Personal Assistant | Kaiāwhina Whaiaro

Department of Conservation - Te Papa Atawhai; Wellington; On-site; NZD 69,000 - 88,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible working arrangements

Supportive team culture

Job summary

Department of Conservation - Te Papa Atawhai in Wellington seeks a Personal Assistant to support the Director of Heritage and Visitors. You will manage email and diary, coordinate meetings, and travel, while ensuring confidentiality and high professionalism in a fast-paced environment.

You will coordinate and quality-check Parliament briefs, Ministers reports, Ministerials and OIAs, and build strong networks with internal and external stakeholders.

Qualifications

• Experience in a similar executive support role.
• Experience working with senior leaders and managing day-to-day operations.
• Ability to learn central Government workings: Parliament, Ministers and public service agencies.
• Strong relationship-management and networking skills.

Responsibilities

• Coordination and administration support including email/diary management, meeting facilitation and travel coordination.
• Assistance, coordination and quality assurance of complex and urgent Parliamentary briefs, Ministers reports, Ministerial and OIAs.
• Build relationships with key internal and external stakeholders and maintain effective communications.

Skills

Government knowledge

Relationship management

Office administration

Parliament briefs QA

Confidential data

MS Office

Iwi engagement

Tools

MS Office

Job description

Bring your administrative and coordination expertise and contribute to conservation outcomes.

Salary: $69,429–$88,181, depending on skills and experience.

Permanent, full‑time role based in Wellington.

Our vision: Nature is thriving in Aotearoa | Te Oranga o te Ao Tūroa Mō te tūranga.

About the role

As Personal Assistant, you will be the Director's right‑hand person, providing day‑to‑day support, working to a high level of professionalism and discretion. The role requires exceptional organisational skills with the ability to triage the flow of information, to ensure executive level priorities are managed accordingly. Reporting to the Director of Heritage and Visitors, you will play a key role in supporting the broader Heritage and Visitor senior management cohort and manage time and outputs with confidence. On a day‑to‑day basis you'll provide support, planning and coordination and act with a high level of professionalism and discretion. Working in a fast‑paced and sometimes pressured environment, you will be comfortable adjusting to different workflows and prioritising multiple tasks in a dynamic and changing environment.

• Building strong cohesive relationships with the broader Leadership Team and their support staff.
• Coordination and administration support including email/diary management, meeting facilitation and travel coordination.
• Assistance, coordination and quality assurance of complex and urgent correspondence such as Parliamentary briefs, Ministers reports, Ministerial and OIA requests.
• Utilising your excellent customer service and communication skills to build relationships with key internal and external stakeholders.

Ngā pūkenga me ngā wheako | Skills and experience

You will be seen as a credible and effective relationship builder and be comfortable working with a diverse stakeholder group. With experience gained in a similar executive support role, you will be comfortable working with senior leaders and take a proactive approach to managing effective and efficient day‑to‑day operations for the Director.

• Understanding or willingness to learn the workings of central Government - the role of Parliament, Ministers, and public service agencies.
• Exceptional relationship‑management skills and ability to build and leverage great networks.
• Advanced office administration skills including document and diary management, meeting minutes, and meeting coordination.
• Co‑ordinate and maintain quality assurance of Parliamentary briefs, Ministers reports, Ministerials and OIAs.
• Comfortable managing sensitive and confidential data and information on behalf of the Director ensuring privacy requirements are maintained.
• Intermediate‑advanced knowledge of MS Office with specific focus on Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook with an appetite to grow your skills and master new applications and processes.
• Comfortable engaging and working in partnership with iwi and tangata whenua.

He aha ngā pāinga mōu? | What’s in it for you?

• DOC is committed to a culture where everyone can participate, thrive, and grow.
• We’re driven by our values and behaviours, and are working towards being an organisation that is diverse, equitable, and inclusive by default.
• We also support flexible working arrangements for our kaimahi across Aotearoa, with options considered based on the role and in discussion with your leader.

Eligibility

You must hold a valid New Zealand work visa that covers the duration of employment.

Application deadline

Applications close at 11:59 pm on Tuesday, 27 October 2026.

Additional information

For further enquiries about the role, please contact Anna Basova, Recruitment Advisor, at [e-mail].

The Department of Conservation, Te Papa Atawhai (DOC) serves to protect and restore nature across Aotearoa. When nature thrives, we all thrive. Ko tā Te Papa Atawhai he tiaki, he whakarauora anō hoki i te taiao puta noa i Aotearoa. He oranga taiao, he oranga tangata. Our people bring this vision to life. Spread across Aotearoa, they care for our land, water, and native species. From frontline rangers and technical experts to vital support teams - we have a diverse range of roles.