Chief Executive
Palmerston North
Mō tēnei tūranga mahi | About this role
Central Districts Water (CDW) is a new, publicly owned water services organisation that will deliver drinking water, wastewater and stormwater services across three districts from 1 July 2027. Jointly owned by Horowhenua, Palmerston North and Rangitīkei councils, we will serve circa 54,000 connections and manage assets of $1.7 billion.
The inaugural Chief Executive will be an architect of CDW, building its culture, stewarding the relationships the entity depends on, and positioning it to deliver sustained, future-focused investment for the communities it serves.
Working with an independent and experienced board, the initial focus will be organisational establishment: leading the transition from three council-operated services into one cohesive entity. This will include driving CDW’s strategic direction and building high-trust relationships with councils, iwi/Māori and regulators that will define the entity's success.
Ko wai koe | About you
We are seeking an executive who has led from organisational inception or through complex and significant transformation. Community focused and commercially ambitious, you will be compelled by the opportunity to deliver durable, affordable and high-quality water services that make a lasting difference to the communities we serve.
The successful candidate will have:
- Chief Executive or senior leader expertise in a similarly complex, service delivery organisation, ideally in a regulated environment.
- Self-awareness, integrity and relational intelligence to lead across diverse and competing interests.
- The disposition to lead a commercially rigorous, public good organisation.
- Sophisticated financial acumen and understanding of investment and asset management.