Chair and Board member, City Rail Link Limited

CRLL was established on 1 July 2017 as a Schedule 4A company under the Public Finance Act 1989. The Crown owns 51 percent of the company, while Auckland Council owns the remaining 49 percent. The Minister of Transport is jointly responsible, with the Minister of Finance, for the Crown’s ownership responsibilities and the Board is accountable to Shareholders for CRLL’s performance.

The company is responsible for delivering the City Rail Link Project (the Project), a significant infrastructure project to enhance the capacity and performance of Auckland rail services and improve transport and broader outcomes in Auckland. The Project comprises a 3.45 kilometres twin tunnel underground rail link from the existing Britomart Transport Centre connecting to the Auckland Rail Network at a redeveloped Mt Eden Station with two new stations at Aotea and Karangahape.

Background to the roles

The CRLL Board provides governance and assurance that CRLL management is delivering the CRL Project in accordance with its objectives. This includes procurement and management of the contracts required to complete the CRL Project as well as the associated activities of consenting, land acquisition/disposal and community engagement.

The CRLL Board consists of up to six members appointed by Special Resolution by CRLL’s shareholders, for a term of up to three years. Board members are expected to work approximately 30 days a year, with Board meetings generally held monthly from February to December usually for one day. Board committees meet quarterly.

The remuneration for CRLL Board members is set using the Treasury’s Crown Company Fees Methodology at $49,000 per annum, and the Chair’s fee is set at $98,000 per annum. All members are entitled to be reimbursed for any expenses incurred for attending meetings or undertaking any other agreed work.

Competencies

The Board requires a full range of competencies across members to be effective. To be considered, candidates must be experienced directors and possess competencies which complement those of existing board members. You must also be eligible to serve as a director in accordance with the requirements of the Companies Act 1993.

The successful candidates for the Chair and Board member positions, will each be able to demonstrate more than one of the following core competencies and experiences:

• project delivery and management – you will have an understanding of the planning, organisation, monitoring and control required to successfully deliver all aspects of a project and achieve project objectives within the agreed time, cost and performance criteria
• stakeholder expertise – you can engage with a range of stakeholders, and have experience networking and managing multiple relationships in and out of the sector including
  co-directors, management, employees, key individuals, and iwi
• rail experience – you will have significant knowledge and experience of project delivery expertise, systems integration, commissioning and/or construction in the rail sector
• governance – you have significant governance experience (preferably in both the public and private sectors) and will be able to ask the right questions of management, distinguish between governance and management, and understand and perform governance functions
• strategy – you have experience contributing to (and driving) the formulation, direction and implementation of an organisational strategy
• an ability to work collaboratively to reach consensus – you accept the need for collective responsibility for the final decision reached. You are also able to demonstrate an understanding of the individual and collective duties Boards possess, while respectively and constructively evaluating each other’s personal views on a matter
• financial literacy – preferably a qualified accountant with the ability to analyse (rather than just understand) financial statements and statistical information such as balance sheets, profit and loss accounts, cash flow statements, and to understand the use of financial ratios and other indices for evaluating entity performance, and to recognise their significance, quality and timeliness.

In addition, successful candidates may also have:

• transport sector knowledge – a strong understanding of the transport sector in general, including an understanding of system-level strategies, processes and outcomes
• risk awareness – an understanding of key organisational risks and the ability to effectively anticipate, manage and mitigate those risks to achieve the entity’s goals and objectives
• judgement and critical thinking – demonstrated experience of exercising judgement and critical thinking. In addition, you should be an active listener, open thinker, and be able to draw from your own personal experiences to contribute towards discussions at the Board table
• commercial acumen – a working knowledge of business operations, and the factors that determine the performance of the company including people, finances, processes, and strategy.

The Chair leads the Board’s engagement and reporting to CRL Project’s Sponsors: the Ministers of Finance and Transport, and Auckland Council. The successful candidate will work with Sponsors, the Ministry of Transport, the Treasury and Auckland Council to ensure the CRL project delivers the Government’s objectives. This position requires the additional skills of:

• experience in the workings of Government – a working knowledge of public policy and its implications for Crown-funded projects. You will have strong political nous, and be able to demonstrate an understanding of the political and social context and relationships within which central and local Government is required to operate
• leadership – demonstrated experience taking responsibility for the effective operation of the Board, ensuring that the Board sets a purpose or vision and articulates organisational values. You should also be able to demonstrate the ability to ask the right questions of management, distinguish between governance and management, and the levels of oversight and leadership required across each area of CRLL’s operations
• strategy and culture – contributes to/drives strategy formulation, direction, implementation and communication and ensures development of organisational culture based on the vision and strategy
• an ability to navigate complex operating environments to deliver results.

Expressions of Interest

Applicants of all cultural backgrounds are invited to express an interest.

To apply for the position of Board member on the CRLL Board, please apply through the Treasury database at http://www.boardappointments.co.nz(external link), and include a copy of your full Curriculum Vitae by 9.00 am on 18 October 2021.

If you require further information, please email boardappointments@transport.govt.nz.

Privacy Disclaimer

Please note that as part of the application process, information relating to your application will be shared with Auckland Council, the Ministry of Transport and Treasury (the agencies responsible for providing information to CRLL Shareholders).