Join our team
We are committed to developing a strong workplace culture where people are supported, empowered, and provided the tools required to deliver in their roles.
Our people are critical in making sure we deliver on our vision.
Our vision is simple: Create a smarter future to deliver local value. Our values reflect how we interact with each other, our community, and our customers: to do what’s right, make it happen, work together, and make it better.
We offer a range of office and field-based career opportunities whether you’re experienced, looking for a career change, or a graduate.
Recruiting now: General Manager People, Culture & Safety
Lead a genuine organisational development & safety transformation as a member of MainPower’s ELT
Build the capability, culture & safety foundations that underpin MainPower’s strategy
Skills & Experience:
We’re looking for an experienced people and culture leader who brings:
- 5+ years leading people, culture and organisational development, ideally at executive level
- A proven track record delivering measurable culture and transformational organisational change
- Change and capability-building experience; experience with AI adoption is desirable
- High-hazard or safety-critical experience, including HSEQ governance and critical-risk controls
- Strong organisational development, workforce planning and employee relations expertise, including New Zealand employment obligations
- Remuneration strategy experience and confidence supporting Board committees
- Strong relationship, coaching and influencing skills, including engaging with unions and employee representatives
- Confidence reporting to the Board and its committees
- Proven staff and budget leadership
Existing connections or roots in North Canterbury are an advantage, though not essential.
As General Manager People, Culture & Safety you’ll be a member of the ELT, reporting directly to the CE, and deputising as required. This is fundamentally an organisational development and change leadership role: building the capability, culture and safety foundations that allow MainPower to deliver on its strategy of building a resilient, adaptable system, enabling real customer choice, and scaling its impact through smarter delivery. You’ll lead genuine transformation in how the organisation works — building leadership capability, driving enterprise-wide change, including the organisational and cultural side of AI adoption (which MainPower’s digital function leads on the technology side), and keeping people safe.
You will translate MainPower’s strategy into an empowered, accountable and high-performing workforce, embedding the decision rights, capability and psychological safety that make that possible. The portfolio spans organisational development, culture and engagement, leadership and capability, change management, people and culture business partnering, remuneration and employee relations, and health, safety, environment and quality (HSEQ). You’ll also support the Chief Executive in engaging with MainPower’s People & Remuneration and Safety, Health, Wellbeing & Environment Board subcommittees.
Beyond the technical competencies, this role calls for genuine energy, a can-do approach, and a strong community orientation. The successful candidate will build relationships easily both within MainPower and across the wider North Canterbury community. Collaboration with other electricity distribution businesses is a key part of how MainPower works, and this role plays an active part in that.
Candidates can view the Candidate Briefing document and apply, in strict confidence, online at www.sheffield.co.nz.
To apply by email, please attach your cover letter and CV in a PDF format wherever possible and send to cvchc@sheffield.co.nz quoting 9248aa.
Applications close on 27 August 2026. Emails will be electronically acknowledged, and further correspondence may be by email.
What can we offer you?
MainPower is a great place to work. We’re passionate about growing our people and finding new ways to make MainPower the best employer in the region.
From health and wellbeing benefits to personal growth opportunities, every year we’re adding new and exciting programmes to our employee benefits to support our people.
Nine-Day Fortnight Option
We offer a nine-day fortnight working arrangement to full-time employees. Those who opt in work nine hours a day, for nine days a fortnight, with the tenth day as a rostered day off on either a Monday or a Friday.
Subsidised Health Insurance
To support the health and wellbeing of our people, MainPower offers a subsidised health insurance plan to all permanent employees. Staff also receive a discount when adding family members to their policy.
Subsidised Gym Membership
MainPower offers all permanent employees the opportunity to join the North Canterbury Sport and Recreation Trust Fitness Centres at a subsidised rate. MainPower also has several social sports teams.
Bright Spark Scholarship
To support MainPower families, we offer a Bright Spark Scholarship to help students who are related to employees with their study costs. Recipients can also do paid summer internships at MainPower.
Professional Development
We support all our employees to reach their full potential by offering ongoing professional development in both leadership and technical skills.
Reward and Recognition
We offer reward and recognition programmes, including the Workplace Safety Innovation Award and acknowledgement of long-serving employees.
Wellness programme
We offer our people an array of health and wellness benefits, including access to health screening (such as melanoma skin checks with MoleMap), free flu vaccinations, first aid training for families, subsidised gym memberships, and health insurance. We also offer a nine-day fortnight work option, which won a 2021 Energy Excellence Award in the Wellbeing Initiatives category.
MPowered future
MPowered Future is our strategy to tackle the changing nature of the electricity sector. Part of this is making sure we have the right resources and skills to undertake new opportunities. In addition to maintaining our core electricity network focus, MPowered Future lays out how MainPower will assess and engage in new business opportunities and deliver value to our region.
Apprenticeships
The trainees in our Field Services team get to work alongside fully qualified and experienced electrical workers, where they get the help to become fully qualified and gain Electrical Workers Registration Board (EWRB) registration. This is achieved through a structured programme with incentives along the way as key milestones are achieved.
Graduate and internship programme
Our internships help you to develop life skills in the workforce that will give you a great start in your chosen career and allow you to earn as you learn.
MainPower’s graduate recruitment programme is a two-year course providing you with opportunities to identify your chosen career. While you learn the business, you will be developed in your role to support your career progression.
Our community
MainPower is located in the beautiful North Canterbury region of the South Island. It is just a short 30-minute drive north from the city of Christchurch. Our network area spans from north of the Waimakariri River, through the Waimakariri and Hurunui districts to Kaikōura.
To find out more about our region please visit northcanterbury.co.nz.
We’re here to help
If you need some assistance or advice, please get in touch with our team.