Residential Youth Worker - Military Style Academy

Oranga Tamariki; Palmerston North; On-site; NZD 58,000 - 65,000; Full time

Job summary

Oranga Tamariki is seeking dedicated Youth Workers for the Military Style Academy Programme in Palmerston North. You will mentor rangatahi, provide day-to-day care, supervision, and support within a 24/7 residential setting, contributing to sustainable behavioural change.

The role involves building positive relationships, delivering a range of educational, cultural, vocational, and therapeutic activities, and collaborating with families, educators, clinicians, and other partners to support young

Qualifications

• Experience building positive relationships with young people, including those with complex needs and challenging behaviours.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills.
• The ability to remain calm, professional, and effective in challenging situations.
• Experience supporting behaviour change, personal development, or wellbeing programmes.
• A commitment to culturally responsive practice and Te Tiriti o Waitangi.
• Strong teamwork skills and a positive, solution‑focused approach.
• A current full New Zealand driver’s licence, including the ability to drive a manual vehicle.

Responsibilities

• Building positive, professional, and trusting relationships with rangatahi.
• Supporting rangatahi to develop life skills, resilience, confidence, and positive behaviours.
• Delivering and supporting educational, cultural, vocational, recreational, physical, and therapeutic programme activities.
• Reinforcing programme expectations through positive role modelling and therapeutic engagement.
• Monitoring wellbeing, behaviour, and participation, and maintaining accurate reports and records.
• Supporting a safe and secure environment through effective risk management and de‑escalation practices.
• Working collaboratively with whānau, mentors, education providers, clinicians, and other key stakeholders.

Job description

Residential Youth Worker - Military Style Academy

Make a difference where it matters most.

Are you passionate about supporting rangatahi to realise their potential and create positive futures? Do you thrive in a structured, dynamic environment where every day presents new opportunities to influence change?

Oranga Tamariki is seeking dedicated and motivated Youth Workers to join the Military Style Academy (MSA) Programme, an intensive therapeutic intervention designed to support serious and persistent youth offenders to achieve sustainable behavioural change and positive long‑term outcomes.

Based at Te Au rere a te Tonga Youth Justice Residence in Palmerston North, the MSA Programme combines educational, vocational, cultural, therapeutic, and physical activities within a structured environment that promotes personal growth, accountability, and positive development for rangatahi.

As a Youth Worker, you'll play a vital role in supporting rangatahi through daily interactions, mentoring, coaching, and role modelling while helping create a safe, structured, and therapeutic environment that enables meaningful change.

Mō te tūnga | About the role

Working as part of a dedicated multidisciplinary team and under the guidance of the Team Leader Practice, you will provide day‑to‑day care, supervision, mentoring, and support to rangatahi participating in the Military Style Academy Programme.

Key responsibilities include:

• Building positive, professional, and trusting relationships with rangatahi.
• Supporting rangatahi to develop life skills, resilience, confidence, and positive behaviours.
• Delivering and supporting educational, cultural, vocational, recreational, physical, and therapeutic programme activities.
• Reinforcing programme expectations through positive role modelling and therapeutic engagement.
• Monitoring wellbeing, behaviour, and participation, and maintaining accurate reports and records.
• Supporting a safe and secure environment through effective risk management and de‑escalation practices.
• Working collaboratively with whānau, mentors, education providers, clinicians, and other key stakeholders.

This is a frontline role operating within a 24/7 residential environment, including shifts, weekends, public holidays, and occasional additional hours to support programme delivery.

We're looking for resilient, compassionate, and motivated individuals who are committed to helping young people achieve their potential.

You may come from a background in:

• Youth Justice
• Education
• Health
• Sport and recreation
• Military-style training
• Community youth development
• Or another environment working with young people and supporting positive change.

You'll bring:

• Experience building positive relationships with young people, including those with complex needs and challenging behaviours.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills.
• The ability to remain calm, professional, and effective in challenging situations.
• Experience supporting behaviour change, personal development, or wellbeing programmes.
• A commitment to culturally responsive practice and Te Tiriti o Waitangi.
• Strong teamwork skills and a positive, solution‑focused approach.
• A current full New Zealand driver's licence, including the ability to drive a manual vehicle.

Why join the Military Style Academy?

This is an opportunity to be part of a unique programme that supports rangatahi to develop the confidence, skills, and resilience needed to build a better future.

You'll be part of a team that:

• Supports meaningful and lasting behavioural change.
• Works alongside rangatahi during critical stages of their development.
• Champions strengths‑based, trauma‑informed, and culturally responsive practice.
• Values teamwork, integrity, leadership, and continuous learning.
• Makes a genuine and lasting impact on young people's lives every day.

At Oranga Tamariki, our vision is that New Zealand values the wellbeing of tamariki above all else. We are committed to ensuring tamariki and rangatahi are safe, strong, connected, and able to thrive within their whānau and communities.

We offer a remuneration package that starts between approximately $57,760 and $65,334 (depending on your experience). On top of this, we also apply a 20% allowance to your base remuneration for working shifts/a roster pattern. The 20% allowance is applied once you have completed your initial induction and are placed onto a rotating roster that covers days, evenings and weekends.Base remuneration plus the 20% allowance works out to be between $69,332 and $78,400 (depending on your experience).

If you are interested, please ensure that you make yourself familiar with our code of conduct as it sets out our expectations for ourkaimahi and requires you to present at work free from the influences of both drugs and alcohol.

Location(s) All New Zealand, Te Tai Tokerau Region, Kaitaia, North Shore, Hamilton, Tauranga, Hastings, Wellington, Hawera, Blenheim, Ashburton, Alexandra, Auckland, Kaikohe, West Auckland, Paeroa, Rotorua, Dannevirke, Lower Hutt, Horowhenua, Greymouth, Christchurch, Balclutha, Waikato, Whangarei, Central Auckland, Tokoroa, Napier, Upper Hutt, Palmerston North, Nelson, Rangiora, Dunedin, Bay of Plenty, Dargaville, South Auckland, Taupō, Gisborne, Porirua, Manawatu, Timaru, Gore, East Coast, Whakatane, Hawkes Bay, Paraparaumu, New Plymouth, Invercargill, Wellington, Masterton, Taumarunui, Oamaru, Taranaki-Manawatu, Wairoa, Whanganui, Upper South, Waipukurau, Canterbury, Lower South