Manager People Services at Ara Poutama Aotearoa (Department of Corrections), Canterbury (Waitaha)

Mō tēnei tūranga mahi | About this role

• Lead a large and diverse HR portfolio and team.
• Influence outcomes through strong leadership.
• Develop and maintain a high-performing team while shaping organisational success.

 Mō te tūnga | About the role

This is a significant HR leadership opportunity in Christchurch, supporting a large and complex operational portfolio across the South Island and one site in the North Island. You will lead a team of HR professionals providing strategic and operational people support across six prisons and all frontline directorates of Ara Poutama Aotearoa.

You will be responsible for leading a high-performing, connected team that delivers trusted advice and support to managers across a geographically dispersed region. While leadership is the primary focus, you will also remain close to complex employment matters, providing expert guidance and occasionally managing significant or high-risk cases yourself.

The scale, variety, and impact of the work make this an exceptional opportunity for an experienced HR leader. Working in a highly unionised environment, you will partner with operational leaders to navigate complex challenges, while contributing to better outcomes for our people and the organisation. 

Mōu | About you

You are an experienced HR leader who thrives in complex operational environments and enjoys balancing strategic leadership with hands-on problem solving. You bring deep employment relations expertise and are comfortable providing advice on complex and often sensitive people matters. You are resilient, adaptable, and able to maintain perspective when managing competing priorities, tight timeframes, and a demanding stakeholder environment. Most importantly, you are passionate about leading people. You know how to build capability, support wellbeing, enable accountability, and create a team culture where people can perform at their best

This role is best suited to an experienced human resources leader with a strong focus on employment relations. 

Ngā pūkenga me ngā wheako | Skills and experience

To be successful in this role, you will demonstrate:

• Proven experience leading, coaching, and developing high-performing HR teams.
• Extensive employment relations experience, including leading complex and high-risk matters within a unionised environment.
• Strong stakeholder management skills, with the ability to influence and provide trusted advice to senior leaders.
• Demonstrated resilience and sound judgement, with the ability to prioritise and deliver in a fast-paced, operational environment.
• A systems-thinking approach, with experience identifying opportunities to improve processes, service delivery, and business outcomes.

We recognise AI can be a useful tool when preparing your application. However, please ensure your application reflects your own skills, experience, and achievements. We want to get to know the real you, so authenticity is important throughout the recruitment process.

Ngā painga | The benefits

The midpoint of the salary range is $182,127 per annum and the full range (85%-120%) is $154,808 - $218,553 per annum. Appointment and remuneration will reflect skills and experience relevant to the role.

Mō mātou | About us

Join Ara Poutama Aotearoa - Department of Corrections, where your work will contribute to improving public safety, reducing re-offending, and address the overrepresentation of Māori in correctional facilities. As a values-led organisation, we use the principles of rangatira (leadership), manaaki (respect), wairua (spirituality), kaitiaki (guardianship), and whānau (relationships) to guide our work and achieve the goals of our Hōkai Rangi strategy.

We value inclusion and diversity in our workforce, and as a Public Service organisation we are committed to building a workforce that reflects the public we serve. We strive to make our recruitment process fair, and we encourage you to discuss reasonable accommodations with us if required.

Tono ināianei | Apply Now

To submit an application and view the position description, click the apply link. All applications must be submitted through our careers site to ensure transparency – applications received via email will not be considered.

When applying, submit a tailored CV and a cover letter describing your motivation for joining the department highlighting relevant skills and experience and the alignment to our work.

Applications close on: Thursday 29^th October 2026

If you have any questions or want to learn more about a career with us, contact maria.papp@corrections.govt.nz, or visit careers.corrections.govt.nz.

We are not accepting applications via recruitment agencies for this role. Unsolicited CVs submitted by agencies will not be accepted and no agency fees will apply.