Manager - Community Engagement and Partnerships

Housing New Zealand; Auckland; On-site; NZD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Five weeks' annual leave

Competitive salaries

Insurances

Flexible working arrangements

Career development

Job summary

Housing New Zealand seeks a Manager – Community Engagement and Partnerships to lead regional engagement, community development and placemaking strategies across multiple Auckland offices. You will guide a high-performing team, shape regional plans, and build strong relationships with iwi, hapū, local government, NGOs and communities.

You will provide strategic advice on regional relationships, oversee engagement activities, and ensure alignment with Kāinga Ora’s housing delivery and community

Qualifications

• Experience leading high performing management and professional teams.
• Existing networks in Auckland with mana and regional knowledge.
• Engagement qualifications such as IAP2 or equivalent.
• Understanding of Aotearoa's social housing and property sectors.
• Commitment to Te Tiriti o Waitangi and emotional intelligence.
• Full NZ driver licence for travel.

Responsibilities

• Lead a team delivering regional engagement and placemaking strategies.
• Provide strategic advice to identify and prioritise key regional relationships.
• Collaborate with Kāinga Ora teams, government bodies, NGOs and community groups.
• Support housing supply planning with iwi/hapū engagement.

Skills

Leadership

Stakeholder engagement

IAP2 qualification

NZ driver’s license

Community development

Job description

Manager - Community Engagement and Partnerships

Permanent

1d ago , from Housing New Zealand Corporation

• Empower communities by shaping meaningful relationships and local partnership
• Provide strategic support to identify and prioritise key regional relationships
• Immediate start, permanent position

Te whiwhinga mahi - Our opportunity

This is an exciting opportunity to help shape the way we connect with communities on a strategic level, and to influence our programmes through your depth of regional knowledge and understanding. As Manager – Community Engagement and Partnerships, you will lead a high performing team dedicated to strengthening relationships with communities and key regional stakeholders. In this role, you'll lead a team that engages with community stakeholders to better understand their needs and aspirations, and supports key Kāinga Ora engagement and community development activities.

Working closely with the Regional Director, you’ll provide strategic advice to identify and prioritise key regional relationships, ensure risks and opportunities are well managed, and contribute to the creation of Regional Plans that genuinely reflect community needs and aspirations. You’ll oversee the delivery of regional engagement, community development and placemaking strategies, while monitoring and continuously improving engagement effectiveness in partnership with national subject matter experts.

You will also collaborate with Te Kurutao Regional Managers to ensure an integrated approach to iwi and hapū engagement, and offer valuable insight to support housing supply planning. Success in this role will rely on your ability to build strong relationships across Kāinga Ora teams—including Customer Operations, Communications, and Housing Delivery —while engaging confidently with local and central government, NGOs, and community groups.

Based in one of our South Auckland offices, this role will be working across multiple offices (and includes Newmarket, Mangere, Otara, Manukau and Takanini).

• A wealth of experience leading highly skilled, high performing and engaged management and professional teams in a multi-faceted and demanding environment
• Knowledge and experience working collaboratively with the wider Auckland community, coming from a position of mana and with existing networks in place and a sound understanding of the region
• Engagement qualifications such as IAP2 or equivalent, together with demonstrated experience in engagement, community development or a similar role
• A sound understanding of Aotearoa's social housing and property sectors, coupled with an interest in public sector structure, governance, processes and systems
• You’ll role model our partnership obligations under Te Tiriti o Waitangi, and demonstrate a high emotional intelligence with empathy, courage and resilience.
• As this role requires travel around the Auckland region, you'll hold a full and current New Zealand driver licence

Nōu te rourou - What's in it for you?

• competitive salaries
• five weeks' annual leave
• range of insurances
• flexible working arrangements
• career development

These benefits are described in more detail herehttps://careers.kaingaora.govt.nz/a-great-place-to-work/benefits

As a Kāinga Ora - Homes and Communities employee, we want to make sure you have all the tools and support you need. We want to ensure you are healthy and have work-life balance. We also want to support and grow your personal and career development through on-the-job learning, training courses, secondments and study opportunities.

At Kāinga Ora, ours is the important responsibility of transforming New Zealand’s housing choices, outcomes and the entire housing sector by creating homes and communities that allow New Zealanders to thrive.

What is exciting about working for Kāinga Ora is getting the chance to make a real and positive impact on New Zealanders’ lives. With skills, planning and purposeful action, our people are creating the homes and neighbourhoods that will build the future of Aotearoa.

We are passionate about transforming New Zealand for the better. That includes being a trusted partner for Māori and iwi, protecting and enabling their rights, interests and aspirations under the guidance of Te Tiriti o Waitangi.

Our values were developed by us, for us. They unite us as an organisation and guide how we work every day.

Our values are:

• Manaakitanga – People at the Heart
• Mahi Tahi – Better Together
• Whanake – Be Bold

Applications close on Wednesday 16 September 2026 at 11:55pm.

As part of our commitment to supporting employees through organisational change, affected Kāinga Ora employees will be considered for vacancies in the first instance.

We value diversity and are committed to working with each other and our customers in an inclusive and respectful way. We welcome applicants from all walks of life and appreciate the richness of experience that your point of difference brings to the organisation.