Lead Water Engineer / Design Manager

Lead Water Engineer / Design Manager We’re expanding our water portfolio in Wellington and Auckland need an experienced water engineer to lead design delivery of three waters projects. This role sits within a technically strong Land & Water team that delivers a variety of growth-related and renewal projects across Wellington for a variety of clients across the water land development, transport, health, education, and manufacturing sectors. You’ll be focused on water sector work, coordinating detailed design packages with input from multiple disciplines, coordinating stakeholders, navigating utilities, and building and maintaining trusted relationships with clients. What You’ll Do Lead design delivery for three‑waters capital projects, including network renewals, resilience upgrades, pump stations, pipelines, storage assets and treatment‑related infrastructure. Take ownership of concept through detailed design, bringing together civil, hydraulic, structural, geotechnical, mechanical and electrical inputs to deliver safe, buildable solutions in live, operational environments. Be accountable for design scope, programme, quality and technical risk, with clear ownership of outcomes through to construction handover. Coordinate and guide multi‑disciplinary teams, resolving interfaces and complexity, and setting the standard for high‑quality, practical design delivery. Act as a trusted day‑to‑day technical partner to our water clients , leading workshops, optioneering and reviews within collaborative delivery models. Deliver clear, high‑quality design documentation including design management plans, reports, drawings, specifications, risk and safety‑in‑design outputs that support confident construction and asset operation. What You’ll Bring 10–15 years’ experience delivering water infrastructure projects, with demonstrated leadership of design delivery and multi‑disciplinary teams. Strong background in the water sector, with experience across three‑waters assets and familiarity with council or utility clients in New Zealand or comparable markets. Deep technical capability in civil and hydraulic design, with the confidence to integrate, review and challenge inputs across structural, geotechnical, mechanical and electrical disciplines. Proven ability to take ownership of design scope, programme, quality and technical risk from concept through to construction handover, particularly in brownfield or operational environments. Bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering (or equivalent), CPEng (or working towards), familiarity with tools like Autodesk Construction Cloud, Civil 3D, and strong proficiency in MS 365, including Copilot, to support efficient, collaborative delivery. Ready to bring ideas to life? You really can bring your whole self to work and be confident that your voice will be heard. We don't just claim that we're inclusive and innovative, it's proven by the independent awards and accreditations we have gained, and we're always seeking new ways to prove (and improve!) our commitment to diversity. We’re committed to a fair, inclusive recruitment process. If you need adjustments or support to make it more accessible, please let us know. Whakahā ngā whakaaro / Breathing life into our ideas, thoughts, views Kia māia, kia kaha, mahi tahi / Be bold, be strong, work as one