Pou Hāpai - Whānau Engagement Specialist

Health New Zealand - Te Whatu Ora Taranaki; Taranaki; On-site; NZD 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora invites applicants for a Whānau Engagement Specialist based at Taranaki Base Hospital and Hawera Hospital. This role supports whānau Māori by removing barriers, enhancing cultural safety, and ensuring services respond to whānau needs.

You will work as a bridge between whānau and the health system, enabling practical action and real change with staff and services across both hospital and community settings.

Qualifications

• Experience in advocacy, social services, or whānau support.
• Ability to build trust with whānau and work across organisations.
• Problem-solver navigating complex systems for whānau.
• Organised and adaptable across whānau care and reporting.
• Culturally confident in Te Ao Māori; te reo/tikanga, or willingness to learn.

Responsibilities

• Bridge between whānau Māori and the health system with clarity and care.
• Assess cultural needs, arrange tailored support, and advocate across hospital and community services.
• Lift cultural confidence of staff through advice and training.
• Collaborate with iwi providers and community groups to design better ways of working for Māori.

Skills

Advocacy

Community engagement

Cross-organisational collaboration

Cultural confidence in Te Ao Māori

Organisation and planning

Job description

Pou Hāpai | Whānau Engagement Specialist Positions are based at Taranaki Base Hospital and Hawera Hospital, 2x Permanent Fulltime positions available This role gives you a front-row seat to real change for whānau Māori. You will help remove barriers, lift cultural safety, and ensure services respond to what whānau say they need.At Te Pā Harakeke, our vision is clear Together we ensure our MOKOPUNA inherit a better tomorrow This role exists to deliver on that vision through practical, everyday action with whānau, staff, and services.This is purpose-led work with visible impact. You will see outcomes shift because of what you do, a whānau member who gets seen sooner, a care plan that fits their world, a service that listens. You will build strong skills in Māori health, system navigation, and cross-cultural practice. You will grow fast, backed by a team who support each other and who stay focused on results for whānau Māori in Taranaki.

Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora is grounded in Te Tiriti o Waitangi and committed to a health system that works for all.

About the role

You are the bridge between whānau Māori and the health system. You walk alongside whānau through complex care pathways with clarity and care. You assess cultural needs, arrange tailored support, and advocate across hospital and community services.You lift the cultural confidence of staff through advice and training. You work with iwi providers, and community groups to design better ways of working for Māori. Every day, you help turn intent into action, so our MOKOPUNA inherit a better tomorrow.

About the team, service, and location

You will join Te Pā Harakeke, the Māori Health Directorate. We are a tight-knit team with a clear focus on whānau wellbeing. We provide hands‑on support and shape how the system responds to Māori.Based in New Plymouth Taranaki, you will work in a region with strong iwi partnerships and active Māori networks. All throughout Taranaki you will be part of local change that keeps whānau voices at the centre and improves care where it matters.

About you

• Health or community experience in advocacy, social services, or whānau support.
• Connector who builds trust with whānau and works well across organisations.
• Problem-solver who navigates complex systems and speaks up for whānau.
• Organised and adaptable across whānau care, reporting, and service improvement.
• Culturally confident in Te Ao Māori, with te reo and tikanga, or ready to learn.

Working at Health New Zealand

Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora is dedicated to ensuring excellent healthcare for the people of New Zealand. We embrace a workforce that is diverse and inclusive so that we are better positioned to understand and service our community. We welcome applications from our diverse Māori, Pacific, disabled, and rainbow communities.