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Queen Street  Coronation Square  Wairoa  Telephone 06-838-7309  Fax 06-838-8874 

JOB DESCRIPTION/POSITION STATEMENT

Job Title:CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER

Employment Period:To be negotiated –up to a three year fixed term.

Remuneration:Market related package, to be negotiated.

Position Purpose:To provide leadership, direction and manage the Wairoa District Council organisation, facilitating the provision of well rounded advice to elected members and implementing strategies as directed by the governance.

To actively innovate and shape strategies and initiatives that support the Council’s strategic intent, with a focus on economic and social development.

To ensure that the Council’s policies and strategies are implemented and the outcomes in the Council’s Long Term and Annual Plans are achieved.

To openly and regularly report to Council on the progress of Council strategies and deliverables and to identify areas of concern.

To proactively lead Council management and staff in an empowering manner, with an emphasis on personnel development, and to support staff in an empathetic manner during a time of change.

To actively engage with the community and to support community involvement.

To manage the development, operation and maintenance services of infrastructure and community services that the Council provides.

Experience:Minimum of 10 years experience in senior management gained in the

public orprivate sector.

Qualifications:Ideally an appropriate tertiary and/or professionalqualification.

Responsible To:Mayor and Council

a.The Principal Executive Officer of the Council with authority over all other staff as is necessary for the efficient management and execution of the Council’s functions.

b.Responsible to the Council for the management, control and reporting of Council’s total operation.

c.To best achieve the objectives of this position, the Chief Executive Officer shall lead a management team in an empowering, inclusive manner, within a robust performance framework.

d.The senior management team report directly to the CEO with scope for the Executive Officers to report and advise the Council, in an unbiased and complete manner,on matters affecting their departments.

Direct Reports:Engineering Manager,

Finance Manager,

Administration Manager,

Regulatory Manager (to be filled – currently being undertaken by current CE).

Functional Relationships:Mayor,

Councillors,

Council Managers and Employees,

Community,

Public and private sector organisations,

Community organisations and representatives,

Senior Managers of Government Agencies,

SOE’s.

Other Relationships:There is an expectation that the CEO will be actively involved in appropriate and relevant community organisations.

Deputy During Absence:Departmental Head as selected by Chief Executive Officer and notified to Mayor and Council and within delegation as set by the Council.

Primary Objectives/

Key Performance

Indicators:a.To manage Council resources in an efficient and effective manner so that the needsof the district and Council services are met in the most economical way.

b.To guide and supply well rounded, unbiased and transparent advice so the Council can formulate policies for social, environmental and economic development growth of the community.

c.To shape and present to council innovative strategies and initiatives that will drive economic and social wellbeing and to ensure strategies are well rounded.

d.To actively utilise the Council resources to deliver the Councils strategic intent and to ensure that policies of the Council are adhered to and decisions of the Council are carried out promptly and are interpreted to Officers of the Council as intended by the Council.

e.To provide “leadership” to Council staff and to encourage effective supervisory and staff practices. To empower staff to take ownership of their roles and functions and to coach and mentor as required ensuring deliverables are met to a high standard.

f. Foster a ‘can do’ culture with an emphases on delivering to commitments and to uphold a performance management framework.

g.To be the “Principal Administrative Officer” of the Council as defined in the Local Government Act 2002.

h.To uphold legislation applying to all services under the control of Council.

i.As Manager of Council’s total resources, to keep the organisation and administration of these under review so as to enhance cooperation and coordination of activities between the various divisions and departments of Council. To actively innovate with a view to delivering services efficiently, delivering a customer-focused service and value to ratepayers.

j.To actively promote a high and positive standard of community interaction and relations between the Council and the people of the Wairoa District.

