Council strategy and development general manager Kate Styles confirmed yesterday she would be leaving at the end of the year, after three years in the role.
She has accepted a new management role with Housing New Zealand in Wellington, and the move would allow her to spend more time with husband Roger Styles, the Hutt City Council deputy mayor.
Mrs Styles has commuted between Dunedin and Wellington since her appointment in 2006, spending her working week in the South before returning to the capital for weekends.
Mr Styles also travelled south once a month.
Mrs Styles said yesterday she had "mixed feelings" about her decision as she had grown fond of Dunedin and respected her council colleagues.
"But I have an even greater fondness for my husband, whom I've had to share with the council," she said.
"It just gets pretty tiring after a while."
Mrs Styles said the role had been busier than expected during an "exciting time" for the city.
"It's been demanding, obviously. There's been a huge amount going on, particularly when I first arrived - the stadium, the town hall and, currently, all sorts of other projects."
Her term in Dunedin has not been without controversy, including a proposal - now revised - to build an atrium over Harrop St, and most recently plans for a $2.5 million redevelopment of the Civic Centre.
Critics argued the Civic Centre redevelopment, which Mrs Styles said aimed to improve visitors' customer experiences, would restrict public access to staff.
It was also announced this week the town hall would be closed for 12 months during the planned $45 million revamp because of health and safety concerns and the potential for construction delays.
The decision, which council staff had hoped could be avoided, meant 12 bookings would need to be moved, including graduation ceremonies and a performance by the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra.
However, Mrs Styles said she was proud of her work to achieve "public buy-in" for the town hall redevelopment project, and believed work on the Civic Centre complex would be well received.
She was also satisfied by her work to bring together the council's urban planning and design operations, reorganised to form the city development planning team.
She would be working until the end of the year to ensure a "smooth transition" and did not think her departure would disrupt the projects in which she was involved.
Council chief executive Jim Harland, other senior council staff and consultants would share her workload if required, and a recruitment process for a new candidate was about to begin.
Mr Harland said it was hoped a candidate would be confirmed before Christmas and be ready to start early next year.
