Summer internship - Te Puni Kōkiri at Te Puni Kōkiri - Ministry of Māori Development, Multiple Locations

Mō tēnei tūranga mahi | About this role

Te Puni Kōkiri Summer Internship Programme 2026/2027

Te Puni Kōkiri is pleased to announce our summer internship, offering an opportunity for current tertiary students and recent graduates to participate in a paid intern programme for 12 weeks over the summer. Interns will begin their placement on 30 November 2026 and finish on 19 February 2027.

Te Puni Kōkiri | Ministry of Māori Development

Te Puni Kōkiri leads policy advice to the Government on Māori development, and Iwi and Māori relations with the Crown. To do this effectively we must position ourselves to elevate our monitoring and mentoring responsibilities and emphasise our role in holding other agencies to account for delivery of public services to, for and with Māori.

Find out more about our vision, purpose, role and values here.

Our summer internship

Our 12-week paid Summer Internship Programme is an opportunity for current tertiary students and recent graduates to put their knowledge and skills into action. The majority of placements will be in our Wellington-based national office however we will also consider candidates who are interested in being placed in one of our regional offices across the motu.

Aside from gaining invaluable work experience within the public sector, an internship at Te Puni Kōkiri will give you a chance to:

• Gain practical work experience by contributing to key pieces of work for Māori Development
• Apply knowledge from your studies to everyday working situations
• Enhance your 'work-ready' and communication skills, in a public sector environment
• Grow your professional network within Te Puni Kōkiri and the wider Public Service.
• Have further professional learning opportunities, for example, Tautuhi-ō-Rongo (our policy approach) and te reo classes.

Interns will be paid an annual salary of $60,201, which will be pro rated for the period of the internship.

Placement opportunities

We are looking to place interns in the following areas:

• Policy
• System Performance and Monitoring (Strategy)
• Data and Automation (Strategy)
• Communications (Strategy)
• Regions
  • Investments
  • Iwi and Māori Relations
  • Regionally based placements

  Please note:

  Placement opportunities in Policy, System Performance and Monitoring, Data and Automation, Communications, Investments and Iwi and Māori Relations will all be based in Pōneke.

  Our Regional based placements will have the opportunity to join regional teams who maintain relationships and support engagement with hapori Māori including iwi, hapū and whānau; they gather insights to inform policy development and implement innovative initiatives.

  Find out more about our organisational structure and the role of the different puni here.

  Although we aim to place successful applicants in their preferred placement area and/or location, we may consider you for other areas due to limited positions being available.

  Who should apply?

  • Tertiary students who have completed at least two years of study and could be studying from a broad range of disciplines.
  • Tertiary graduates who are less than 2 years post-study completion.
  • Tertiary students who are interested in working on key Māori Development kaupapa and are looking to gain experience in the above placement areas

  We invite applications from individuals of all backgrounds, cultures, and experiences. We believe that diversity fuels innovation and enriches our collective strength. Your unique perspectives, skills, and heritage contribute to our mission of advancing Māori aspirations and well-being.

  More information 

  To read more about our summer internship programme, the recruitment process and to read about the experience of previous interns, visit our careers page.

  Tono mai | Apply Now!  

  All applications must include the following documents and be submitted via our careers site:

  • A current CV
  • A cover letter that tells us why you are interested in completing a summer internship with Te Puni Kōkiri and which of the placement opportunities (above) you are interested in and why
  • An up-to-date academic transcript (this does not need to be an official transcript)

  Ka aukati ngā tono hei te Rātapu 13 Hepetema 2026 ā te 11.55pm | Applications close on Sunday 13 September 2026 at 11.55pm.

  Īmēratia vacancy@tpk.govt.nz me he pātai āu | Email vacancy@tpk.govt.nz with any pātai. 

  We want to make sure any accessibility requirements you may have, are well supported so the selection process is equitable for everyone. Please let us know if there are any adjustments or support, we can offer to make our process more accessible to you by emailing: vacancy@tpk.govt.nz