Head of Projects and Customer Works

Head of Projects and Customer Works Lead a high-impact delivery portfolio that helps power growth, strengthen customer confidence and keep Waikato communities connected. · Senior leadership opportunity · Project delivery, customer works and portfolio governance · Annual salary reviews plus health, life and income protection insurance About the Role Across the Waikato, WEL Networks delivers innovative and sustainable energy solutions that enable our communities to thrive. As demand for new connections grows and our delivery environment becomes more complex, we are looking for a senior leader who can bring focus, discipline and confidence to a critical project and customer works portfolio. As Head of Projects and Customer Works, you will shape the frameworks, governance, assurance and partner delivery disciplines that enable safe, compliant, predictable and customer-focused delivery. This is a pivotal portfolio leadership role where you will create clarity, lift delivery confidence and ensure work is prioritised, controlled and delivered with clear visibility of scope, cost, schedule, risk, dependencies and customer commitments. You will make an impact by: · Leading a complex portfolio across project delivery, customer works, contract administration and partner delivery, while keeping day-to-day delivery ownership appropriately delegated. · Owning and continuously improving WEL’s project and customer works delivery framework, including safety, compliance, governance, standards, controls, reporting and escalation disciplines. · Building strong portfolio visibility across delivery confidence, performance, cost, risk, dependencies, customer impacts and emerging constraints, so senior leaders can make timely, informed decisions. · Setting clear expectations for team leaders, project managers, specialists and delivery partners, lifting capability, accountability and consistency of delivery performance. · Providing senior sponsorship for High Impact Connections, removing barriers, managing escalations and enabling timely, efficient customer outcomes. · Improving the customer works journey from intake and quoting through to prioritisation, workflow management, delivery progress and completion. · Building trusted relationships with customers, contractors, partners and internal stakeholders, while actively managing partner performance, resolving issues and maintaining commercial discipline. About You You’ll thrive in this role if you are a commercially astute, delivery-focused leader who can bring: · Proven senior leadership experience governing complex project, operations, customer works or partner-led service environments. · Strong commercial discipline, sound judgement and the ability to balance safety, compliance, cost, schedule, customer outcomes and delivery risk. · A track record of setting standards, improving processes, lifting capability and creating scalable ways of working across teams, contractors and delivery partners. · The credibility to communicate complex delivery issues, trade-offs, risks, customer impacts and decisions clearly to senior leaders, customers, contractors and internal stakeholders. · Experience in electricity distribution, utilities, infrastructure or another regulated, asset-intensive environment, with enough understanding of design assurance, delivery requirements and field execution to challenge, guide and escalate appropriately. Best-in-class Benefits At WEL, we know great people need great support. That’s why we offer a benefits package designed to look after you and your whānau, support work-life balance, and recognise the value you bring. · Medical, life and income protection insurance · Flexible working options – work from home up to two days per week, ability to purchase additional annual leave, 9-day fortnight, and much more · Relocation costs, and · An excellent salary package, including annual salary reviews About WEL Networks WEL Networks is unique. We’ve been serving the Waikato for over 100 years, distributing electricity from the national grid so we can power over 100,000 homes and businesses. With around 300 employees, we’re proudly based in Hamilton and are owned by the community we work for. We play an important role in the region's economic and social development by identifying and investing in new technologies to future-proof our region – and keep our communities flourishing. Our vision is bold. And our ambition even stronger, especially as we diversify from traditional ‘poles and lines’ to an innovative and sustainable business. Ready to learn more? Start here If you are ready to bring senior leadership, delivery discipline and customer focus to a role that directly supports the Waikato’s growth and energy future, we would like to hear from you. We actively value diversity and inclusion and encourage you to bring your authentic self to your application. Check out the full position description for more details. As part of our commitment to safety in a critical industry, all successful candidates will be required to undergo a drug and alcohol test and complete a police background check prior to starting with WEL. Applications will be screened as they arrive, and interviews may begin before the closing date. Locations Hamilton Hamilton Enabling our people At WEL we look after our people. We are driven to upskill, bringing new trainees into the industry annually, and nurturing and growing our staff. We have an active social club, encouraging our employees to interact, include their families in their work lives and just have fun! Through our WEL Balanced programme we provide a range of wellbeing and wellness initiatives to enable our employees to thrive in our communities. About WEL Networks Our role is to design and maintain the safe, reliable and efficient operation of electrical distribution assets and infrastructure throughout the Waikato region.