Programme Facilitator - Southland Region

New Zealand Government; Southland; On-site; NZD 71,000 - 89,000; Full time

Job summary

Department of Corrections in Invercargill seeks a Programme Facilitator to deliver therapeutic programmes to people in our care, individually or with a co-facilitator, to address offending behavior and support crime-free futures.

The role is based in the Otago and Southland Region with occasional travel to meet operational needs. Applicants will attend in-person assessments on 14–15 October 2026; the start date is 25 January 2027.

Qualifications

• Excellent communication skills and the ability to engage and build relationships.
• Cultural understanding, incl. working under a tikanga Māori framework.
• Resilience and flexibility to handle a varied and challenging workload.
• Self-insight and wellbeing with focus on work/life balance.
• Understanding of de-escalation and conflict resolution; relevant qualifications preferred.

Responsibilities

• Deliver a range of clinically designed therapeutic programmes, individually or with a co-facilitator.
• Work with people in our care in prisons and community settings to address offending behaviour.
• Travel within Otago and Southland as needed to meet operational requirements.

Skills

Excellent communication

Cultural understanding

Resilience & flexibility

Self-insight & wellbeing

De-escalation & conflict resolution

Education

Tertiary education in psychology, social work, counselling

Job description

Are you looking for a new start and fresh challenge? We are in the business of facilitating positive change, if that sounds like something you are interested in, please read on to learn about the requirements of this exciting role.

Ehara taku toa I te toa takitahi enim he toa takitini – Māori proverb My strength is not the strength of my own, but the strength of many

Mō te tūnga | About the role

Programme Facilitator in a fulltime permanent role working within the Otago and Southland Region. This position is based in Invercargill and at times travel will be required to meet operational needs. Our Programme Facilitators work with the people in our care within our prisons and out in the community to support them to understand and address the causes of their offending and assist them to create crime-free futures. Programme Facilitators do this through delivering a range of clinically designed therapeutic programmes, either individually or with a co-facilitator.

We appreciate the different skill sets within our team who come from different backgrounds, cultures, education, and experience – they all share the ability to motivate and work alongside others to support them to make positive changes in their lives. Please note, this specific role will not be based in a Special Treatment Unit although it is mentioned in the job description. We will be holding assessments for this role on the 14th and 15th of October at Invercargill Community Corrections, 131 Eye Street, Invercargill. All shortlisted candidates will be asked to attend in person. The start date for this position will be 25 January 2027.

Mōu | About you

We're looking for people who can actively listen and understand the people in our care and are keen to help them gain insight into their harmful behaviours. To undertake this role, you will need to be comfortable walking alongside people on their journey while consistently reflecting on your own practice. Life experience is important to us, along with an alignment to our values you will also be able to demonstrate the following:

• Excellent communication skills with a natural ability to engage and build relationships
• Cultural understanding including working under a tikanga Māori framework
• Resilience and flexibility - no two days will be the same
• Self-insight, wellbeing with a focus on a strong work/life balance
• Understanding of de-escalation and conflict resolution
• To support you in the role, it would be helpful though not essential for you to understand of individual and group behaviour, and or relevant tertiary education in psychology, social work, counselling or other relevant qualifications along with demonstrated experience within this or a similar related area.

You will need a Full New Zealand Driver's Licence and a legal right to work in New Zealand, without restriction, for a minimum of 12 months.

Ngā painga | The benefits

The midpoint of the salary range is $81,676 per annum and the full range (85%-120%) is $70,825 - $89,406 per annum. Appointment and remuneration will reflect skills and experience relevant to the role.

Mō mātou | About us

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 Hōkai 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.

Applications close on: 11:59pm on Sunday 27 September 2026.