Contract Manager, Reintegration & Community Services

Department of Corrections NZ; Auckland; Hybrid; NZD 125,000 - 176,000; Full time

Job summary

Department of Corrections NZ is seeking three Contract Managers to lead reintegration and community services contracts.

You will oversee a portfolio of community-based contracts, ensuring high-quality delivery, strong performance, and positive outcomes for whānau and communities.

Qualifications

• Experience managing contracts, providers, or commissioned services.
• Strong relationship management and stakeholder engagement skills.
• Knowledge of government procurement and public sector contract management best practice and frameworks.
• Ability to analyse performance, financial and risk information with confidence.
• Sound judgement, problem-solving skills, and the ability to navigate complexity.
• Commitment to Te Tiriti o Waitangi and working effectively with Māori and diverse providers.

Responsibilities

• Manage a portfolio of community-based service contracts to ensure high quality service delivery and outcomes.
• Oversee contract performance, reporting, and continuous improvement across funded services.
• Develop and maintain relationships with iwi, hapū, NGOs, and other partners to support reintegration work.
• Lead strategic and operational activities across the full contract lifecycle, including design, implementation, negotiation, and oversight.

Skills

Contract management

Relationship management

Stakeholder engagement

Commercial negotiations

Performance monitoring

Data analysis

Job description

Contract Manager, Reintegration & Community Services

Department of Corrections NZ – Auckland, North Island

• Lead impactful community contracts supporting rehabilitation outcomes
• Build trusted partnerships to improve services
• Three permanent vacancies, location flexible

Mō te tūnga | About the role

Are you passionate about achieving better outcomes for people, whānau and communities? We're looking for three experienced Contract Managers to join our Reintegration & Community Services team.

In this role, you'll manage a portfolio of community-based service contracts, working with providers to ensure high quality service delivery, strong performance, and demonstrated outcomes. You'll build trusted relationships, provide effective contract oversight, and support continuous improvement across the services we fund. This role is pivotal in managing the full lifecycle of contracts that support reintegration services, including service design, implementation, negotiation, and relationship management with iwi, hapū, NGOs, and other stakeholders.

You will be responsible for delivering both strategic and operational outcomes, ensuring services are culturally responsive and aligned with Te Ao Māori values. The role requires a strong understanding of contract management, relationship building, and the ability to work collaboratively across the Department and with external partners.

You're a strategic and relationship-focused professional with proven experience in contract and relationship management, commercial negotiations, performance monitoring, and delivering sound advice in complex, fast-paced environments. With strong problem-solving, communication, and stakeholder engagement skills, you build trusted partnerships and navigate challenging situations effectively.

You will be comfortable balancing support and accountability, using data and insights to drive performance while fostering collaborative relationships that improve outcomes.

We're looking for people who bring:

• Strong relationship management and stakeholder engagement skills.
• Experience managing contracts, providers, or commissioned services.
• Knowledge of government procurement and public sector contract management best practice and frameworks.
• Confidence analysing performance, financial and risk information.
• Sound judgement, problem-solving skills, and the ability to navigate complexity.
• A commitment to Te Tiriti o Waitangi and working effectively with Māori, communities, and diverse providers.

If this sounds like the role for you, join us and help shape services that support reintegration, strengthen communities, and contribute to safer outcomes for Aotearoa New Zealand!

The midpoint of the salary range is $146,562 per annum and the full range (85%-120%) is $124,578 - $175,875 per annum. Appointment and remuneration will reflect skills and experience relevant to the role.

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 Hŋkai 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.