Senior Advisor Māori Participation

Auckland Council; Waiheke; On-site; NZD 95,000 - 104,000; Full time

Job summary

Auckland Council seeks a Senior Advisor Māori Participation to design, develop and deliver Māori engagement approaches within the Community Wellbeing department. You will translate strategies into high-trust relationships with mana whenua, mātāwaka and kaupapa Māori organisations, embedding mātauranga Māori and tikanga in everyday work.

You’ll lead projects, build workforce capability, and provide practical advice that strengthens Māori participation and outcomes across Tāmaki Makaurau, aligning

Qualifications

• At least 5 years’ experience engaging with iwi, hapū, Māori communities or kaupapa Māori organisations.
• Ability to translate strategies into practical, mana-enhancing engagement.
• Strong capability to work across diverse stakeholders and governance levels.

Responsibilities

• Design, develop and champion new engagement approaches with Māori.
• Drive best-practice Māori engagement, participation and decision‑making.
• Provide quality advice on mana whenua engagement and Māori outcomes planning.
• Lead projects or portfolios involving mana whenua and Kaupapa Māori organisations.

Skills

Mātauranga Māori engagement

Stakeholder engagement

Te reo Māori me ōna tikanga

Job description

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• Join a team that values the contribution of mātauranga Māori and mātauranga o te ao hurihuri.
• Bring your passion, commitment and engagement expertise to a space that aspires to elevate positive outcomes for Māori in Tāmaki Makaurau.
• Mātauranga Māori acts as a lens we place on everything we do, and co-designing with key stakeholders is a key approach to how we do things.
• Salary between $95K - $104K

Te Waka Kerewai, the Community Wellbeing Māori Outcomes Delivery Unit is looking for a Senior Advisor Māori Participation to join the Māori Participation and Partnership team where you will contribute to the design, development and delivery of Māori engagement approaches and practice with the Community Wellbeing department. This role is less about traditional partnership management and more about enabling an operational workforce to strengthen Māori participation and partnerships that generates opportunities to deliver on Māori aspirations. You’ll provide practical advice, support and guidance that helps build capability, competence and confidence across the department, enabling teams to translate key strategies, frameworks and guidance into high-trust relationships with mana whenua, mātāwaka, Māori communities, and kaupapa Māori organisations, while ensuring mātauranga Māori and tikanga are embedded in how we work.

What you can expect to work on includes:

• Working with other kaimahi in the engagement space to design, develop and champion new or adapted approaches that elevate the quality of our engagement with Māori.
• Driving best-practice Māori engagement, participation, and decision-making approaches that support innovation, co-design, and mana-enhancing ways of working.
• Providing quality advice on mana whenua and mātāwaka engagement, as well as Māori outcomes planning that can generate local and regional impact.
• Leading key projects or portfolios that directly involve mana whenua.

This role calls for someone who brings a strong grounding in mātauranga Māori, te reo Māori me ōna tikanga, and can confidently work across multiple knowledge systems. You’ll be valued for your ability to cultivate high-trust, mana-enhancing relationships with mana whenua, Māori communities and kaupapa Māori organisations, while also moving comfortably across non-Māori community settings, leadership spaces, and internal council environments. Strong strategic and critical thinking, facilitation of engagement practice, curating quality operational advice, and cross-cultural competency are key, alongside the ability to work across multiple programmes, analyse data and evidence, and translate insights into practical advice that can improve outcomes for Māori. You’ll also bring the confidence to contribute to conversations with diverse stakeholders, provide constructive and mana-enhancing feedback, and collaborate across teams to keep Māori aspirations central to the work.

To be successful in this role, you will bring:

• High proficiency in te reo Māori me ōna tikanga, with the ability to use te reo Māori confidently in emails, meetings, and conversations.
• Strong political acumen and understanding of local government, mana whenua relationships, and how to work effectively with leadership entities and diverse stakeholders.
• At least 5 years’ experience engaging with iwi, hapū, Māori communities or kaupapa Māori organisations, ideally across multiple work programmes that deliver cultural, community, social or wellbeing outcomes.

Te Kaunihera o Tāmaki Makaurau is one of the largest local authorities in the South Pacific, providing essential services and facilities to more than 1.5 million people. We are committed to environmental action and delivering a transformational shift for Māori living in Tāmaki Makaurau.

In return for your hard work, you can expect a flexible and supportive work environment and lots of opportunities for growth and development. You’ll work with a team of remarkable and talented professionals who have a passion for serving our people and delivering impactful outcomes for Māori across Tāmaki Makaurau. On top of this, as part of our Auckland Council Group, you will gain access to many benefits and discounts.

If you have any questions about this role, please email me ***********@aucklandcouncil.govt.nz

Auckland Council is an equal opportunity employer (EOE) and we are committed to providing a working environment that embraces and values diversity and inclusion. If you have any support or access requirements, we encourage you to advise us at the time of application to assist you through the recruitment process.