Procurement Business Partner

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 

We’re looking for a Procurement Business Partner to join IAWAI and help shape how we deliver real, long‑term value to the communities we serve. This role is all about making sure our procurement approach is smart, strategic, and commercially sound helping us get the best outcomes across our entire value chain.

You’ll be right at the heart of how we plan, decide, and deliver. From guiding procurement policy and governance to strengthening supplier performance and ensuring we get genuine value for money, you’ll play a key part in how we operate. You’ll also help us balance cost, risk, and long‑term impact, making sure our procurement settings match IAWAI’s financial model and priorities while working closely with HCC’s shared services.

If you enjoy working at the crossroads of strategy and delivery, love improving how organisations engage with suppliers and markets, and want to make a real difference to capital efficiency and organisational performance, this role offers the chance to do exactly that. It’s meaningful work with a positive impact and we’d love to see you apply.

Oo puumanawa me oo wheako | Your skills and experience 

• Proven experience in strategic procurement, sourcing, or commercial leadership roles.
• Strong understanding of value for money, lifecycle costing, and total cost of ownership.
• Experience working across infrastructure, capital programmes, or asset-intensive environments.
• Ability to influence senior stakeholders and shape strategic decisions.
• Strong commercial acumen, including negotiation and supplier strategy.
• Experience operating in shared services or multi-organisation delivery environments.
• Apply strong commercial judgement to balance cost, risk, and long-term value.
• Take a value chain perspective, ensuring procurement supports end-to-end outcomes.
• Lead with strategic intent, aligning procurement to organisational priorities.
• Build trusted relationships across internal teams, councils, and suppliers.
• Continuously improve procurement performance, processes, and operating model effectiveness.
• A strategic mindset focused on long-term value creation over short-term cost reduction.
• Strong ownership and accountability for procurement outcomes.
• Ability to challenge demand and improve value across the supply chain.
• Clear and confident communication, with the ability to simplify complex commercial issues.
• A structured and disciplined approach to decision-making and execution.
• A relevant tertiary qualification is preferred (e.g., Business, Commerce, Finance).
• Demonstrated experience delivering procurement outcomes in complex environments.

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: 3rd June 2026

Note: We will be shortlisting as we receive applications.

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