Urban & Spatial Planning Team Lead

Steering urban and spatial planning in Hamilton

Hamilton City Council, one of New Zealand’s largest city councils, is looking for a Team Leader to guide Urban and Spatial Planning. The role is based onsite in Hamilton and is ideal for someone who wants to shape the city’s growth and wellbeing while leading a professional team. The council emphasises collaboration, innovation, and community impact, and this position sits at the heart of those priorities. If you’re drawn to meaningful work that helps unlock Hamilton’s full potential, this could be a strong fit.

The team aims to deliver high-quality planning outcomes by combining leadership with practical, hands-on delivery. The successful candidate will lead with judgement, build internal and external relationships, and work closely with the Unit Director, other business units, elected members, Iwi, and major developers. The role requires a solution-focused mindset to navigate complex problems and equip the team to achieve exceptional results for the city and its communities.

What the day-to-day looks like

In this role you’ll set the tone for how urban and spatial planning is practiced across the unit, guiding strategy and ensuring best-practice approaches are embedded in day-to-day work. You’ll foster collaboration across the sub-region, while maintaining strong connections with key stakeholders, including government and community groups, to keep projects moving forward. You’ll also lead your team through demanding assignments, balancing long-term policy development with practical implementation, and you’ll be expected to deliver outcomes that align with Hamilton’s wider vision for growth and wellbeing.

What you’ll need to bring to the table

• Tertiary qualifications in Planning, Resource Management, Urban Design, Social Science, or a closely related field
• At least ten years in a senior role focused on urban development, with hands-on experience implementing planning under relevant legislation
• Full NZPI membership or the ability to become a full member
• Experience leading diverse professional teams and managing people
• Strong grasp of strategic planning, plan development, community engagement, policy preparation and public consultation
• A proven ability to build and maintain effective relationships with key internal and external stakeholders
• A track record of delivering complex projects, including preparing and presenting evidence for hearings, mediations, and expert witness appearances
• Knowledge of legislation affecting Council operations, including the Local Government Act 2002
• Current full NZ driver’s license
• Proficiency with Microsoft Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Access
• NZPI membership or eligibility

The package and practical details

Hamilton City Council offers a package designed to support you at work and in life. They support flexible ways of working to balance personal wellbeing with team and business needs, and they back professional development and career growth. After a year of service, you’ll have access to two wellbeing days each year, and you’ll be covered by fully funded Unimed health insurance, including hospital and surgical coverage with discounted rates for family members. You’ll also receive free annual health checks and flu vaccinations, with an option to purchase additional annual leave for greater flexibility, eye care support with reimbursement for eye testing and prescription glasses, and access to local discounts across gyms, healthcare, and retail providers. The council is committed to Te Tiriti o Waitangi in its relationships with Kiingitanga, Waikato Tainui, mana whenua and maataa waka within Hamilton Kirikiriroa. Applications close on 15/11/2026, and shortlisting will occur as applications come in. This role is being sourced directly; if recruitment agencies are involved, Hamilton City Council will work with its panel of selected agencies and won’t pay commissions on unsolicited contact. For those who need it, information about checks, privacy, and international applicants is available via the council’s careers page.

If you’re curious about the role and how it fits into the city’s growth plans, you can view the full Position Description here: View the Position Description.

All candidates will be notified of the outcome by email. Short-listed candidates will undergo an interview process, reference checks and a criminal check, with further background checks where relevant. International applicants can find more details by clicking the careers link above.

Tips to stand out in this process

Lead with what you’ve done. Put your leadership and urban planning impact front and center on your resume, highlighting a decade of senior experience and hands-on delivery under relevant legislation, plus your NZPI status or eligibility.

Show concrete, evidence-based results. Include examples of complex projects you led, especially where hearings, mediation, or expert testimony were involved, and tie these to outcomes that benefited communities and stakeholders.

Demonstrate your stakeholder-friendliness. Describe specific times you partnered with iwi, developers, elected members, and other council units to move a project forward, and explain how you navigated competing interests to reach workable solutions.

Ask a targeted question. Prepare to discuss how you’d balance strategic planning with practical delivery in Hamilton, and ask how the unit measures success in sub-regional collaboration and unlocking the city’s potential.

Getting your application in

View the Position Description at the link above to tailor your application. If you want to include a cover letter, combine it with your resume in a single PDF, or use the 'Write a message to the Hiring Team' box to share your note. When you’re ready, click apply and complete your submission.