Senior People Partner

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

About the role
As a Senior People Partner, you will be a trusted partner to leaders, bringing deep HR expertise and a strategic perspective across the employee lifecycle. You will partner with the business to navigate complex people challenges, provide employment relations and change leadership support, and develop and influence initiatives that build organisational capability and drive sustainable performance.

Key responsibilities:

• Build strong, collaborative relationships with leaders and provide coaching and support on people leadership and management.
• Deliver trusted advice across a wide range of People matters — including employment relations, performance, development, remuneration, change management, culture and engagement.
• Collaborate with the wider People and Capability team to deliver integrated, best-practice people solutions.
• Mentor and guide Advisors to grow capability.
• Lead and contribute to HR projects and initiatives across the employee lifecycle.

What You’ll Bring
We are looking for a confident, credible and experienced HR generalist partner who combines strong technical knowledge with strong relationship and coaching skills. You will bring:

• Significant experience partnering with leaders within a complex organisation to influence decision-making and deliver strategic and operational people outcomes— including employment relations, performance, development, remuneration, change management, culture and engagement.
• Strong working knowledge of employment relations and New Zealand employment legislation.
• The ability to provide clear, practical, and solutions-focused advice to managers and leaders.
• Proven experience leading or supporting complex ER matters, organisational change initiatives, and people projects that deliver measurable organisational outcomes.
• Strong influencing and communication skills, with the ability to build trust quickly.

The salary range for this role is $115,536 to $141,751 per annum. Starting salaries are based on knowledge, skills and experience the successful candidate brings to the role, as well as internal relativities.

For more information on the role please view the position description.

About us

The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) is New Zealand’s aviation safety and security regulator. We play a critical role in protecting the travelling public, supporting the aviation sector, and strengthening New Zealand’s international reputation.

Our vision is simple and powerful: A safe and secure aviation system – so people are safe, and feel safe when they fly.

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.

Why join us?

• 5 weeks annual leave, with an additional 2 days after five years of continuous service
• Sick leave entitlements from day 1 and Ten days Domestic leave annually
• Matching KiwiSaver contributions up to 4%
• Vision assistance
• Flu Vaccinations
• Employee Assistance Programme

Ready to Apply?

If you are an experienced HR professional who enjoys both the strategic and practical sides of people partnering, we’d love to hear from you.

Apply directly by completing the online application form (please note emailed applications will not be considered). Your cover letter will be a key part of our assessment process, so please highlight how your experience relates to the skills required for this role.

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

If you have any questions about the role or application process, contact the Recruitment team ([email protected]).

Applications close: Thursday, 19 November 2026 (11:59 pm)

Please be aware that we may start shortlisting as applications come in. We encourage early applications, as the advertisement may close sooner than stated.