Engagement Advisor

Rotorua Lakes Council is seeking an Engagement Advisor to strengthen trust with residents through authentic, inclusive engagement that gives people a real voice in local decisions. The role sits in the Council’s Communications and Engagement team, focusing on planning, delivering and evaluating engagement across a wide range of projects to make engagement meaningful and accessible under the Council’s Engagement Framework.

This is a permanent, full-time position based onsite at the Civic Centre in the heart of Rotorua. It’s a chance to join a new dedicated engagement function and shape what great engagement looks like at Rotorua Lakes Council, working with experienced colleagues while developing your own skills in a supportive, high-performing environment.

If you’re motivated by building positive relationships with community groups, iwi and mana whenua and you enjoy turning community input into clear, actionable outcomes, this could be a strong fit for you.

A day in the life of an engagement advisor

Your days are spent designing and delivering engagement plans that support Council priorities and community outcomes, while collaborating with Communications Partners to weave engagement into broader communication efforts. You’ll provide guidance to project teams and business units on how best to involve communities, and you’ll work to build trust through constructive relationships with stakeholders, iwi and mana whenua. In practice, that means coordinating workshops, public meetings, drop-in sessions, surveys and online engagement opportunities, and guiding statutory consultation processes so activities meet legislative and policy requirements.

As feedback comes in, you’ll analyse themes and translate insights into clear reports that help decision-makers understand what communities are telling the Council. You’ll also help communities see the connection between their input and the eventual outcomes, making sure participation remains meaningful and accessible throughout the process.

What you’ll need to bring

• Shows a genuine respect for tikanga Māori, te reo Māori and Te Tiriti o Waitangi
• Proven track record in community engagement, stakeholder engagement, or communications
• Understanding of IAP2 engagement principles, public participation methodologies and consultation best practice
• Ability to foster positive relationships with subject matter experts, project teams, stakeholders, community groups, iwi and mana whenua
• Strong written, verbal and facilitation skills, with the ability to communicate effectively with a wide range of audiences
• Solid organisational abilities, capable of juggling multiple priorities and delivering high-quality work
• Knowledge of local government and relevant legislation, policies and frameworks would be an advantage

• A knowledge of local government processes and relevant legislation would be an advantage

Pay, benefits and practical details

Salary range: 96,954.00 NZD (yearly) to 114,064.00 NZD (yearly).

The role is a permanent full-time position (40 hours per week) based at the Civic Centre in the heart of Rotorua.

Location is Rotorua, NZ, with work primarily onsite. The posting notes that this is a on-site role within the Council’s Communications and Engagement team; no travel or licensing details are provided.

Advice for applicants

Lead your resume with a concrete example of an engagement plan you developed that connected to a priority and resulted in meaningful community involvement. Highlight the plan’s objectives, how you aligned it with the Council’s priorities and the outcomes for participants.

Show how you prove you meet the must-have skills by sharing specific experiences: a time you built positive relationships with iwi or mana whenua, a workshop you facilitated, and a report you produced that clearly communicates feedback to decision-makers. If possible, quantify impact, such as participation rates or improved decision outcomes.

Be ready in interviews to describe how you approach engagement planning, how you handle statutory consultation processes, how you analyse feedback for themes, and how you explain to communities how their input influenced a decision. Also be prepared to discuss your familiarity with IAP2 principles and how you incorporate tikanga and Te Tiriti o Waitangi into engagement work.

Ask a pointed question about practice: how engagement findings are evaluated and reported to decision-makers, and how the new dedicated engagement function collaborates with Communications Partners to deliver integrated approaches across projects.