Chief Executive

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This Is Not a Chief Executive Job

It's a Chance to Reinvent Local Government

Most Chief Executive roles ask you to keep the wheels turning.

This one asks how the wheels will look different altogether.

New Plymouth is standing at the crossroads of the most significant transformation local government has faced in decades. Reform is accelerating. Expectations are changing. Boundaries are blurring. The future is being debated, designed and built right now.

We're not looking for a caretaker.

We’re looking for a challenger.

We’re looking for a connector.

We're looking for a creator and a builder.

A leader who sees uncertainty not as a risk, but as an opportunity.

Someone who understands that today's local government requires a different kind of leadership, one that can unite communities, navigate complexity, influence nationally, collaborate regionally, and inspire change from within.

A Career-Defining Opportunity

As Chief Executive of New Plymouth District Council, you'll lead one of New Zealand's most progressive and ambitious councils at a time when the sector is being fundamentally reshaped.

You'll be at the centre of conversations that will define the future of public service delivery, regional collaboration, infrastructure investment, economic growth, environmental stewardship and community wellbeing.

You won't inherit a blank canvas.

You'll inherit momentum.

And you'll have the licence to take it further.

This is a role for someone who wants to leave a legacy.

Not a footprint.

Why This Role Is Different

Because the future isn't business as usual.

Over the next few years you'll help shape how a modern council responds to:

• Local government reform.
• New infrastructure and funding models.
• Regional collaboration opportunities.
• Rapidly changing community expectations.
• Economic growth and investment.
• Climate resilience and sustainability.
• Stronger partnerships with iwi and mana whenua.
• Strengthening democratic process.
• The challenge of delivering more value, more efficiently, than ever before.

Few leadership roles in New Zealand offer this level of influence, complexity and opportunity.

Fewer still offer it in a community as connected, engaged and forward-thinking as New Plymouth.

Lead Where Others Come to Recharge

At the foot of Taranaki Maunga and alongside the Tasman Sea, New Plymouth offers something increasingly rare:

Space to think, to lead, and to live exceptionally well.

You can finish a board meeting and be on a mountain bike trail within minutes. Host visiting Ministers in the morning and watch the sun set over the ocean that evening.

It's a place where you can lead nationally without compromising the lifestyle that makes great leadership sustainable.

Who You Are

You may already be a Chief Executive.

You may be leading a large public, infrastructure, utility, commercial or purpose-driven organisation.

Either way, you have:

• The local government experience to lead with confidence through change.
• Proven experience leading complex organisations through significant change.
• Exceptional political and stakeholder acumen.
• The courage to make difficult decisions.
• The humility to bring people with you.
• A strategic mind and a delivery mindset.
• A reputation for building high-performing cultures.
• An ability to see opportunities where others see obstacles
• Most importantly, you're energised by the idea of shaping the future rather than protecting the past.

Next Steps

The question is:

Do you want to be at the forefront of one of the most rewarding leadership roles in New Zealand?

If you're looking to just park your feet under the desk, please don’t apply.

New Plymouth District is looking for someone to shape and build the best possible future for their people.

Show your capability by the quality of your application well before the closing date.

Robert Walters endeavours to review all applications in a maximum of five working days. If you have not received correspondence in this timeframe please do not hesitate to contact Neil Munro on +6493747367.