Emergency Response Engineer

Hamilton City and Waikato District Councils have formed a publicly owned, Council-controlled Organisation (CCO) to deliver water services across Hamilton city and Waikato district. The company is calledIAWAI - Flowing Waters and will take over the provision of water services from 1 July 2026. This transition will occur in stages such as the current Watercare contract for Waikato District Council transferring to the CCO on 1 July 2026.

He angituutanga: The opportunity

Make a real impact when it matters most. As our Emergency Response Engineer, you’ll play a key role in strengthening the resilience of our waters networks and ensuring we’re ready to respond when significant emergency events occur. Reporting to the General Manager Operations, you’ll lead the development and continuous improvement of emergency preparedness, response, and recovery plans, helping to protect essential services and support communities when they need them most.

This is an opportunity to champion operational readiness across the organisation, driving improvements through risk assessment, process mapping, systems documentation, and emergency planning. Working across a range of teams and stakeholders, you'll help build a culture of preparedness, ensuring people, processes, and systems are equipped to respond effectively and confidently during emergency situations.

Success in this role will come from your ability to think strategically, identify opportunities for improvement, and turn complex information into practical solutions. You’ll help shape decision-making by ensuring critical information is captured, managed, and reported effectively, while supporting initiatives that strengthen both asset and operational resilience across the business.

Oo puumanawa me oo wheako | Your skills and experience

• Advanced emergency management qualification or tertiary degree in engineering/science or management
• Minimum of 10 years technical experience in the Water industry or local government, with at least 3 years’ experience in business process analysis and risk management.
• An expert and extensive experience in emergency management being able to represent views at industry forums.
• Sound understanding and practical experience operating under emergency response protocols.
• Previous experience operating in a processing or utility environment - e.g., water and/or wastewater, mining, food process or manufacturing.
• Experience with the development or maintenance of an ISO quality management system ISO9000, 14000 or 20000.
• Problem-solving skills required with a high level of expertise in coordination and integrating technical information into business and corporate systems to support HCC strategy.
• Commercial acumen and understanding of business and customer drivers.
• Knowledge of business improvement practices and systems analysis and evaluation.
• Ability to train and motivate others.
• Understanding of regulatory requirements.
• Influencing skills, able to encourage others behaviour and outcomes to support goals.
• Collaborative working style builds strong relationships with team members.
• Ability to self-motivate and utilise project management, time management to achieve results.
• Ability to effectively manage time and meet multiple deadlines often under pressure.
• Attention to detail.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Full Drivers License

He aha te wariu o te utu kaimahi?|What’s the salary?

Circa $117k dependent on skills and experience.

Me Tono Inaaianei!: Apply Now!

• View the position description.
• Click apply
• Complete your application.

If you wish to include a cover letter with your application, please combine this in the same file as your resume and upload as a PDF file. Alternatively, you can use the 'Write a message to the Hiring Team' text box.

Applications close on the: 28 Sept 2026

Note: We will be shortlisting as we receive applications.

All candidates will be notified of the outcome on their application via email. Short-listed candidates will be required to complete an interview process, reference checks and a criminal check. This role is Safety Sensitive so a pre-employment medical including drug and alcohol test will be required. View more information about these checks and our commitment to the Privacy act here by clicking here

It is important to us that we support you throughout our selection process (interview and assessments). If you have any access needs during this process, let us know in advance so we can make sure these are met.

As a council, we believe in creating a welcoming environment where everyone feels valued and belongs. We value inclusiveness (Kotahitanga) - we respect and value the unique perspectives, experiences, and talents that everyone brings.

This role is being sourced directly. If/where Hamilton City Council requires the support of a recruitment agency, we will seek this support from our panel of selected agencies. Hamilton City Council will not be responsible for, and will not pay, any commissions, fees or other payments related to unsolicited contact.

All candidates will be notified of the outcome on their application via email. Short-listed candidates will be required to complete an interview process, reference checks and a criminal check. Further background checking will be required when relevant to the role. View more information about these checks, our commitment to the Privacy act and details for international applicants by clicking hereIt is important to us that we support you throughout our selection process (interview and assessments). If you have any access needs during this process, let us know in advance so we can make sure these are met