Manager Organisational Excellence

Make a real impact. Shape how we work. Lead excellence that benefits our whole community.

About us

Waipā District Council is proud to serve a growing, innovative district in the heart of the Waikato region. As we continue to strengthen our organisational performance and customer focus, we are seeking a dynamic leader to step into the Manager Organisational Excellence role for a fixed term until the end of August 2026, while the permanent incumbent is on secondment.

About the role

Designing, strengthening, and embedding excellence, and continuous improvement, this position works closely with the Executive Leadership Team (ELT) and across the wider organisation. Leading and championing initiatives that directly impact the organisational culture, systems, decision making, and ultimately the experience we deliver to our customers and communities.

You will lead a multidisciplinary specialist team that are driven to embed improvements - business analysts, project managers, digital training, organisational performance, and coordinators.

Key responsibilities

Driving organisational-wide excellence, the position is responsible for:

• Leading and embedding an organisational excellence framework to support consistent, efficient decision-making and reporting on organisational performance against strategic goals.
• Driving improvement initiatives, innovation, and customer-centric processes through design, implementation and evaluation of effective processes and digital solutions.
• Partnering with Information Services to progress Council’s digital transformation and business intelligence capability.
• Building internal capability in project management, change management, and analysis.

About you

As an experienced and strong leader, preferably in a local government or complex organisational environment, you will need to build credibility with ease to gain instant buy-in and create traction. Constantly thinking strategically while taking into account the practicalities, you'll be able to wade through the complexities and create win-win solutions that provide forward-moving momentum for continual organisational improvements.

You will have:

• A commitment to building a culture where accountability, customer service and effective delivery are at the forefront.
• Demonstrated success delivering continuous improvement, process change initiatives, and practical solutions that create meaningful impact.
• Knowledge of organisational performance monitoring, reporting systems, and project management frameworks.
• A relevant degree in management, commerce, or a related field; postgraduate qualifications are highly regarded.

Your strengths

• Inspiring, collaborative and confident leadership style.
• Excellent communication and relationship-building skills with the ability to influence, collaborate and lead organisational wide change.
• Ability to translate complexity into clear, practical solutions.
• Strong planning, organisational, and decision-making capability.
• Calm, confident, and detail-focused, even under pressure.
• Customer-centric approach and a genuine commitment to improvement.

Why join us

Based in Te Awamutu, this is a unique opportunity to influence organisation-wide performance, make a meaningful impact on how we operate, and lead a skilled team at a time of significant development. You'll join a supportive, forward-thinking environment where your work has real impact.

Benefits include health and life insurance, additional leave, wellbeing initiatives, free staff parking, and access to local discounts.

If you are a motivated and experienced leader who thrives on improvement, innovation, and delivering meaningful organisational value, we'd love to hear from you.

Applications close: Saturday, 17 January 2026 at 10:00pm.

For all confidential enquiries please contact David Dugmore (P&C Business Partner) - david.dugmore@waipadc.govt.nz

Please note: Our offices will be closed for the Christmas break from 5:00pm on 19 December 2025 until Monday, 5 January 2026. During this time, we will be unable to respond to enquiries.

To apply for this job, please go online to www.joinourteam.co.nz and enter the job code: 37801LGC.