Customer Service Team Leader

Live, work and play in Aotearoa New Zealand’s most spectacular setting.

No two days at Queenstown Lakes District Council are the same. Every day we provide services, facilities and programmes essential to the health and wellbeing of our people and environment, while stepping up to the challenges and opportunities that come with being New Zealand’s fastest growing territorial authority.

We’re proud to be QLDC. Our people are motivated by a shared purpose driven by care, connection and community. All our roles are at the heart of a dynamic and diverse set of communities where you will be making a genuine difference every day. Join us.

We’re looking for Customer Service Team Leader to join our Queenstown team in a full-time, permanent role.

What you’ll be doing / He aha te mahi The Customer Service Team Leader will work with the Customer Services Manager, Director of Democracy Services, and Customer Services team to ensure that there is operational and customer service excellence provided to the Queenstown Lakes District community. The Team Leader and team are accountable to the Customer Services Manager for the provision of customer service assistance and frontline service delivery that supports the achievement of the Council’s strategic direction, customer service experience goals and operational objectives, and reflects Council’s purpose and values.

This role will be responsible for managing the day-to-day workflow and operational tasks of the customer service team in Queenstown, including but not limited to: counter coverage, answering all incoming calls into QLDC, and ensuring all community requests are allocated to the correct directorate as efficiently as possible. The role will be responsible for fostering an effective teamwork environment between the Queenstown and Wānaka team members and ensuring a high level of staff morale, motivation and customer service for the district

The role will involve:

• Maintain a professional, customer‑focused service by ensuring front counters are fully operational, supporting the team across all channels, and responding to customer enquiries promptly and accurately.
• Provide backup and supervision in the absence of the Customer Services Manager or Team Leader, offering frontline support, managing conflict situations, and escalating issues when required.
• Build strong relationships with internal customers, ensuring service satisfaction, addressing barriers to support, and championing Customer Services input in organisational projects and improvements.
• Lead day‑to‑day operational supervision of Customer Service Advisors, including workload management, performance monitoring, recruitment, coaching, training, and fostering a positive, engaged team culture.

What you’ll bring to the role / Ko wai tō Pukeka Our ideal candidate brings a relevant tertiary qualification and deep experience in customer-focused environments, including several years leading high-performing teams. You will be organised, detail-driven, and confident juggling competing priorities while driving continuous improvement. Strong communication, relationship building, and de-escalation skills allow you to handle complex customer situations with ease, and your leadership style inspires a positive, motivated team culture. Highly capable across Microsoft Office and operational planning, they thrive under pressure and consistently deliver exceptional service.

To best succeed in this role, you’ll have:

• Bachelor or tertiary qualification in a relevant discipline.
• 5+ years of supervisory experience required, preferably in a customer service-focused role.
• Ideally 7+ years’ experience in a customer service-centric position.
• The ability to demonstrate meaningful contribution towards a continuous improvement culture and a positive and motivating environment for staff.
• Proven high level of experience in a range of desktop applications, including Microsoft Office Suite – Outlook, Word, Teams, Excel, etc.
• Demonstrated planning and organisational skills with an excellent eye for detail. Experience with rostering, scheduling and ability to effectively multitask to achieve operational excellence.
• Proven ability to establish and maintain effective relationships with customers – both internal and external, gaining their trust and respect.

What we offer / Ko ā mātou whakaratoka We are proud to offer a comprehensive benefits package that supports your health, wellbeing, and professional growth, including:

• Southern Cross Wellbeing One Plan (Full time, permanent only)
• Discounted membership to our health and fitness facilities
• Hybrid working practices
• Genuine commitment to your training and career development

To apply, please follow the link or for any questions, please contact Suzanne McColl, Customer Service Manager at suzanne.mccoll@qldc.govt.nz.

Applications close: Monday, 19th January 2026. Please note we will review and process applications as they come through; we encourage your early application.