Regulatory Services Principal
Help shape the future of regulatory practice in one of New Zealand's fastest-growing districts.
Waikato District Council is seeking an experienced and highly respected regulatory professional to take on the newly established role of Regulatory Services Principal.
This is a unique opportunity to provide technical leadership across Council's compliance, monitoring, investigation, and enforcement functions while helping prepare the organisation for significant legislative and regulatory change.
The Opportunity
As Council's lead technical authority on regulatory practice, you will drive consistency, quality assurance, capability development, and continuous improvement across our regulatory services. You will work closely with leaders, specialists, and frontline staff to ensure regulatory activities are delivered in a fair, effective, risk-based, and legally robust manner.
What will I do?
Reporting to the Head of Regulatory Services, you will:
- Provide authoritative advice on the interpretation and application of the Resource Management Act, District Plan provisions, Council bylaws, consent conditions, and associated regulatory frameworks.
- Guide staff on complex, sensitive, and high-risk compliance and enforcement matters.
- Lead the implementation and continuous improvement of Council's Monitoring, Compliance and Enforcement Policy.
- Develop and maintain regulatory frameworks, procedures, guidance, and quality assurance systems.
- Lead Council's response to legislative and regulatory reforms, including changes affecting resource management compliance and enforcement.
- Support complex investigations and enforcement decision-making.
- Build organisational capability through coaching, mentoring, training, and technical leadership.
- Represent Council at regional and national forums and contribute to sector-wide regulatory improvement initiatives.
- Provide strategic advice to senior leaders on regulatory risks, trends, and emerging issues.
What will I bring?
- Extensive experience in compliance, monitoring, investigations, enforcement, planning, resource management, or a related regulatory field.
- Proven experience interpreting and applying legislation and regulatory frameworks, including Resource Management Act, District Plan provisions, Council bylaws, consent conditions, and associated regulatory frameworks.
- Strong understanding of regulatory decision-making principles and administrative law.
- Experience developing policies, procedures, frameworks, or operational guidance.
- The ability to influence practice, drive consistency, and lead continuous improvement.
- Excellent communication, relationship management, and stakeholder engagement skills.
- A tertiary qualification in planning, resource management, environmental management, law, public policy, regulatory practice, or related discipline.
Experience within local government and Resource Management Act compliance and enforcement is highly desirable.
Why join our team?
At Waikato District Council, you'll have the opportunity to make a meaningful impact on how regulatory services are delivered across our district.
We offer:
- A strategic and influential specialist role.
- The opportunity to lead organisational improvement and innovation.
- A collaborative and supportive working environment.
- Professional development and growth opportunities.
- The chance to contribute to positive community and environmental outcomes.
There's never been a more exciting time to join us.
We're progressing through a significant organisational transformation that is creating new opportunities, strengthening how we work, and positioning us for the future. As part of this journey, you'll be encouraged to bring new perspectives, challenge thinking, and help shape a workplace culture built on collaboration, innovation, and inclusion.
In return, we'll support your growth with meaningful development opportunities, ongoing learning, and pathways to help you achieve your career aspirations
Additional Information
Salary circa $120K dependent on skills and experience.
Waikato District Council offers a range of benefits to employees:
- Enjoy free parking.
- Make work, work for you with flexible working options.
- Benefit from annual performance and remuneration reviews.
- Access subsidised health insurance.
- Celebrate with a day of birthday leave.
- Receive a work-life balance day every six months after your first year.
- Access confidential support through our Employee Assistance Programme.
- Take advantage of our employee wellbeing programme.
- Receive free health checks, training and education at our annual Work Safe Home Safe event.
- Save with Boost discounts and special offers from New Zealand retailers and service providers.
Please note we will be screening applications as they come through.
We have a strong safety culture and as part of this our preferred candidates will be required to undergo pre-employment medical assessment which includes alcohol and drug testing.
Applicants must have the legal right to work in New Zealand.