Service Manager - Waikato Region at Ara Poutama Aotearoa (Department of Corrections), Waikato

Mō tēnei tūranga mahi | About this role

'Kotahi anō te kaupapa, ko te oranga o te iwi' – ‘There is only one purpose to our work: the wellness and wellbeing of our people.

Mō te tūnga | About the role

We have an opportunity for a Service Manager to join our Team supporting the Waikato Region – based at Paeroa Community Corrections.

Service Manager roles are pivotal to Corrections and offer you the opportunity to showcase your ability to achieve outcomes through others, capability as a visible leader and determination to strive for high performance.

Through the development and implementation of business plans and reporting tools aligned to the overall Ara Poutama Aotearoa (Department of Corrections) strategy for Community Probation, you will monitor risk and enhance service delivery to make our communities safer. By providing professional leadership in all aspects of practice, legislation and offender management, you will maintain quality standards and ensure statutory obligations in line with Department policy.

Mōu | About you

We're looking for an inspirational and visible leader of teams, the kind of individual who leads and people naturally want to follow. 

To be successful, you will have the following skills and attributes:

• Be a strong and visible leader who engages and motivates staff
• Provide effective leadership that promotes team involvement in achieving service goals and objectives
• Foster best practice in case management
• Build strong internal and external relationships and make good decisions
• Excellent communication and relationship skills with an ability to influence outcomes
• Develop and maintain effective working relationships with iwi and other cultural groups as well as community and restorative justice groups and other government departments
• Be prepared to lead cultural awareness and take your own cultural journey
• Good understanding of, and appreciation for meeting, Te Tiriti o Waitangi obligations and statutory requirements
• Focus on innovation, continuous improvement, and best practice implementation, championing regional and national initiatives
• Committed to staff development and performance improvement in a change environment
• The ability to work in a te ao Maori space while going on your own cultural journey and walking alongside those in our care

If you are an experienced people manager or have the communication skills, initiative and leadership qualities to move into a management role then apply now. We will give you the training and support you need to lead your team. 

This is a challenging and rewarding choice; managing a team to make change that matters to individuals, their whānau and our communities.

Ngā painga | The benefits

The salary applicable for this role is Salary Scale B1 of the Frontline Managers Collective - $112,899.

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 13 November 2025

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