Casual Residential Cook Te Maioha Rotorua at Oranga Tamariki—Ministry for Children, Bay of Plenty

Mō tēnei tūranga mahi | About this role

• Casual cook required $26 p/hr + 8% holiday pay
• Based in Rotorua

Mō mātou | About us 

Oranga Tamariki—Ministry for Children has a commitment to putting tamariki and rangatahi at the heart of what we do. In our work, we aim to demonstrate these values:

• We put Tamariki first
• We believe Aroha is vital
• We respect the Mana of people
• We are Tika and Pono
• We value Whakapapa
• We recognise that Oranga is a journey

Our vision is to ensure New Zealand is the best place in the world to be a child. We are also committed to ensuring Oranga Tamariki partners with hapū, iwi and Māori organisations to find appropriate solutions for tamariki in need.

Te Maioha o Parekarangi Youth Justice Residence is located just 10 minutes from the city centre on the Parekarangi Trust farmland. Our secured facility has up to 30 rangatahi in residence, ranging in age from 13 to 17 years old, who are involved with the Youth Justice system.

Mō te tūnga | About the role

We require an experienced cook to provide cover, when required, in our commercial kitchen. This is a casual role that requires flexibility to be available for 10-hour shifts across a 7-day week, which may include weekends and statutory holidays.

This is a busy and varied role and you will assist the Residence Chef in meal planning and preparation for the rangatahi in our care. Your organisational skills will see you prepare quality meals on time, manage delivery arrangements, prepare for special events, supporting the operations of our secure residence. You will enjoy dealing with people, take pride in providing excellent customer service, and positively manage internal and external business relationships with ease.

Ngā pūmanawatanga ōu | What you will bring

• Proven experience as a cook for large groups
• Understanding of health and safety, including food hygiene
• A level of competence in using a computer and data entry
• Strong relationship building skills
• Well-developed written and verbal communication skills
• Effective organisation, planning and time management skills
• Ability to work well as part of a team
• Ability to work unsupervised at times, able to use your initiative
• Full clean valid New Zealand driver's licence without conditions
• New Zealand citizenship or permanent residency at time of application

Nōu te rourou | What's in it for you

Our purpose is to ensure that all tamariki are in loving whānau and communities where oranga tamariki can be realised.  We believe that by getting involved early in their lives and showing love and care, we give children the best chance of growing into happy thriving New Zealanders.

We offer a great supportive team, that have a genuine commitment to wellbeing. We offer significant training and professional development so that you can thrive and grow, as this role is a casual role we are offering $26 p/hr + 8% holiday pay

Me pēhea te tuku tono  | How to Apply

Apply online with your CV and Covering Letter. Your cover letter will be a key part of our assessment process, so please highlight how your experience relates to the competencies listed in the position description.

If you are an Oranga Tamariki employee already, please ensure you apply with a log in using your Oranga Tamariki email address. Should you have any questions about this role, please contact Info_recruit@ot.govt.nz

Hurry as applications for this role close at midnight 17th December 2025! Please note: we will be reviewing applications and inviting candidates to interview prior to this date, so apply now!

If you are interested in any of our vacancies, please ensure that you make yourself familiar with our code of conduct as it sets out our expectations for our kaimahi and requires you to present at work free from the influences of both drugs and alcohol.”