Customer Relations Manager

NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi

. Provide enterprise-level leadership and strategic direction for NZTA’s complaints management approach .

Posted 9/17/2026full-timePalmerston North • New ZealandMid-LevelSenior💰 NZ$158,022 - NZ$175,580 per yearWebsite

Core Competencies

Role fit

Core Competencies

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Demonstrates strong leadership in complaints management and customer experience, with a focus on developing and implementing enterprise operating models and frameworks. Capable of integrating complaint data and customer feedback to drive strategic improvements and enhance organisational maturity.

Highest-signal resume keywords

Leadership Experience in Complaints ManagementEnterprise Operating Models DevelopmentAnalytical Capability in Complaint Data IntegrationStrategic Judgement and Decision-MakingInclusive People Leadership

ATS Keywords

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Applicant Tracking System Keywords

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Hard Skills

Complaints ManagementCustomer Experience ImprovementGovernance FrameworksOperational Performance AnalysisRisk Information Integration

Soft Skills

Credibility with Senior LeadersInfluence with StakeholdersChange ManagementCustomer-Focused Behaviours

Certifications & Qualifications

Legal Right to Live and Work in New Zealand

Industry Keywords

Te Ao MāoriTikangaTe Reo MāoriTe Tiriti o WaitangiRegulatory Services

About the role

Key responsibilities & impact

Provide enterprise-level leadership and strategic direction for NZTA’s complaints management approach
Develop and implement a coordinated and increasingly centralised enterprise complaints model
Lead NZTA's Customer Relations (Complaints) function, including people and performance
Ensure high-quality complaint management and resolution services
Establish consistent complaint processes, standards, reporting, and governance across NZTA
Lead the staged transition of complaint management activities into a centralised operating model
Resolve timely, fair, and effective customer complaints, including complex, sensitive, high-profile, Ombudsman, and Ministerial escalations
Champion NZTA's Customer Service Standards and promote consistent customer-focused behaviours
Provide strategic advice and reporting to senior leaders on complaint performance, customer concerns, emerging themes, and organisational risks
Turn complaint data and customer feedback into enterprise insight, risk intelligence, and organisation-wide improvement action
Drive continuous improvement, smarter ways of working, and efficient resource use
Lead teams through frequent change while maintaining service quality and morale

Requirements

What you’ll need

Significant leadership experience in complaints management, customer experience, service improvement, regulatory services, or another complex, customer-facing environment
Demonstrated success developing and implementing enterprise operating models, frameworks, governance, standards, and assurance arrangements
High degree of analytical capability integrating complaint data, customer feedback, operational performance, and risk information
Strong strategic judgement and ability to convert complex insight into clear advice, decisions, priorities, and measurable organisation-wide action
Credibility and influence with senior leaders and diverse stakeholders
Experience leading complex, sensitive, or high-profile complaint matters within legislative, regulatory, Ombudsman, and Ministerial contexts
Proven capability to build organisational maturity and capability
Inclusive people leadership experience and ability to lead teams through significant operating-model and organisational change
Knowledge of, or willingness to gain an understanding of, Te Ao Māori, tikanga, te reo Māori, and Te Tiriti o Waitangi as applied in the public service
Legal right to live and work in New Zealand
CV and cover letter outlining suitability for the role

Benefits

Comp & perks

A competitive salary and benefits package
Flexible working arrangements (role dependent)
5 weeks annual leave
Income Protection and Critical Illness Insurance
The opportunity to lead a nationally significant operation that directly impacts millions of New Zealanders