Key competencies

  • Thinks creatively identifying new frameworks for solutions
  • Creates an environment where existing approaches/thinking are regularly challenged and tested
  • Active and influential in a wide range of networks with gravitas and highly developed communication and influencing skills that are appropriate and considerate to the audience at hand
  • Encourages team and peer feedback to improve performance
  • Effectively utilises the capabilities and experience of staff through delegation, provision of clear performance levels, and providing learning experiences and fostering development opportunities
  • Ensures the team delivers results within agreed time and resource constraints
  • Comfortably deals with finding solutions in light of imperfect information, complex issues or ambiguity
  • Encourages others to search for new opportunities and take calculated risks
  • Anticipates and takes responsibility for meeting the needs of Councillors, the community and staff when appropriate
  • Manages stakeholder engagement through highly developed relationship management skills
  • Leads a varied and complex programme of activities and projects
  • Demonstrates a commercial understanding and can interpret complex commercial, financial and legal information
  • Has a flexible approach and is capable of managing a variety of conflicting issues and demands in a calm manner

Key qualifications and experience

  • Preferablya relevant tertiary qualification
  • Intellectually versatile and able to apply knowledge and skills to a broad range of issues
  • Experience working at a senior management level in a complex environment and working to support governance
  • Significant experience leading, planning and managing major projects over a broad spectrum of issues
  • Well versed in developing methodologies, shaping strategy, and communicating complex and technical information in a straightforward manner to a wide variety of stakeholders
  • Experience in local government processes would be an advantage but it is not necessary
  • Culturally sensitive - an understanding of tikanga Māori is preferred and support is available

KEY TASKS
A.District and Corporate Development Strategy
Prepare and maintain a District Development Strategic (structure plan).
Prepare and review the Corporate Development Strategy.
Develop initiatives and responses to identified issues impacting on the District and Council.
B.Managerial
To carry out any direction as may be issued from time to time by the Council, provided this is within Council’s legal powers.
To manage within an organisation structures as Council may from time to time approve and in so doing follow the designated lines of communication wherever possible.
To allow effective corporate management as chairman of meetings of senior management staff.
To monitor action by departmental heads.
To ensure that policies, plans and directives of Council are effectively supported and administered.
To provide leadership, guidance, advice and encouragement to management and staff.
To ensure that Council staff are properly trained, motivated and adopt safe working practices.
C.Council and Committees
To be directly accessible to the Council or any committee thereof for the carrying out of all matters pertaining to Council operations.
To ensure that reports are prepared for submission to Council and Committees thereof.
To ensure that the Council and its committees are aware of and operate within statutory limitations.
To oversee and administer the scheduling of all meetings of Council and Committees thereof.
To attend such meetings of the Council and committees thereof as is necessary.
To provide such advice and information to members, committees and Council as requested, or required from time to time.
D.Communication
To develop a professional relationship with Council and its elected members.
To advise and inform Council of all necessary matters pertaining to its operations.
To ensure that public relations are maintained in the best interests of the District.
To ensure that all correspondence, petitions, and representations to and by the Council are dealt with.
To advise Mayor and Council on protocol. Oversee arrangements for civic functions.
E.Financial
To ensure that Council’s financial position remains sound.
To ensure that council’s investment and expenditure programmes maximise the return to Council and to report regularly to Council on these matters.
F.Operations
Prepare forward plans and budgets for capital works and maintenance in consultation with Corporate Management Team.
Manage and coordinate organisational activities and functions.
To ensure that the interests of the Council in legal matters are adequately dealt with and safeguarded.
To take administrative responsibility for such statutory bodies and community organisations as may be determined from time to time.
G.Review
Review the functions and activities of the organisation.
H.General
Execute the statutory duties of Principal Administrative Officer.
Other duties as may be requested by Council from time to time.
I.Emergency
Carry out Civil Defence duties of Civil Defence Controller as laid out in the District Civil Defence Plan.
Carry out other emergency plans as adopted by Council.

Variation of JobThe Chief Executive Officer will accept such additional or amended

Description:responsibilities as may be reasonably required by the Council.