Principal Engineer - Wastewater Network

• Regional technical lead for wastewater network performance and resilience

• Own and steer complex, high-impact investigations across your portfolio

• Petone-based role with easy access to rail, coast, and local amenities

This is a full time position of 40 hours per week

The opportunity

The Principal Engineer Wastewater Network provides senior technical leadership to improve the performance, compliance, and long-term resilience of the region’s wastewater assets. This role is focused on owning complex investigations and optioneering—defining problems, developing robust solutions, and shaping investment decisions across the network. You will provide expert technical guidance to strategic and asset planning, ensuring projects are well scoped and grounded in sound engineering. Acting as a key technical stakeholder through delivery, you will safeguard design intent and asset outcomes without being directly responsible for project execution. Your work will drive smarter investment, support sustainable water management, and ensure services remain safe, reliable, and fit for the future.

You will get to:

• Own the front-end engineering of complex network challenges, from investigation through to optioneering—defining problems, exploring solutions, and recommending the best path forward for the asset portfolio

• Provide authoritative technical input into the capital programme, shaping scope, influencing investment cases, and setting projects up for successful delivery

• Maintain technical oversight as a critical stakeholder through delivery, ensuring solutions remain aligned with operational needs, performance expectations, and long-term asset value

• Drive a data-informed approach to asset management, integrating analytics and operational insight to continuously improve network performance at scale

• Guide and mentor others in their professional development

About you

To be successful in this role you will bring:

• 15+ years in wastewater engineering with a focus on wastewater networks

• A bachelor’s degree in engineering (Chemical, Environmental, or Civil) or a related discipline

• Experience supporting strategic, investment and asset planning and prioritisation

• Experience mentoring engineers and leading technical workstreams

• Organised, self-motivated, and committed to delivering public value

• Chartered Professional Engineer (CPEng) qualification

Benefits

At Wellington Water, our purpose extends beyond delivering great water services for the region; we foster a thriving community, support a diverse workforce, and offer supportive development opportunities. We genuinely care about your safety and wellbeing.

Our benefits include:

• Flexible working arrangements including up to 2 days working from home

• Comprehensive wellbeing programme, including one paid wellbeing day annually

• Formal and informal professional development opportunities

• 5 weeks annual leave accrual will be available following 2 years of continual service

For a full list of our employee benefits click here.

About us

Wellington Water Ltd is the professional water services provider across Greater Wellington and South Wairarapa. Our job is to provide safe and healthy drinking water, collect and treat wastewater, and ensure the stormwater network is well managed. We’re a multi-council owned entity, tasked to manage the infrastructure and deliver water services to our communities. From 1 July 2026, a new chapter in water services begins. Tiaki Wai will take over responsibility for providing Three Waters Services to approximately 433,000 residents across the Wellington metro regions.

Tiaki Wai will own the water assets it operates giving it greater independence to manage and improve water services for current and future communities, Wellington Water employees will transition into this new council-owned entity.

The value of water (a precious taonga) sits at our organisational heart. Our people are passionate about providing waters services for our communities and environment which is reflective in our values; Tangata Tiaki, Whānau and Mana.

Applications Close Sunday 24 May 2026

How to apply

To view a copy of the position description: click here

To apply for the role, click on the ”apply” button or visit the Wellington Water Careers site, please note if you are a Wellington Water employee please apply using your work email.

For further information, email: JoinUs@wellingtonwater.co.nz

Applicants for safety sensitive roles will be required to undergo drug and alcohol testing prior to commencing employment with Wellington Water. You must also be legally entitled to work long-term in New Zealand and have an appropriate Visa.