M&#257ori Engagement Lead at Department of Internal Affairs, Wellington

Mō tēnei tūranga mahi | About this role

Type: Fixed Term
Hours: Full time
Location: Wellington
Business Group: Survivor Experiences Service
Branch: Enterprise Partnerships
Salary: $112,555 - $150,868

Kia uru kahikatea ki tū mō ngā iwi Māori katoa

Success through unity of purpose for all Māori

• Are you highly experienced in community engagement and communication?
• Do you have a background in engagement with Iwi, Hapū, Whānau, Marae and Māori organisations?
• Do you have a passion in making a difference for survivors of trauma?

Then this role may be for you.

Better New Zealand

Working at Te Tari Taiwhenua Department of Internal Affairs, you'll have the opportunity to make a real difference in the lives of New Zealanders.

Survivor Experiences Service

Te Tari Taiwhenua will provide continued support to survivors of abuse in care through the Survivor Experiences Service from July 2023, following the closure of the survivor registrations and private sessions services delivered by the Abuse in Care Royal Commission of Inquiry.

The Survivor Experiences Service will provide a safe, supportive, confidential place for survivors to share their experiences of abuse in care, to support healing.

Te Tari Taiwhenua will house and support the Service, which will be overseen by an independent board.

Survivor experiences shared with the service can be brought together to deepen understanding of abuse in care and how to prevent it. In sharing their experiences, survivors may also be referred to other services.

The Service will run from July 2023 through to the introduction of a new, permanent redress system in 2025.

Māori Engagement Lead

As the Māori Engagement Lead you will be responsible for developing and implementing a Te Ao Māori based engagement approach focusing on key areas such as Iwi, Hapū, Whānau, Marae and Māori organisations. Your strong engagement skills will enable you to build strong cross-agency networks and engage with Māori communities to inform and educate about our services, gain community perspectives and provide specialist advice inhouse.

To be successful in this role you will have:

• An extensive and successful track record working constructively at the interface between community and government, forming partnerships of value and effective working relationships with others, especially with Māori people and communities
• An excellent understanding of community engagement principles and best practice models for Māori communities
• Well-developed understanding and in-depth knowledge of Te Tiriti o Waitangi and its principles, tikanga Māori, and the contemporary issues facing Māori people living in Aotearoa New Zealand
• Resilience, empathy and emotional strength, and show sound judgement and tact in dealing with complex and sensitive issues
• Advanced ability to relate to and gain the confidence of diverse stakeholders - including government agencies, ethnic communities, businesses and non-government organisations
• Fluency and knowledge of Te Reo Māori me ōna Tikanga
• Strong problem solving and creative thinking skills with sound judgement and attuned risk radar to enable the effective delivery of outcomes

You'll be joining a team passionate about supporting survivors of trauma from abuse in care. This is a new role giving you the ability to shape the Māori Engagement approach to meet the needs of the communities you are engaging with. You will also provide insights into the Service to help guide the development of the Service to ensure it is best meeting the needs of Survivors. This is your opportunity to make a positive difference and increase access to support and healing for the those who have experienced abuse in care.

At Te Tari Taiwhenua we're keen supporters of flexibility; we value facetime to build strong relationships, as well as working from home and flexing hours to fit with your real life. In joining us, you'll get interesting work that's unique within New Zealand, that brings awesome opportunities to grow your skills and develop your career. You'll see that the work you do here is meaningful and makes a real difference.

We are an equal opportunity employer that values diversity and inclusion. We recognise a diverse workforce contributes to better business outcomes. We are committed to creating a workplace where all employees have equal access. Even if you don't think you meet all the criteria, but you're excited about this opportunity, please do get in touch - we value the different skills and experience that diversity brings.

If you want a job where the work you do matters to New Zealand, there is a rewarding career waiting for you at Te Tari. We look forward to hearing from you.

Applications close: 5pm, 22 September 2023
For more information please contact: peta.tangiwai@dia.govt.nz
Job description: To review the full job description, please click here.