Culture and Engagement Lead

• Help Shape a Stronger, More Connected CAA
• Fixed Term – 18 months
• Location: Wellington CBD based

This is a rare and exciting opportunity to lead foundational work that will shape CAA’s culture and employee experience well into the future. You’ll help lay the groundwork for stronger engagement and empowerment, better collaboration, and a more unified, high performing organisation — and you’ll see the real-world impact of your work on the way we connect, lead, and deliver together.

At the Civil Aviation Authority, we don’t just keep New Zealand’s skies safe and secure, we help shape the future of aviation. 

As the industry evolves, so do we, through innovative technology, new ways of working, and a team of people who are passionate about what they do. 

Now’s the time to get on board. We’re building a forward-thinking, modern CAA, and we need people who want their work to matter. People who thrive on challenges, value collaboration, and want to make a positive impact every day. 

If you're ready to grow your career while helping keep one of New Zealand’s most vital sectors safe and secure, this is your opportunity. 

The Opportunity

We are committed to building a unified, values-led high performing culture that connects our people, supports collaboration, and strengthens how we work together as one organisation.

We’re looking for a skilled and experienced Culture and Engagement Lead to join our People Experience team on an 18-month fixed-term basis. In this pivotal role, you’ll lead the development and delivery of our organisational culture journey — from understanding where we are now, to designing where we want to be, and implementing a clear path to get there.  You’ll do this through open collaboration and engagement with our Executive Leadership team (ELT), Senior Management Group, people leaders and our people, and working closely with others in the People and Capability group. 

What You’ll Be Doing

• Assessing, identifying strengths, challenges, and opportunities through data, insights and engagement with our leaders and people.
• Defining our culture and building and implementing a robust, practical culture roadmap — with clear milestones, deliverables, and actions — to guide and measure our progress over time.
• Identifying and understanding the cultural levers that currently exist and connecting and leveraging these into the culture roadmap.
• Partnering with the Executive Leadership Team (ELT), Senior Management Group, Board, and leaders across CAA to ensure alignment, commitment, and consistency.
• Leading our employee engagement programme, including the delivery of engagement and related surveys, and ensure insights are captured, communicated, and used to inform decisions and strengthen engagement and culture.
• Providing thought leadership, frameworks, and tools that enable teams and leaders to embed the desired culture into how we lead, collaborate, and deliver.
• Promoting a consistent and inclusive approach to engagement and culture-building that brings our people together under a shared purpose and identity.

The starting salary for the Culture and Engagement Lead within our People and Capability group is between $136,939 and maximum of $191,448.  Starting salaries are to be based on knowledge, skills and experience the successful candidate brings to the role, as well as internal relativities.

What You’ll Bring

• Demonstrated experience in leading, designing and delivering strategic cultural change and employee engagement programmes in large complex operational environments.

• A collaborative, influential leadership style with experience engaging boards, and senior leaders in culture and engagement work.
• Excellent communication and facilitation skills, with a strength in turning strategy into meaningful action.
• A passion for connecting people and fostering a "one organisation" mindset through shared values and consistent practices.
• Experience in the application of change management and OD methodologies, with agile and human centred design skills advantageous.

Why Join Us?

Our values — Professionalism, Respect, Integrity, Transparency, and Collaboration — guide everything we do. We’re committed to diversity, inclusion, and creating a workplace where everyone feels safe, valued, and empowered to contribute.

Ready to Apply?

Apply directly by completing the online application form and submit your CV and Cover Letter. Note: your cover letter will be a key part of our assessment process, so please highlight how your experience relates to the key skills required for this role.

We want to ensure accessibility needs are well supported, so the recruitment process is fair and equitable for all. Therefore, please let us know if there is any support we can provide to ensure the recruitment process is fully accessible to you.

For more information on the role please view the position description or contact the Recruitment team at recruitment@caa.govt.nz

Applications close: Thursday 23 October 2025