Senior Project Manager

About us

The Ministry for Cities, Environment, Regions and Transport (MCERT) takes a long-term view of how New Zealand’s towns, cities and regions grow and change. We work across housing, transport, the environment, urban development, infrastructure and investment, and partner closely with local government.

We provide joined-up policy and investment advice to government, support effective regulation and market settings, and work with others to help deliver affordable housing, connected communities, well-planned infrastructure, and a healthy, sustainable environment.

About the role   

As a Senior Project Manager, you will lead the planning and delivery of complex, high-risk projects that contribute directly to ministerial and organisational priorities.

You'll work across business groups, government agencies and sector partners, bringing together diverse teams to deliver outcomes in a fast-paced and evolving environment. Your ability to navigate ambiguity, manage competing priorities and maintain a strong delivery focus will be key to your success.

This is a highly collaborative leadership role where you'll not only manage projects but also build capability by coaching project leads, project managers and coordinators while supporting effective governance and decision-making.

In this role, you will:

• Lead the end-to-end delivery of complex projects and initiatives
• Develop project scopes, plans, schedules and delivery roadmaps
• Apply agile and traditional project management practices to achieve outcomes
• Manage project risks, issues, dependencies and reporting requirements
• Facilitate workshops, planning sessions and collaborative forums
• Support programme governance, steering groups and senior leadership decision-making
• Build strong relationships across MCERT, government agencies and external stakeholders
• Coach and mentor project leads, project managers and coordinators
• Drive continuous improvement and adoption of effective project delivery practices
• Ensure projects remain aligned with strategic priorities and programme objectives

Skills and experience   

We're looking for someone who combines strong project delivery expertise with exceptional people leadership and stakeholder engagement skills.

You'll bring:

• Significant experience managing complex programmes or projects within large organisations
• Demonstrated success delivering policy, implementation, transformation or business change initiatives
• Strong knowledge of project management methodologies, including Agile approaches
• Excellent planning, prioritisation and risk management capability
• Outstanding facilitation and workshop design skills
• The ability to influence, engage and build credibility with senior leaders and governance groups
• Strong coaching and mentoring experience
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• A pragmatic, solutions-focused approach and the ability to thrive in changing environments
• An understanding of the machinery of government and public sector operating environments

Salary range  

Salary range for this role is $142,185 to $172,853 pa.  Appointment within this range will be based on skills and experience.  

Apply now  

Apply directly by completing the online application form and submit your CV and cover letter.  Note: your cover letter will be a key part of our assessment process, so please highlight how your experience relates to the key skills required for this role.  

If you require further information about this position please contact sall.morison@mcert.govt.nz.

The location for this role is Wellington.

We are committed to equal opportunities and building a diverse, inclusive workplace. We support our people to work in ways that help them do their best. We welcome applications from all backgrounds and are dedicated to providing a safe and inclusive environment for everyone.

We want our recruitment process to be fair and accessible for everyone. If you need any support or adjustments, please let us know or get in touch at recruitment@mcert.govt.nz.

You must have the right to live and work in New Zealand to apply for this role.  

Note: for our internal permanent people who are applying for a secondment, you must speak with your Manager before submitting your application.

Applications close: Sunday 30th August 2026

Please note, we are managing this recruitment directly. We are not accepting unsolicited profiles from recruitment agencies for this vacancy.