Tā tātou atarua (Our vision): Enabling what matters.
He rau ringa e pakari ai ngā taura whiri i ō tātou kāinga noho me ō tātou hapori – mai i te pae maunga o Tararua ki te moana
With many hands the threads which weave our neighbourhoods and communities together will be strengthened from the Tararua Ranges to the sea.
Horowhenua District Council serves a diverse and growing community, managing everything from infrastructure and planning to community services and environmental protection. We are committed to upholding Te Tiriti o Waitangi, protecting our natural environment, and building resilient, connected communities where people of all ages and backgrounds feel included and safe.
We are an organisation built on innovation and optimism, motivated to create outstanding careers and a better Horowhenua for current and future generations.
He angitūtanga: The opportunity
Are you naturally curious? Do you find yourself asking "why?" and "what if this could be done differently?" Do you thrive on coaching leaders, navigating complex problems, and driving people-focused strategies that truly matter? As our People & Capability Manager, you will lead a team of four to deliver best-practice HR advice, support, and coaching that aligns with our strategic plan. You will be the trusted partner to leaders and staff, raising the bar in all things people and capability, solving complex challenges, and championing our commitment to being a great employer with high-performance culture.
You will have freedom to develop your team, whilst supporting strategy and innovation as it relates to people and capability that creates pathways that help our leaders and organisation excel.
Ngā mahi matua: What you will be doing
This role builds trusted partnerships across the organisation, coaching managers and being the accessible, calm presence people turn to when questions arise. When complex employment relations matters emerge, you will provide advice that is legally sound and practically sensible, managing risk appropriately and working through change processes with genuine care for our people and our community.
You will lead performance management, training plans, and talent development while ensuring policies and practice stay current. You will drive our culture and engagement initiatives, wellbeing plans, and diversity and inclusion strategy, while overseeing recruitment processes that attract talent to the region.
You will have genuine scope to lead, make decisions about your team, and create the conditions for high performance, transformation and innovation. This is a leadership role where your expertise shapes organisational success, and where there is real potential for growth into broader leadership responsibilities.
He kōrero mōu: About you
You are an experienced and innovative HR leader with strong employment relations expertise and solid understanding of generalist people and capability best practice. You lead teams well and know how to develop others. This is not a first-time leadership opportunity.
You have experience confidently advising managers through complex employment matters and change management. You know how to balance legal compliance with practical, human-centred solutions and are comfortable managing organisational risk while coaching others to build their capabilities.
What sets you apart is that natural curiosity. You can be firm, clear, and direct when needed, while constantly exploring possibilities. You are comfortable saying "that sounds interesting, how might we do that and what could it look like?" You are excited by change and see it as energising rather than overwhelming.
We are open to exceptional HR leaders from diverse sectors and other complex organisations who bring fresh perspective and transferable expertise.