Capability and Service Design Advisor

Kia mahi ngātahi mō Pōneke mō tōna āpōpō | Working together for Wellington's future

With a new CEO and a new Council in place, the People & Capability Group is uniquely positioned to help shape the future of our organisation. This is more than a transition, it's a chance to reimagine how we support, refocus our functions, and lead meaningful change for the Council, its leaders, teams and kaimahi.

Shape the future of internal services. Help build a new team focused on service design and continuous improvement.

Are you passionate about human-centred design and ready to make a real impact? We're looking for a Capability and Service Design Advisor to join our newly established Business Improvement team. This is your chance to help set up a new team and lead the way in transforming how internal services are delivered across Wellington City Council. This is a fixed-term opportunity for 18 months.

Āu ake mahi | What you'll do

• Build and shape a new team: Be at the forefront of establishing a team dedicated to service design and business improvement.
• Drive continuous improvement: Lead and support the redesign of internal services, using co-design, lean, agile, and design-thinking approaches.
• Champion customer-centricity: Map customer journeys, remove pain points, and create solutions that make Council services more efficient, effective, and user-friendly.
• Collaborate and influence: Work closely with People & Capability, internal business units, and leaders across Council to embed service design thinking and foster a culture of innovation.
• Lead workshops and co-design: Facilitate workshops, interviews, and collaborative sessions to ensure services are co-created with those who use and deliver them.
• Prototype and test: Develop and iterate prototypes and minimum viable products, using feedback and data to refine solutions before deployment.

Ngā tohu me ngā wheako | Qualifications and experience

• Relevant tertiary qualification in service design or a related discipline (or equivalent experience).
• At least 5 years' professional experience in service design, UX, or a related field.
• Strong understanding of user-centred design, agile approaches, and service design tools.
• Experience designing and facilitating workshops, mapping customer journeys, and delivering practical service improvements.
• Excellent communication, influencing, and relationship-building skills.
• Commitment to Te Tiriti o Waitangi and working effectively in a bicultural context.
• A portfolio showcasing your design solutions is desirable.

We are looking to appoint between $96,866 and $113,959 per annum, for this role, depending on relevant skills and experience.

You'll be part of a supportive and forward-thinking team that's committed to building a thriving, capable organisation. We value innovation, collaboration, and continuous improvement - and we're excited about the future.

To view a copy of the position description, please visit our Careers page: Capability and Service Design Advisor (fixed term) - Wellington City Council

Nōu te rourou | What's in it for you

Working for the Council offers you a range of benefits including 5 weeks annual leave, flexible working options, health and wellbeing support, Council staff discounts and a range of learning and development programmes and opportunities.

Diversity:

We want your application to enable you to portray the real you. Skills are gained across many areas of our life, not just formal employment. If you can demonstrate the skills listed in the advert through whānau life, community or mahi aroha (volunteering) we encourage you to apply and share your story with us in your cover letter.

We welcome applications from all people and like our workforce to reflect the diverse communities we serve.

Accessibility Support:

We want to make sure any accessibility requirements you may have, are well supported so the selection process is equitable for everyone. Please let us know if there are any adjustments or support, we can offer to make our process more accessible to you by emailing:

Applications close 11 November 2025. Please note that we may engage with applicants prior to the vacancy closing and/or close applications ahead of this date so we encourage you to submit your application as soon as possible.

All applications must be submitted online - we will not accept emailed applications.

All applicants must have the right to work in New Zealand.

If you have questions, please contact Seth Campbell, Manager Business Improvement,