Communications & Engagement Project Lead

at  Hutt City Council

• Drive impactful communications and engagement for council projects
• Lead a team of talented communications and engagement advisors
• Support the delivery of transformative council projects like Te Wai Takamori o Te Awa Kairangi RiverLink, Tupua Horo Nuku, and the new Naenae Pool

ABOUT US

Kia noho mai tēnei tāone hei pou herenga waka, hei pou herenga kaupapa, hei wāhi whai hua ki hōna iwi. At Hutt City Council our vision is to build a connected, resilient and inclusive city where all of our people thrive. Working here is truly rewarding, knowing across all our roles, we’re making a genuine difference to Te Awa Kairangi ki Tai Lower Hutt.
Every day, we provide services, facilities and programmes for our residents and the many people who visit or work here. In everything we do, we’re led by our values of manaakitanga (showing care), te hononga (being connected) and kia kaha (having courage) and our partnership with Mana Whenua. Every day our work enables our neighbourhoods to be more connected, healthy and resilient.

ABOUT YOU

We’re looking for a communications and engagement superstar. You will be someone who has worked in Senior or Principal level roles, and knows how to use communications and engagement practices, tools, and channels to achieve business outcomes.
It would be an advantage if you have experience leading (or working in) a team which has used an account management or business partnering model. Through this experience you will understand how to build highly trusted stakeholder relationships, and balance stakeholder expectations with available resourcing.
Given this is a people leadership role, we are looking for someone who has experience leading communications or engagement teams. You will know how to build effective teams, grow and retain talent, and ensure a positive work experience for all people reporting to you.
We are open to people from all industries, though some experience in local government or within the public sector would be advantageous.

KEY SKILLS AND ATTRIBUTES:

• Leadership experience in communications and/or engagement roles
• Strong project management and organisational skills
• Excellent written and verbal communication abilities
• Ability to work collaboratively and independently
• Experience in a local government or public sector environment is desirable
  We recognise rewarding you is not only about your pay, so we’ve outlined some of the great benefits that may be available to you as an employee of Hutt City Council. Read more about them here.
  Applications close Wednesday 14 August 2024. Please note we may review applications before the closing date and encourage you to apply as soon as possible. We reserve the right to withdraw the job advertisement at any time.
  Tūhono mai. Come join us at Hutt City Council.

The Communications and Engagement Project Lead is responsible for overseeing a team of talented communications and engagement advisors who support council projects.
Our Communications and Engagement Project Team operates a modern and efficient business partnering model with each advisor assigned a specific council group or project to help them meet their communications and engagement requirements. This centralised model ensures consistent practices are applied to all council mahi and helps to manage resourcing demands across the organisation.
The role of the Lead is to ensure the team runs effectively and is delivering to the expectations and requirements of stakeholders (both internal project stakeholders and the wider community). The Lead will have a specific responsibility for workflow management, investment in capability and training, and issues management where necessary.
From time to time the Lead role may be required to be on “on the tools” and deliver communications and engagement resources for discrete issues or pieces of work.
Finally, this role is a critical one to supporting council’s ambition to transform the way we engage and communicate with our community. The role of the Lead and the team they manage will be to take our ambitious strategy and deliver it a practical level day to day.