Commercial Business Partner - Procurement

Hamilton City and Waikato District Councils have formed a publicly owned, Council-controlled Organisation (CCO) to deliver water services across Hamilton city and Waikato district. The company is called IAWAI - Flowing Waters and will take over the provision of water services from 1 July 2026. This transition will occur in stages such as the current Watercare contract for Waikato District Council transferring to the CCO on 1 July 2026.  

He angituutanga: The opportunity 

In this role, you’ll help shape how IAWAI invests in its services by bringing commercial insight, smart supplier strategies, and strong analytical thinking to the table. You’ll play a key part in making sure our cost structures and supply decisions support our purpose of delivering long‑term community value, sustainable asset investment, and efficient service delivery.

You’ll work closely with teams across the organisation to challenge demand drivers, improve procurement decision‑making, and ensure every dollar spent is aligned with the outcomes we’re aiming to achieve. Your ability to turn data into meaningful advice will help lift the quality and impact of our commercial choices.

A big part of your role will be strengthening capital efficiency. You’ll ensure our procurement strategies, supplier agreements, and cost frameworks directly support better investment outcomes, reduced lifecycle costs, and improved ROI across IAWAI’s capital programme. This is a chance to make a real difference in how we deliver essential services for our communities.

We’re open to shaping this role around the right person, including flexibility in hours and the possibility of less than full-time work if that is your preference. 

Oo puumanawa me oo wheako | Your skills and experience 

• Analytical curiosity, commercial drive, and a commitment to long-term value creation.
• Strong communication and relationship‑building capability.
• Ability to balance short‑term cost pressures with long-term enterprise value.
• A relevant tertiary qualification is preferred (i.e., Finance, Accounting or Business Administration).
• Minimum 5 years’ experience across different financial functions.
• Proven leadership skills in working across multiple teams and systems.
• Demonstrated commercial acumen.
• Proactive, structured, and capable of managing competing priorities in a high-volume environment.
• Demonstrated experience building trusted relationships with both internal and external stakeholders.

He aha te wariu o te utu kaimahi? | What’s the salary? 

Circa $121k dependent on skills and experience.

Me Tono Inaaianei!: Apply Now! 

• View the position description.
• Click apply
• ​Complete your application.

If you wish to include a cover letter with your application, please combine this in the same file as your resume and upload as a PDF file. Alternatively, you can use the 'Write a message to the Hiring Team' text box.

Applications close on the: 20th April 2026

Note: We will be shortlisting as we receive applications.

Start date for this position will be on or after 1 July 2026.

All candidates will be notified of the outcome on their application via email. Short-listed candidates will be required to complete an interview process, reference checks and a criminal check. Further background checking will be required when relevant to the role. View more information about these checks, our commitment to the Privacy act and details for international applicants by clicking hereIt is important to us that we support you throughout our selection process (interview and assessments). If you have any access needs during this process, let us know in advance so we can make sure these are met