Senior Wind Development Specialist

Te āhua o te tūranga | The nature of the role

As our Senior Wind Development Specialist, you’ll sit at the heart of Contact’s wind development journey, shaping projects from opportunity through to consent ready. This role is all about turning potential into progress. You’ll lead and support the identification, evaluation, and development of wind projects across our pipeline, guiding them through complex consenting and environmental approval processes with clarity and confidence.

You’ll work closely with our internal technical and regulatory experts, and a wide range of stakeholders to bring projects to life. Along the way, you’ll manage project shaping activities, budgets, and risk, provide input into business cases and investment decisions, and ensure our leadership team has the insights they need to move forward with confidence. Once consents are secured, you’ll hand projects over for delivery, knowing you’ve set them up for success. It’s a role that blends strategy, relationship‑building, and hands‑on project leadership, with plenty of space to influence how wind development is done well in Aotearoa.

Ko wai koe | About you

You’re someone who enjoys working at the intersection of people, projects, and purpose. You bring a strong understanding of wind development and New Zealand’s planning and environmental approval landscape, and you know how to navigate ambiguity while keeping things moving forward. You’re commercially minded, organised, and comfortable juggling multiple workstreams, while building trust with stakeholders along the way. You communicate clearly, whether you’re engaging with technical specialists, community partners, or senior leaders.

To thrive in this role, the must‑haves include:

• Experience in wind development or closely related renewable energy projects
• A solid understanding of New Zealand’s consenting and environmental approvals regimes
• Strong project management capability, including budget and risk management
• The ability to influence, negotiate, and collaborate across diverse stakeholder groups

Nice‑to‑haves, but not deal‑breakers:

• A relevant tertiary qualification in engineering, science, or a related field
• Experience with investment appraisal techniques and business case development
• Exposure to wholesale electricity markets, transmission, or regulatory strategy

Just as important as what’s on your CV is how you show up. You act with integrity, demonstrate high professional standards, and live our Tikanga through your everyday mahi. You’re curious, open‑minded, and keen to learn new ways of working. If you’re passionate about renewable energy, motivated by impact, and excited to help shape the future of wind in Aotearoa!

You will also need to be located close to one of our hubs in, Auckland, Tauranga, Wellington or Clyde.

At Contact, it really is good to be home. We support our people with wellbeing benefits that make a genuine difference, including flexible working where possible, strong health and wellbeing support, and access to confidential professional therapy for you and your whānau. You’ll also have access to free flu vaccinations, skin checks, onsite health support and learning through Contact University.

On top of a competitive salary, we offer KiwiSaver contributions, wellbeing payments to support your home setup, help with energy and broadband costs if you’re a Contact customer, plus access to discounts and free financial advice. We’re also proud to give back through community leave and partnerships across Aotearoa, creating a workplace where people feel supported, connected and able to do their best work.

Applications close 9am Friday the 29th of May

Here at Contact Energy (Te Mata Hiko), we know our strength lies in developing a sense of belonging - one that helps us attract and retain people with a broad range of perspectives and experiences.

We’re committed to creating a workplace where everyone feels valued, respected, and empowered to bring their whole selves to work. Our goal is to reflect the diversity of our customers and communities to help build a better Aotearoa New Zealand.

We have a rich community of talented people that we support to thrive at Contact.

Our inclusive hiring process is designed to embrace the diversity of Aotearoa New Zealand, ensuring a wide range of perspectives are included in our decision-making and helping reduce bias along the way.

The wellbeing of our kaimahi is super important to us.

We use employee insights to offer a range of initiatives and resources to support physical, mental, financial and emotional wellbeing – including flexible working arrangements, employee network groups and a market-leading parental leave policy.

At Te Mata Hiko, we want everyone to thrive. We welcome applicants far and wide - of every age, stage, background, and pride. Join us and be part of a team that values your passion and attitude just as much as your experience and skills.

Please note, only candidates with the right to live and work in New Zealand will be considered for this role.

Research shows that while men apply to jobs where they meet 60% of the criteria, women and those in underrepresented groups tend to only apply if they tick every box. We're not about box ticking, so if you think you have what it takes but don't meet everything stated above, please still get in touch. We'd love to kōrero.

Te Mata Hiko (Contact Energy) does not accept any CVs received from recruitment agencies where a formal engagement has not been confirmed and agreed to with our Talent team. In the event that unsolicited CVs are submitted by recruitment agencies, Te Mata Hiko (Contact Energy) reserves the right to contact these candidates directly and consider them for current/future vacancies without any financial obligation to the recruitment agency in question. This will also apply to any CVs sent directly to line managers.