Dams Practice Lead / Design Manager - Dams & Hydropower - ( 260000N8 )
Description
Dams Practice Lead/ Design Manager - Dams and Hydropower
Stantec is a global leader in sustainable engineering, and environmental consulting. The diverse perspectives of our partners and interested parties drive us to think beyond what’s previously been done on critical issues like climate change, digital transformation, and future-proofing our cities and infrastructure.
We are designers, engineers, scientists, project managers, and strategic advisors. We innovate at the intersection of community, creativity, and client relationships to advance communities everywhere, so that together we can redefine what’s possible.
About the role
Stantec’s Water team in New Zealand has an impressive portfolio of successful projects that benefit communities nationwide and beyond, with significant contributions to international work. Our water focus covers the management of drinking water, wastewater, stormwater, and groundwater as a collective resource. Dams and Hydropower are a key focus, driving resilience and renewable energy solutions. Stantec are one of the few service providers in New Zealand who offer the whole package across all disciplines needed to deliver a project and have made significant investment in the past few years in developing additional service offerings such as FEM and CFD.
Our Dams and Hydropower team is delivering and supporting significant projects across New Zealand, Australia, Pacific and Globally and is looking for an experienced, motivated Dams Practice Lead/ Design Manager to provide technical leadership across a range of dams and hydropower projects.
You’ll join our experienced, diverse, multidisciplinary team, working alongside senior leaders and technical specialists to deliver complex infrastructure that supports dam safety, dam and hydropower design, renewable energy and resilient communities.
This is a senior position working across New Zealand, reporting to the Market Sector Lead and you’ll play a key role in driving design delivery, fostering strong team collaboration and maintaining a high level of ownership, communication and technical excellence. Working closely with senior leadership and clients, you’ll help strengthen existing relationships, identify new opportunities and contribute to business development activities that support the continued growth of our Dams and Hydropower capability. You’ll also bring multidisciplinary teams together to deliver high-quality outcomes across the full project lifecycle.
Key Responsibilities:
Provide technical leadership and technical expertise in the specialist area of dams and hydropower.
Determine client requirements, conduct and manage site work including inspections and investigations, produce reports, calculations, specifications and drawings to ensure that technical designs provide appropriate solutions.
Plan, program and coordinate specific projects with the Project Manager and other Project Technical Leads to deliver the agreed outputs.
Prepare and lead expressions of interest, proposals, tender documents and contracts.
Manage appropriate marketing initiatives in consultation with the Market Sector Lead and other Practice Leads. Support in hitting both technical and commercial targets.
Mentor staff to develop technical capabilities.
Identify skill gaps and recruitment needs.
Develop trusted client relationships and lead business development in conjunction with client account management.
About you
You’ll bring substantial experience in the design and delivery of dam, hydropower or other complex water infrastructure projects, with the ability to step into established projects and make an immediate contribution. Experience across dam engineering, hydropower infrastructure, civil/ hydraulic structures or associated water resource projects will be highly regarded.
You’re a confident communicator with strong relationship-building skills and a commitment to successful project delivery in complex technical environments. You’ll enjoy engaging with clients, understanding their challenges and helping shape solutions, while contributing to proposals, identifying potential project opportunities and supporting the ongoing growth of our business. An understanding of project management processes, design coordination and risk management will also be advantageous.
You enjoy providing technical direction and support to others, bringing multidisciplinary teams together to work efficiently and deliver quality outcomes on time and within budget. With opportunities to collaborate and share knowledge across our New Zealand and global network, these roles offer the chance to contribute to challenging dams and hydropower projects, build lasting client relationships and bring innovative thinking and international best practice to our clients’ needs.
What we offer
At Stantec, we take your growth and fulfilment seriously. We’re proud to offer many supportive benefits, including:
Professional development and support.
Flexible working arrangements, including purchasing up to an extra four weeks of leave and provision for school term contracts, part-time, and job sharing.
Learning and talent development programmes, including global, online, and on-the-job opportunities.
Support to attend relevant industry conferences and forums.
Professional memberships.
Service recognition awards.
Mentorship.
Wellbeing and connection opportunities.
Health insurance, income continuance insurance, and life insurance.
Employee assistance program.
About us
We’ve been serving our clients and communities in Aotearoa New Zealand for over 125 years. With almost 900 professionals, our team is based in the main cities and throughout the regions. We collaborate across disciplines and sectors to bring buildings, energy, water, environmental, and transport projects to life.
Globally, Stantec unites approximately 34,000 employees working in over 450 locations across six continents. Our work from initial project concept and planning through design, construction, and commissioning begins at the intersection of community, creativity, and client relationships.
Please apply online, applications close Friday 11th December 2026
Qualifications
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Primary Location : New Zealand-Canterbury-Christchurch
Other Locations : New Zealand-Auckland-Auckland, New Zealand-Wellington-Wellington
Organization : BC-3101 Water-NZ New Zealand
Employee Status : Regular
Job Level : Individual Contributor
Travel : No
Schedule : Full-time
Job Posting : Nov 10, 2026, 3:29:50 PM
Req ID: 260000N8
#additional
Stantec provides equal employment opportunities to all qualified employees and applicants for future and current employment and prohibit discrimination on the grounds of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, marital status, genetic information, disability, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression. We prohibit discrimination in decisions concerning recruitment, hiring, referral, promotion, compensation, fringe benefits, job training, terminations or any other condition of employment. Stantec is in compliance with local, state and federal laws and regulations and ensures equitable opportunities in all aspects of employment. EEO including Disability/Protected Veterans