Senior Climate Transition Lead

About Watercare

Watercare Services Limited believes that when water is healthy, so too are the land and people. The company is preparing to invest $14 billion over the next decade to support Auckland's growth while ensuring climate resilience, averaging $3.8 million per day in investment.

Role Overview

This senior strategic position will guide Watercare's shift towards a low-emission, climate-resilient future. Collaborating closely with the sustainability team and diverse internal stakeholders, the role focuses on steering climate transition initiatives with tangible and measurable results.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead development and continual refinement of Watercare’s Climate Transition Plan.
• Translate strategic goals into actionable implementation pathways, including delivery schedules, key milestones, and reporting structures.
• Drive efforts to reduce carbon emissions and increase resource efficiency across operational and asset lifecycle activities.
• Support assessments of climate risks, resilience strategies, and adaptation initiatives related to critical infrastructure and business functions.
• Integrate climate transition requirements into business planning, investment decisions, and asset management procedures.
• Coordinate executive-level and Board reporting, including climate disclosures and overall sustainability performance updates.
• Enhance organizational capability and influence across business units to promote climate-focused actions.
• Manage external specialist consultants and assist in delivering important sustainability projects and programs.

About You

You will be a strategic thinker capable of navigating complex challenges, influencing varied stakeholders, and converting ambitious climate objectives into realistic work programmes.

• Possess a qualification in Engineering, Science, or a related field.
• Have a minimum of five years' relevant experience designing or executing climate transition plans, decarbonisation roadmaps, adaptation strategies, or similar initiatives.
• Demonstrate strong expertise in greenhouse gas accounting, emission reduction planning, and climate-related disclosures.
• Experience evaluating climate risks, resilience issues, and adaptation opportunities.
• Ability to clearly communicate technical information to senior leaders and non-technical stakeholders.
• A successful track record collaborating across multidisciplinary teams and cultivating stakeholder relationships.
• Proven project leadership abilities and delivering strategic outcomes.
• Excellent skills in written communication, reporting, and presentations.

Experience in infrastructure, utilities, water/wastewater management, environmental sectors, climate disclosures, climate modeling, sustainable finance, or indigenous treaty-based approaches (Te Tiriti) is beneficial.

Benefits

• Competitive salary package.
• Opportunities for professional development and training.
• Life and income protection insurance coverage.
• Generous parental leave provisions.
• Employee discounts at various major retailers.