Landowner Relations Partner

Mō tēnei tūranga mahi | About this role

• Ensure smooth access to Transpower's assets on private and public land
• Negotiate fair outcomes with landowners via commitments and contracts
• Enjoy dynamic and varied mahi as part of a collaborative national team

Enable critical national infrastructure through exceptional relationship management of landowners and stakeholders.

Transpower is a State-Owned Enterprise which owns and operates the National Grid - the transmission network made up of over $5b of assets, which carries electricity around the country.

Assets include nearly 12,000km of high voltage transmission lines, 60km of underground and submarine cable, over 40,000 supporting towers and poles, over 175 substations, and nearly 2,000 transformers which are situated the length and breadth of the country.

Most of the assets that make up the grid are located on private land with varying land uses, such as farms, forestry, horticulture, and in public conservation areas. It's essential that we work closely with landowners to ensure we maintain a productive relationship which ensures access to our assets.

Read more here: https://www.transpower.co.nz/our-work/landowners-and-developers

About the team

Our Landowner Relations team are people relators and solution creators, responsible for ensuring the Landowner Relations Strategy is applied consistently by Transpower and our contracted service providers (who provide fault response, maintenance, and build service for the National Grid). We aim for a consistent and positive experience for our landowners.

We currently enjoy the cooperation of most landowners to access our assets, and the team is here to sustain and enhance long term relationships and trust.

About the opportunity

Working collaboratively and engaging with a broad range of people both internally (project managers, service delivery managers, and the wider team) and externally (landowners, land managers such as Department of Conversation, KiwiRail, Councils, primary sectors etc), you'll deliver the Landowner Relations Strategy, ensuring timely access to land for our grid project work activities within your allocated portfolio.

Preferably based in Hamilton (but we may consider Auckland for the right candidate) you'll champion landowner needs and views so they can be incorporated into Transpower's work plan.

You'll ensure that the needs and objectives of all parties are understood and respected so that project and maintenance work on the Grid can be carried out in a timely manner, safely, with minimal disruption.

On the job training and coaching is ongoing, and you'll hone your already well-developed relationship management, issues resolution, and negotiation skills as well as be able to see the very real and tangible positive outcomes of your work.

If you're hardworking, keen to learn, tech and process savvy, and enjoy a mix of office and field/site work, this could be the opportunity for you!

What will you bring?

You'll be someone who has experience navigating a wide range of relationships and working with people who may have differing views, perspectives, and opinions, ideally relating to property/land. This could be in:

• Central or local government organisations.
• Engagement or negotiating leads in the primary sector.
• Consulting organisations.
• Organisations with asset portfolios on private and/or public land.

You'll relish the challenge of prioritising and juggling competing priorities, working at pace, and be comfortable navigating ambiguous and complex situations that can arise!

Naturally curious and tuned in to your customers, you'll anticipate and identify potential challenges and issues quickly, and work to address these in a fair and consistent way. Active listening and a creative approach to problem solving and achieving outcomes will support your resilience, interpersonal, and problem-solving/dispute management skills.

To be considered your CV, cover letter, and experience to date will demonstrate:

• Strong people and relationship management/engagement skills and demonstrated ability to understand stakeholder needs and requirements.
• Ability to identify and develop solutions which work for both parties.
• Outstanding communication skills, both verbal and written, to communicate complex technical issues to non-technical audiences.
• Strong advocacy and influencing/negotiation skills, including dispute management.
• Understanding and application of legislation/regulatory frameworks and processes.
• A full NZ Drivers Licence and the ability to travel regionally (overnight stays once or twice a month, are usually planned in advance).

Typically, you will work Monday to Friday, however there may be times when you work outside of business hours to meet the needs of geographically dispersed landowners.

Join us at Transpower

Aotearoa is powered by the people who work here. Every home, every marae, every electric vehicle, every hospital relies on the electricity we manage and deliver. This is your opportunity to join us on mission that affects all New Zealanders, every day and long into the future.

With over 28 nationalities, our people provide diverse perspectives, knowledge, and deep and varied experience which they love to share.

Wellbeing is supported with great employee health and wellness benefits, including health insurance. Check them out here: https://www.transpower.co.nz/careers/working-transpower.

Next steps

To join our busy, fun, supportive, and highly experienced team that has a real impact on our business and the community we serve, please review the position description via our Careers website https://careers.transpower.co.nz/search and apply without delay.

Role closes at 5pm Tuesday 29^th October; however, applications will be reviewed as they come in and you may be contacted prior to the close date for an initial chat.

Existing eligibility to work in New Zealand is required.