Senior Learning Designer at NZ Qualifications Authority, Wellington

Mō tēnei tūranga mahi | About this role

Senior Learning Designer – Pacific Qualifications Recognition Project
Fixed term (12 months)

Are you passionate about building capability in Pacific countries to transform the lives of Pacific people? Do you have experience in capability frameworks, virtual capability building and leadership transition projects? Do you enjoy taking your experience and applying it in evolving contexts where nobody has done what they are doing before? If yes, we would like to hear from you.

The project

The Pacific region continues to face low levels of qualifications recognition, creating barriers to employment and labour mobility for skilled and semi‑skilled workers. Improving these systems is critical to unlocking economic opportunities and strengthening development across Pacific Island countries.

The Pacific Qualifications Recognition Project (PQRP) is a five‑year capability and capacity‑building initiative (2024–2028) funded by the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade. Guided and project managed by NZQA and delivered in partnership with the Pacific Community's (SPC) Educational Quality and Assessment Programme (EQAP), the project works alongside Pacific country representatives to strengthen the Pacific Qualifications Framework and national qualification systems. The project aims to achieve:

1. Enhanced consistency of Pacific qualification recognition and assurance processes
2. Wider ownership, trust in, and support for regional qualifications systems
3. Increased employment opportunities for Pacific peoples as a result of recognised qualifications

The focus for the first 2 years of the project was understanding the regional qualifications mechanisms and the 9 Pacific country national qualification systems, and where they could be strengthened to enable qualifications recognition. The project is now entering its second phase which aims, over the remaining 3 years, to

• transition leadership from NZQA to EQAP, as the long-term custodian of the regional mechanisms to support qualifications recognition and relevance
• strengthen the regional mechanisms to support qualifications recognition and relevance
• strengthen 9 national qualification systems to support qualifications recognition and relevance.

The team

The PQRP project is supported by a small, supportive, high energy and fun core team of 5, who bring much of the expertise required to build the necessary capability, and call on other parts of NZQA for the rest.  We spend most of our time connecting virtually with our regional implementing partner and country representatives to strengthen national and regional qualifications systems.

The role

The Learning Designer, Pacific Qualifications Recognition will contribute learning design expertise to lay strong foundations for the strengthening phase of the project, through:

• developing a capability framework to defining the capability that NZQA will transfer to EQAP staff
• developing capability transfer plans for each EQAP staff member
• designing and developing an online learning space through which EQAP staff and country representatives will build capability, as they engage with learning materials and learning activities
• developing a community of practice across the Pacific region which will continue beyond the life of the project, building on the connections made in the first 2 years during in person workshops and weekly mentoring sessions.

What we can offer:

• A fun and supportive team environment
• An interesting role with variety and challenges
• The opportunity to make a difference in the Pacific
• NZQA Staff Benefits

Apply Now!

For more information about this role and NZQA please refer to the job description, NZQA's Customer Charter and Organisational Values. If you are applying/viewing through Seek, please click ‘apply now' to access these links.

If you would like to discuss further, please contact Terry Neal at terry.neal@nzqa.govt.nz. Applications close at 5.00 pm on 8 March 2026 .