Principal Advisor - Hauora and Wellbeing

Exciting Opportunities in Health, Safety and Wellbeing

We're expanding our Health, Safety and Wellbeing team, creating a range of new opportunities for passionate professionals who want to make a real difference.

As Auckland Council takes on new responsibilities due to the Transport Reform and continues to evolve, we're investing in additional capability across health, safety, wellbeing, occupational health, injury management, training, contractor safety, and business partnering. These new roles will help shape the future of HSW across one of New Zealand's largest and most diverse organisations.

Whether you're looking for your next career challenge or an opportunity to have a broader impact, this is a chance to join a team committed to creating safe, healthy and thriving workplaces for our people and communities. We have a variety of roles available, offering opportunities for experienced practitioners, specialists and emerging talent alike.

Join us and help shape the future of Health, Safety and Wellbeing at Auckland Council.

He angitūtanga: The opportunity

Auckland Council’s Health, Safety & Wellbeing Team is excited to offer a permanent full-time opportunity to join our close-knit team as a Principal Advisor – Hauora and Wellbeing. This is a hybrid role (3x days in the office) are based in the Auckland CBD, with travel required throughout the region.

As a wellbeing subject matter expert, you support the Hauora Wellbeing Manager to shape and strategically lead the function. Through coaching, guidance, and the promotion of clear practice standards, you enable advisors and specialists to deliver consistent, high-quality wellbeing outcomes across the organisation.

A key focus of the role is embedding hauora and wellbeing into organisational culture, leadership practice, and decision-making, ensuring the wellbeing of kaimahi is considered at all levels of the organisation. You will lead the design and implementation of the Whanake Ora Hauora Wellbeing Strategy, translating strategic priorities into meaningful initiatives and outcomes. As a natural collaborator and influencer, you will build strategic partnerships with external providers and key stakeholders, ensuring services are aligned with organisational priorities and deliver lasting value for kaimahi.

The remuneration range for this role is  $119,357 – 126,378 depending on experience and skillset. Auckland Council's KiwiSaver contribution is additional to base salary.

Please review the position description attached here. 

Ngā kawenga matua: Key responsibilities

As a strategic leader, you are a visible champion of hauora and wellbeing across Auckland Council. You uphold high standards of ethical practice, confidentiality, and privacy, ensuring compliance with legislative requirements. As a trusted subject matter expert, you elevate practice across the team through coaching, mentoring, and strategic guidance, building capability, embedding best practice, and driving consistent, high-quality wellbeing outcomes.

You provide leadership and oversight following critical incidents or crises, ensuring timely identification, support, and referral pathways are in place to promote the wellbeing and recovery of impacted kaimahi. As a key contributor to the evolution of organisational Health, Safety and Wellbeing (HSW), psychosocial safety practices by identifying emerging risks and driving continuous improvement.

Day to day you can expect to work:

• Partner with executive leadership team (ELT), senior leaders, and key stakeholder groups to design, evolve, and deliver the Whanake Ora Hauora Wellbeing Strategy, ensuring it remains aligned with organisational priorities and delivers meaningful outcomes.

• Lead designing and stewardship of organisation-wide hauora and wellbeing programmes, frameworks, and initiatives, ensuring they are evidence-informed, scalable, and deliver measurable impact.

• Provide expert advice and leadership on complex or high-risk wellbeing matters, acting as an escalation point to ensure appropriate support and referral pathways are in place, and acting as Acting Hauora Wellbeing Manager when required.

• Use a whakarongo (listening-led) approach to understand needs and translate insights into sustainable wellbeing solutions that restore, protect, and enhance the wellbeing of kaimahi.

• Act as a key contributor to the evolution of organisational hauora and wellbeing capability, providing coaching and mentorship to Hauora and Wellbeing Advisors, establishing best-practice standards, and driving growth in organisational psychosocial safety and wellbeing maturity.

He kōrero mōu: About you 

As a Principal Advisor, you demonstrate a highly developed ability to build trusted relationships and influence at all levels. You excel at engaging culturally diverse stakeholders and are adept at navigating complex and politically influenced environments. Drawing on strong cultural and political acumen and self-awareness, you build trusted relationships and encourage collaboration.

You are passionate about achieving meaningful results through empowerment, transformation, and continuous learning. Bringing a people-centred approach and senior leadership experience, you support the development and growth of high-performing teams through coaching, mentoring, and capability-building initiatives. You facilitate coaching and supporting others with empathy, maintaining clear boundaries while using self-regulation to manage complex situations.

You are a highly organised professional with strong planning, prioritisation, and time management skills that enable you to manage competing priorities. You have a strong track record of leading strategic programmes and projects, converting organisational priorities into measurable outcomes.

We will be looking for specific experience with:

• A relevant tertiary degree in social work or psychology or equivalent of lived work experience.

• At least 7 years’ experience in Mental Health and Wellbeing or a related field, preferably within large, complex, and diverse organisations.

• Demonstratable experience delivering Mental Health and Wellbeing strategies in large, complex organisational settings.

• Membership to a relevant professional body such as NZISM, Workplace Wellbeing Professionals Association or similar

• Sound understanding of Te Ao Māori, with the ability to apply te reo Māori, tikanga, and mātauranga Māori to effectively communicate and inform wellbeing practice, underpinned by Te Whare Tapa Whā.

• Strong Health, Safety and Wellbeing literacy, including positive psychology models for the workplace, psychosocial risk mitigation, and leader obligations

Ngā āhuatanga kei a mātou: What we offer

At Auckland Council, you will join a dynamic, supportive environment where your mahi (work) will directly impact the lives of over 1.8 million Aucklanders. We offer flexible working conditions, a focus on well-being, and a culture of continuous improvement.

We are proud to be recognised for our commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion. We are accredited by GenderTick, a signatory of the Pride Pledge. These commitments reflect our ongoing efforts to create a workplace where all staff feel valued, respected, and empowered to thrive.

Together, we can create a Tāmaki Makaurau we can all be proud of. As part of our organisation, please view a range of our: benefits.

Tono Mai: Apply Now!

Applications close: Monday 17th August at midnight

Auckland Council is an equal opportunity employer (EOE) and we are committed to providing a working environment that embraces and values diversity and inclusion. If you have any support or access requirements, we encourage you to advise us at the time of application to assist you through the recruitment process.

Auckland Council is committed to protecting your privacy in accordance with the Privacy Act 2020. We collect personal information directly from you and, where relevant for the purpose of assessing you for employment, and employing you as part of the transport reform process, from third parties such as referees, previous employers (including Auckland Transport) recruitment agencies, and background checking providers.

By applying for this role, you consent to Council obtaining a reference from your current employer, including information about any active conduct investigations and current performance management processes, if you are the preferred candidate. Reference checks will only be undertaken at the preferred candidate stage. Any non-active performance or conduct matters may also be discussed with referees as part of the reference checking process.

If you do not consent to this information being provided, Council may be unable to properly assess your application and your application will not progress further. If you wish to withhold your consent, or to access or correct your personal information, please contact the Privacy Officer at privacy@aucklandcouncil.govt.nz .