Hearing Manager at Ara Poutama Aotearoa (Department of Corrections), Wellington (Te Whanganui a Tara)

Mō tēnei tūranga mahi | About this role

• Provide support to the New Zealand Parole Board & leverage your organisational and administrative expertise
• This position involves the coordination and management of Parole Board hearings, people management is not part of the 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.

Ara Poutama Aotearoa (Department of Corrections) is one of New Zealand's largest government departments. At its heart, the department is focused on the pursuit of oranga - the wellbeing of people. The New Zealand Parole Board (“the Board”) is an independent statutory body that makes public safety decisions about the managed release of people in prison subject to sentences of more than two years. As a requirement of the Parole Act 2002, Ara Poutama Aotearoa provides operational and administrative services to support the Board in its crucial role.

The Board also has many other functions. These include considering compassionate release applications, parole recall applications and imposing conditions on people subject to extended supervision orders.  The Board is chaired by Sir Ron Young and comprises of about 40 members – including current or former judges who act as panel convenors, and community members. In the past financial year, the Board held almost 9000 hearings.

Ngā kawenga | About the role

As part of our organisations' ongoing commitment to, and transformation of, the Board's operations, we have multiple Hearing Manager vacancies within the team. Following a recent evaluation process, the job title of Administrator was changed to Hearing Manager, together with an increase in salary banding, to reflect the breadth of the mahi this unique role encompasses.

Hearing Managers have significant responsibility and play a critical part in providing coordination and support services to enable the Board to carry out its statutory responsibilities. 

You will attend hearings with the Board, both by video link and in-person at prison sites, ensuring hearings run efficiently and that outcomes are recorded and distributed to relevant stakeholders, which includes delivering outcomes to victims.

Exceptional organisation skills, a proactive attitude and first-class attention to detail are key to success in this role. You'll deliver on actions required for pending Board hearings, including notifying people in prison, and their victims, of upcoming hearings, and ensuring all relevant papers are collated and provided to the Board, the person being considered for parole and legal counsel, within specified timeframes.

Success in this role can play a key part in your career progression within Ara Poutama Aotearoa, either with the New Zealand Parole Board team or across the wider sector. 

The position may suit recent graduates with relevant qualifications, or skilled administrators with justice sector experience.

The work profile for this position is Monday to Friday, working a 40-hour week. Some limited flexible working arrangements can be available

Ngā pūkenga me ngā wheako | Skills and experience

We want to hear from those who feel motivated by this unique opportunity to build an excellent knowledge of a key part of the justice sector and who align with our kaupapa. If you feel like you're up for the challenge of supporting the Board, please submit a written application that includes evidence and examples of how you meet the below key requirements:

• Strong communication and interpersonal skills – able to show empathy and compassion
• Personal and professional resilience with the ability to maintain composure under pressure 
• Experience managing sensitive and confidential information
• Skilled in using Microsoft applications and video conference/digital recording equipment
• Highly organised, excellent attention to detail and able to work within specific timeframes
• Ability to maintain knowledge of the Parole Act 2002, the Victims Rights Act 2002, prison operations and changes in processes and policies
• A good understanding of the principles of the Treaty of Waitangi and cultural competence and sensitivity towards Māori, Pasifika and other cultures.

This role requires the ability to travel on a regular basis. Generally, this may be up to 3-5 days per month. For this reason, you will need a Full New Zealand Driver Licence for this role.

Utu ā-tau | Salary

The midpoint of the salary range is $67,527 and the full range (85%-120%) is $57,398 - $81,032. Appointment and remuneration will reflect skills and experience relevant to the role.

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 joining the Ara Poutama, 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. 

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.