Mata Ahupae | Marae Administrator

Victoria University of Wellington; Wellington; On-site; NZD 50,000 - 70,000; Full time

Job summary

Victoria University of Wellington is recruiting a Mata Ahupae - Marae Administrator to join Te Herenga Waka Marae on a fixed-term, full-time basis for 10 months. You will support staff, students and external stakeholders while providing cultural services and administrative support at the marae in Wellington.

You will communicate clearly, manage bookings and events, and assist leadership with marae operations, under pressure with an excellent manner and attention to detail.

Qualifications

• Competency in te reo and tikanga Māori.
• Experience in customer service and busy office administration.
• Ability to communicate clearly with a wide range of people.

Responsibilities

• Provide accurate information and advice to staff, students and external stakeholders by phone, face-to-face, Teams and email.
• Provide cultural support and services at the marae including karanga, waiata, karakia.
• Provide administrative support for marae bookings, room organisation, scholarships and tours.
• Support the Director, Marae Engagement, Marae Operational Manager, and Head Chef with daily operations.

Skills

Te Reo Māori

Customer service

Office administration

Clear communication

Stakeholder relations

Office 365

Database skills

Job description

Victoria University of Wellington is New Zealand’s globally ranked capital city university and one of New Zealand’s oldest and most prestigious tertiary institutions with a proud tradition of academic excellence.Our...

Are you competent in te reo and tikanga Māori?

Do you have experience in customer service and office administration?

Can you communicate clearly and concisely with a wide range of internal and external stakeholders?

Te Herenga Waka - Victoria University of Wellington is currently recruiting a Mata Ahupae - Marae Administrator to join the Te Herenga Waka Marae team on a fixed-term, full-time basis for 10 months.

Key responsibilities

• Provide accurate and timely information and advice to staff, students and external stakeholders (by phone, face-to-face, teams and email).
• Provide cultural support and services at the marae, including but not limited to karanga/whaikōrero, waiata, karakia.
• Provide administrative support for all marae-related work, including but not limited to bookings, room organisation, scholarships, tours.
• Provide focused administrative support for the Manutaki - Director, Marae Engagement, Mata Awhinuku - Marae Operational Manager, and Tūmau Matua - Head Chef.

You will be a motivated and customer-focused individual, competent in te reo and tikanga Māori, and with the ability to develop and maintain excellent working relationships with a range of stakeholders, both internal and external. You will have experience and excellence in customer service and office administration, and the proven ability to work under pressure. This role is busy, challenging and extremely rewarding for the individual with an excellent manner with people, strong attention to detail and the ability to self-manage their workload.

Key requirements

• Competency in te reo and tikanga Māori.
• Proven experience and excellence in customer service and office administration, providing administrative services in a busy office.
• Experience communicating clearly and concisely with a wide range of people over a variety of communication methods.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with internal and external stakeholders.
• An intermediate to advanced level of ability in Office 365 applications including Word, Excel and Outlook.
• Technical competence in using systems and applications, especially databases, to a high standard of accuracy.
• Proven ability to work effectively under pressure.
• Applicants who do not have residency or citizenship and require a visa to work at the University must clearly indicate their visa status in their application and understand that if they do not have a current, relevant visa, they will need to secure this independently.

Close date for vacancy: 06 September 2026.

Contact details for vacancy: If you have any questions regarding this role please get in touch with Jay Houpapa, Manutaki - Director, Marae Engagement ([e-mail]).

About Us

Te Herenga Waka - Victoria University of Wellington is renowned for its high-quality research and exceptional teaching. We attract people from around the world. Our university campus spans Te Whanganui-a-Tara Wellington - the creative, scientific and political centre of Aotearoa New Zealand - and our students thrive on the connections we have made here.