Mō te tūranga | About the role
- The position is available for a newbie or experienced Hydrologist in the Environmental Monitoring team at WRC.
- You will be collecting river level, flow and rainfall data from our instruments. You need to methodically and accurately collect data using a range of different electronic and mechanical instrumentation, in all weathers. The role requires you to maintain the equipment, sites and telemetry systems used to collect the data.
- You will be based in Hamilton, but our sites cover the whole of the Waikato and will involve some overnight stays – one day you could be in the Coromandel, the next in Taupō, the King Country or Raglan.
- Although there is a lot of physically demanding fieldwork, all our data needs to be processed and quality checked in the office so being IT literate is a must. You will need to process data in a timely and accurate manner following set procedures.
- Your systems and data knowledge will enable you to identify issues with the data or equipment and propose solutions to fix the problems.
- Health and safety is at the forefront of everything we do at WRC, whether working on your own, or as part of a team. You will utilise your field knowledge to collect data safely and offer suggestions to improve the safety and efficiency of our sites.
Trainee Hydrologist:
Waikato regional Council (WRC) have developed a trainee hydrologist pathway that provides an opportunity for people with the right skills and aptitude to become qualified on the job. A combination of in-house and classroom training will help you gain the knowledge to undertake the Diploma in Field Hydrology, required for this role.
All training, PPE, tools and course fees are provided by WRC.
Experienced Hydrologist: At least 5 years hydrology experience including completion of the diploma in field hydrology or able to demonstrate equivalent training and experience.
Is Hydrology new to you and you are wondering what a Hydrologist does?
The following links provide an indication of some of the tasks you will be carrying out (this is just a subset of what you will be required to do).
Inspecting a Water Level Site
(8) Basic Site Inspection Method – YouTube
Inspecting a Rain Gauge Site
(8) Rain Gauge Site Check – YouTube
Measuring water flow in a river
(8) ADCP StreamPro Gauging & Moving Bed Tests – YouTube
The salary ranges for the position are listed below, appointment within the range will depend on the qualifications and experience of the successful candidate:
Trainee Hydrologist: Band D-F ($57,488 – $89,245)
Experienced Hydrologist: Band F-G ($75,858 – $103,476)
Mō te tangata | About you
- A degree in natural, physical, environmental sciences or a related field is desirable.
- Minimum Experience for trainee NCEA level 2 and some workforce experience.
- Have NZ residency or a valid NZ work visa
- Have a Full NZ Driver’s license – able to drive a manual vehicle
- Be in good physical health and a capable swimmer (competency testing will be undertaken).
- Enjoy being part of a team
- Have great communication skills
- Be able to use initiative
- Be competent and focused on identifying health and safety issues
- Take pride in their workmanship
Mō te tīma | About the team
- The position is in the Hydrology Team, in the Environmental Monitoring (EM) Section of the Science, Policy and Information Directorate at WRC.
- The team measures, processes and quality checks flow/level of rivers and lakes as well as rainfall data.
- The wider EM section is the centre of excellence for Council’s environmental monitoring, including Hydrology, Water Quality, Ecology and Environmental Data management.
- The information we collect is used by WRC scientists, policy makers, and the government to manage the community’s and the environments’ wellbeing.
Mō mātou | About us
- We work hard to care for the mighty Waikato, so current and future generations will benefit from a healthy environment, strong economy, and vibrant communities.
- Our mahi is as diverse as the region we care for and the people who share it. Our work helps look after our region’s water, soil, air, geothermal areas and coasts – so we can all enjoy these precious resources for generations to come.
- Customers sit at the heart of everything we do, and all staff have an important role to play in the delivery of exceptional customer service.
- If you’d like to understand more about what we do please click here The work we do | Waikato Regional Council.
- By partnering with iwi and working with many others in our communities, our collective kaitiakitanga will make the Waikato region even better.
- Together, we’ll create a sustainable future that will make a positive difference to people’s lives.
Mō te tuku tono | How to apply
- Applications will be reviewed as they come in, and this role will close on Sunday 14 June 2026.
- For a copy of the role description, please click here.
- If you have any questions about the role, please contact human.resources@waikatoregion.govt.nz
- To apply for this job, please click “apply” and include a CV and cover letter as a pdf with your application.
- Apply Now!
