how services are delivered across the Coromandel.