Senior ER Specialist at Ara Poutama Aotearoa (Department of Corrections), Waikato

Mō tēnei tūranga mahi | About this role

Senior ER Specialist – Central Region

“Ehara taku toa I te toa takitahi engari he toa takitini” 

Māori proverb (my strength is not the strength of my own, but the strength of many)

Our People and Capability & Health and Safety groups have recently gone through a significant transformation process which has resulted in an uplift in the investment of our people - the team here in Central region are on a growth journey and we are excited to recruit several new roles to deliver real tangible results – we work with purpose!

Our region offers cohesiveness, diversity, variety of work, challenge, solution focus, development, innovation and most of all a people central approach to all we do – we are guided by our values of rangatira (leadership), manaaki (respect), wairua (spirituality), kaitiaki (guardianship) and whānau (relationships) and everything we do aligns with our strategy Hōkai Rangi.

Ngā kawenga | About the roles

Working closely with the Central Region People Services Manager, the position will provide senior level support and guidance on employment relationship matters including employment investigation processes and services.  Providing dedicated employment investigation support leading to faster and potentially better outcomes for the individuals and our business through prompt resolution.

A large focus of this role will be increasing manager capability in the ER space, responsible for coaching managers who may be required to step into investigations, upskilling manager capability and delivery in employment relations matters.

The role is based in Hamilton within the People Services Team of 7 and will require travel across the Central Region to support the work programme. The People Services Team support our three Prison Facilities and Community Service Districts and from time to time will also support activity nationally requiring travel throughout the country.

Ngā pūkenga me ngā wheako | Skills and experience

Recognised as an expert in employment relations practice and law, you will work proactively alongside leaders and sites with various capability levels in the ER space – we are seeking candidates who offer senior level experience, who are able to demonstrate the following:

• Technical knowledge and practical application of employment relationship problem processes, investigations and lawful processes
• Sound knowledge of employment law and other relevant legislation (including the ‘good employer' principle)
• Experience in managing a range of investigations relating to performance management, disadvantage, misconduct and serious misconduct
• Sound interpersonal skills with the ability to build rapport and trust quickly, and display empathy
• Can manage stressful working situations and has evidence of use of conflict resolution techniques
• Personal and professional resilience, with the ability to role model behaviours, exercising sound judgement, problem solving and decision making
• An in-depth understanding of the Treaty of Waitangi/Te Tiriti o Waitangi and its application to the work of government departments
  • Experience and understanding of Te Ao Māori
  • Strong level of cultural capability and awareness, able to work effectively with diverse groups of people

 Ko wai mātou | About us

Ara Poutama Aotearoa is a name that has been gifted to us and is our commitment to improving the oranga and safety of the people, whānau, and that of the communities we serve across the motu. 

As a values-led organisation, we use the principles of rangatira (leadership), manaaki (respect), wairua (spirituality), kaitiaki (guardianship) and whānau (relationships) to shape how we work and deliver the outcomes in our strategy - Hōkai Rangi (https://careers.corrections.govt.nz/strategy)

Tono ināianei | Apply Now

To apply, please submit a tailored CV and a cover letter describing your motivation for applying for this position highlighting relevant skills and experience. Alignment to our kaupapa is critical to our success - we ask that you provide examples which reflect and demonstrate our organisation values. 

Applications close 11^th August, 2022

It is an exciting time to join us, and we continue to seek out talented individuals who are committed to an inclusive, vibrant workplace. We recognise and celebrate the uniqueness of individuals, and that of the collective talent in our whānau.  All applications must be submitted through our careers site to ensure transparency. Applications received via email will not be considered. 

If you want to find out more about a career with us, visit careers.corrections.govt.nz or email our team at careers@corrections.govt.nz.