Kaitohu Matua - Chief Advisor Māori and Pacific Communications at NZ Ministry of Education, Wellington

Mō tēnei tūranga mahi | About this role

Kaitohu Matua - Chief Advisor Māori and Pacific Communications

• Opportunity to lead Te Tāhuhu o te Mātauranga| Ministry's Māori and Pacific communications team
• Support the important mahi on education with our Māori and Pacific partners
• Fixed-term or secondment role to March 2023, Wellington-based

Help shape the future of Education

He mea tārai e mātou te mātauranga kia rangatira ai, kia mana taurite ai ōna huanga

We work to shape an education system that delivers equitable and excellent outcomes

At Te Tāhuhu o te Mātauranga | Ministry of Education, we work to provide services and support nationally, regionally and locally to the education sector, and in some cases, directly to ākonga and whānau.

We shape the policies, settings and performance of the education system for early learning, schooling and tertiary.

We are making significant changes to how we deliver our purpose

So that we:

• Take practical action to give effect to te Tiriti o Waitangi
• Give priority to regional and local voice.
• Deliver greater responsiveness, accessibility and integrated services and support.
• Improve feedback loops and information flows.

Our organisation is made up of talented and committed people around Aotearoa, from a wide range of backgrounds and cultures. While we work in different groups and on different things, we all strive every day to make the biggest difference we can for our ākonga in our education system.

Mō tēnei tūranga | About the role

This role reports to the Group Manager and manages a ‘centre of excellence' providing enterprise-wide leadership and governance around the way the Ministry communicates and engages with its Māori and Pacific stakeholders and partners, including the development of a principles and a framework to support this mahi. 

The aim of this role is to build CSE Group and organisational capability to consistently and authentically engage with our Māori (honouring te Tiriti) and Pacific audiences.

Mōhou ake | About you

You're passionate about making a difference to the way Te Tāhuhu o te Mātaruanga honours its te Tiriti obligations and is a good kāwanatanga partner.  You are motivated, solution-oriented, and results-driven. Leading your team and helping them to strengthen their kite is important to you as is whanaungatanga.

You are experienced in leading and managing an enterprise-wide stakeholder engagement framework and approach for Māori partners and audiences that honours our te Tiriti obligations and for our Pacific audiences.

You have a proven track record in advisory leadership and expertise on Māori and Pacific communication and engagement (including media) and provide a quality and timely service to the Minister's Office on Māori and Pacific communications and engagement.

You will bring with you:

• Understanding of tikanga Māori, the Treaty of Waitangi and its implications for the work of the Te Tāhuhu o te Mātauranga I Ministry of Education.
• Understanding the importance of racial equity in the context of this role, and the wider Ministry.
• Well-developed stakeholder networks in government and Māori or Pacific communication channels and demonstrated ability to develop networks at a senior level.
• Experience working in a senior communications and engagement leadership role in a large and/or complex organisation
• Experience in the public sector and understanding of the machinery of government
• Experience in a range of communications and engagement roles e.g., strategic communications, media/social media, external and internal communications, etc.
• Skilled or willing to strengthen your competency in te reo Māori, or a Pacific language.

About the team

This is a leadership team role within the Communications & Engagement (CSE) Group, reporting to the Group Manager.  This Group operates a centralised, partnership model of 5 teams offering an end-to-end best practice service spanning brand, insight, internal communications & engagement, design, events, print and warehouse management, external communications, media management, Māori & Pacific communications and digital. This team of experts (and in some cases external partners and suppliers) will work side-by-side within the CSE Group and the broader organisation to co-create cross-functional solutions that achieve our organisation's strategic priorities.

Kua rite koe mō tēnei mahi? | Are you ready to make a difference?

We provide flexible working environments where everyone feels relevant, valued and supported. So, if working from home and/or having a flexible start and finish to the day will help with this, we can usually make it happen. We'd love to hear what this might look like for you, so feel free to outline this in your Cover Letter.

For more information on the role, please look at the job description. For additional information on the changes Te Tāhuhu o te Mātaraunga are embarking on, please visit our careers centre. If this opportunity interests you, please submit your cover letter and resume by using the ‘apply' button.

In your cover letter we'd like to know:

• about you, your values, your whakapapa
• your interest and motivations for this role
• the abilities, strengths, personal attributes, and diverse perspectives you will bring to the role and this organisation.

The Ministry encourages all employees to be fully vaccinated although currently this is a voluntary requirement. There is no requirement to show evidence of your vaccine status as this role is not covered by the Public Health (Vaccinations) Order.

For further information, please contact Veranay Samuels at veranay.samuels@education.govt.nz

Applications close at midnight on ­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­10 July 2022.

We encourage early applications as interviews may take place prior to the application closing date.