School Administrator

Job Description:

Te Kura Toi | Aotahi School of Māori and Indigenous Studies

Located in Ōtautahi | Christchurch, Aotearoa | New Zealand

• 5 weeks annual leave +5 days university holidays
• Professional development opportunities
• Permanent position, 37.5 hours per week
• Generous employer contribution to superannuation (up to 6.75%)
• Salary $67,843 - $75,000 p.a, based on skills and experience

Kia hiwa rā, kia hiwa rā!
He hiahia, he pūkenga nōu ki te mahi a te School Administrator? Nāia te pōwhiri nā Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha kia tono mai i te tūranga nei.

Āu Mahi | What You Will Do

As School Administrator, you will play a key role in keeping Aotahi School of Māori and Indigenous Studies running smoothly, providing high-quality administrative and organisational support to the Head of School, kaimahi and tauira.

This is a varied and people-focused role where you will coordinate academic and school administration, support meetings, events and wānanga, manage purchasing and travel, maintain key systems and records, and be a welcoming first point of contact for tauira, kaimahi, manuhiri and the wider community. You will bring initiative and strong organisation to keep things moving, anticipate deadlines and ensure a seamless and responsive service.

Mōu | Who You Are

You are an efficient, organised and proactive administrator who enjoys working with people and making things happen. You will be confident managing competing priorities, solving problems, learning new systems and building warm, respectful relationships with a diverse range of people.

You will also be able to demonstrate experience in:

• 4+ years’ experience in office administration and/or professional support within a medium to large organisation, preferably within the tertiary sector.
• Building effective relationships and working confidently with people from diverse backgrounds.
• Strong digital capability, with confidence learning and navigating multiple systems and databases.
• Coordinating meetings, events, wānanga or other community-facing activities.
• Managing competing demands while maintaining accuracy, confidentiality and attention to detail.
• Working independently while contributing positively to a collaborative team environment.
• Cultural awareness and the ability to work respectfully and appropriately with Māori and Indigenous communities, with a working knowledge of Te Reo Māori me ōna tikanga highly desirable.
• An alignment with our organisation's values and culture, promoting a positive and inclusive work environment.

Mahi Ngātahi | Who You Will Work With

In this role, you will work closely with the Head of School and the Aotahi team, supporting kaimahi and tauira while building effective relationships across the University and with manuhiri, community organisations and other external stakeholders.

Ngā Painga o UC | Why UC

At UC, being part of our team means more than just a job. We are committed to supporting our kaimahi | staff’s career and wellbeing with benefits designed to help our kaimahi grow and feel connected, supported and valued.

• 5 weeks annual leave +5 days university holidays
• generous employer contribution to superannuation (up to 6.75%)
• flexible working arrangements
• professional development opportunities
• supportive working environment
• a wide range of retail discounts across shopping, entertainment and travel
• on-campus staff discounts
• living in revitalised Ōtautahi | Christchurch, Aotearoa New Zealand
• a unique working environment in a beautiful campus with access to UC facilities such as UC RecCentre and Staff Club at discounted rates plus onsite cafés and eateries, and more.

For more information, please visit us: https://www.canterbury.ac.nz/about-uc/work-at-uc/benefits-working-uc

For more information about Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha | University of Canterbury, please visit https://www.canterbury.ac.nz/

The closing date for this position is: 29 September 2026 (midnight, NZ time)
Please note, applications will be reviewed as they are received, and interviews may take place before the close date.

Pēhea te tono mai | How You Apply

Applications for this position must be submitted via our careers website and should include a cover letter and resume.

Please note, we do not accept applications by email, however we are happy to answer your queries in relation to the application process, please forward these to [email protected]

You must have Aotearoa New Zealand or Australian citizenship/permanent residency to be considered for this role.

Please note, this is an onsite position.