Senior Support Officer

Ministry of Education; Whakatāne; On-site; NZD 62,000 - 74,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

KiwiSaver

Job summary

The Ministry of Education in Whakatāne invites applications for a permanent, full-time receptionist and administrator. You will be the first point of contact for our Whakatāne office, welcome visitors, answer calls, refer enquiries, and support the broader Ministry team across funding portfolios and work programmes.

You will assist suppliers and contractors on site, manage security through visitor access, help with fleet and event tasks, process purchasing requests, support staff with technology

Qualifications

• Superstar with administrative experience and a professional approach.
• Excellent organisational and time management skills.
• Sound computer literacy with Microsoft Office, especially Excel, Word and Outlook.
• Tech-savvy with the ability to learn new systems quickly.
• Ability to troubleshoot ICT and mobile device queries.
• Strong written and interpersonal communication skills.
• Flexible with a desire to learn and work in a busy team.
• Full, current driver licence is essential.
• Experience with accounts payable and purchasing/procurement is advantageous.
• Commitment to Public Service Standards of Integrity and Conduct.

Responsibilities

• First point of contact for our Whakatāne office, welcoming visitors and answering calls.
• Refer enquiries to the appropriate Ministry teams and support staff with IT issues.
• Assist suppliers and contractors on site and maintain visitor access cards.
• Support fleet and event management and process purchasing requests.
• Provide business support across funding portfolios and work programmes.
• Work as part of the regional Business Support team with strong teamwork.

Skills

Customer service

Telephone manner

Office software

Excel

Word

Outlook

Databases

Tech-savvy

Organisational skills

Time management

Multi-tasking

Accounts payable

Purchasing processes

Driver licence

Public Service Standards

Teamwork

Able to work unsupervised

Tools

Microsoft Office

Excel

Word

Outlook

Databases

Job description

Help shape the future of education in New Zealand

Help shape the future of Education We work toshapeaneducationsystem that deliversequitableandexcellent outcomes

About this role | Mō tēnei tūranga

Permanent, full-time role Whakatāne, Bay of PlentyWe have an exciting opportunity for a customer service superstar with administrative experience to join our Whakatāne office as part of the Bay of Plenty-Waiariki Business Support Team.If you are energetic, organised, thrive in a busy environment where attention to detail is imperative, can manage conflicting priorities, enjoy taking responsibility, have a bubbly personality and can develop good working relationships, then this could be the role for you.

This position has a key focus on being the first point of contact for our Whakatāne office. You will welcome our visitors as they arrive at our reception area, answer telephone calls and refer enquiries to the different Ministry teams, including those in other regions. You will support our suppliers and contractors when they arrive at our site and maintain security by issuing visitor access cards. You will also assist with fleet and event management, processing purchasing requests, responding promptly to internal staff requests, assisting staff with technology issues and providing business support to the broader Ministry team across a range of funding portfolios and work programmes.

As this role is part of the regional Business Support team, it is necessary that you are a strong team player, have excellent organisational and time management skills, and multi-task with superb accuracy and attention to detail. You must also be flexible with a desire to learn.

This permanent, full-time role is based at our Whakatāne Office in one of New Zealand's sunniest locations, offering a fantastic lifestyle and work-life balance opportunity. Whakatāne is the cultural hub of the Whakatāne District which has many local attractions that showcase the rich heritage and history of the area.

Salary range: $61,879 - $73,999 per annum + KiwiSaver. The successful candidate will be appointed at a salary which reflects individual skills and experience.For more details about the role, you can view thejob description here.

About you | Mōhou ake

This position could interest you if you enjoy working with people, take pride in going that extra mile and thrive on working in a busy, collaborative team within a corporate office environment.

To be successful in this role, you will need to have the following capabilities and competencies:

• superb customer service skills with a positive, can-do attitude
• a professional telephone manner
• sound computer literacy and knowledge of the Microsoft Office suite, with a particular emphasis on Excel, Word and Outlook and working with spreadsheets and databases
• tech-savvy and the ability to learn new technology and systems fast
• the ability to troubleshoot basic information and communications technology (ICT) and mobile device queries
• strong organisation skills with impeccable time management and the ability to multi-task and meet deadlines
• the ability to work unsupervised while maintaining a high degree of accuracy
• previous administration experience is preferred
• experience with accounts payable and purchasing/procurement processes and systems would be advantageous
• the ability to work well as part of a team and under pressure
• flexibility and a desire to learn
• excellent written, oral and interpersonal communication skills
• a full, current driver licence is essential
• The ability and willingness to adhere to the Public Service Standards of Integrity and Conduct.

If you think that you can make a strong contribution to the success of this organisation, and you can demonstrate the required skills and attitude to work as part of our busy team, we encourage you to apply.

About our group and team | Mātau rōpū ake

Te Mahau | Education Services The Education Services Group provides well-designed, integrated education services that support the impactful and effective operation of education settings to support student achievement and participation. The services help to remove barriers to participation and learning and provide regulatory advice, support and oversight to early learning providers, schools and kura.

The Group has three key priorities for Education Services:

• Practice & Guidance: Managing practice and guidance to improve national coordination and consistency, whilst enabling regional autonomy for education service delivery.
• Integration & Delivery: Providing education support directly to education settings via integrated regional and national services. This includes intervening when necessary to ensure a high standard of operation to support student outcomes and owning key stakeholder relationships to support schooling improvement and stronger outcomes for learners.
• Monitoring & Improvement: Monitoring and advising on improvements to the effectiveness, efficiency and equity of services for achievement and progression, and attendance and participation. This includes monitoring education provider performance against regulations and intervening as required.

Are you ready to make a difference? | Kua rite koe mō tēnei mahi?

For further information, please contact [e-mail]

Applications close Midnight - Monday, 09 November 2026.

We want our people to feel valued for their unique qualities and have a sense of belonging. If you require assistance or adjustments to fully participate in the recruitment process, please let us know.