Kaiarataki Karahipi | Māori Scholarship Lead

Job Description:

Office of Treaty Partnership | UC Māori

Located in Ōtautahi | Christchurch, Aotearoa | New Zealand

• 5 weeks annual leave +5 days university holidays
• Professional development opportunities
• Permanent position, 22.5 hours per week
• Generous employer contribution to superannuation (up to 6.75%)

Kia hiwa rā, kia hiwa rā!
He tūranga hou tēnei e tautoko ana I te angitu o ngā ākonga Māori mā ngā karahipi me ngā Kaupapa tautoko.

Āu Mahi | What You Will Do
This is This is an exciting opportunity to provide operational leadership for UC Māori scholarship programmes and help shape initiatives that support ākonga Māori to thrive at Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha | University of Canterbury.

As Kaiarataki Karahipi | Māori Scholarship Lead, you will lead the planning, development and implementation of the Tūāpapa and Kaitoko Māori scholarship programmes. You will coordinate recruitment and selection, scholarship activities and wrap-around academic, social and cultural support, while working collaboratively across the Scholarships Office, Faculties and Service Units. You will also identify opportunities to strengthen scholarship access, funding pathways, academic development and student engagement across the Māori student journey, with a particular focus on successful transition and first-year success.

Mōu | Who You Are

To be successful in this role you will hold a bachelor’s degree (NZQA Level 7), with a minimum of four years’ experience in a related role and evidence of:

• Demonstrated experience in professional coordination, administration and influencing professionally qualified staff.
• Knowledge or understanding of project management, marketing and/or strategic planning.
• Substantial experience working with diverse students or customers, particularly Māori students, whānau and communities.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills, including active listening, mentoring and coaching capability.
• Proven experience implementing change, contributing to strategic initiatives and working collaboratively to achieve team outcomes.
• Demonstrated commitment to cultural awareness and competence, UC values, tikanga, kawa, traditions guided by mana whenua, and valuing te reo Māori.
• Previous experience in a tertiary institution, with competency in te reo Māori me ōna tikanga an advantage.
• An alignment with our organisation's values and culture, promoting a positive and inclusive work environment.

Mahi Ngātahi | Who You Will Work With

You will work as part of UC Māori and collaborate closely with the Scholarships Office, Faculties and Service Units across the University. You will build strong relationships with ākonga Māori and connect with relevant outreach programmes, communities and UC services to support recruitment, transition, engagement and success. The role will also identify and coordinate appropriate academic support, including supplementary instruction and peer tutoring, to ensure ākonga can access and engage with the support they need.

Ko tā UC Māori mahi ko te ārahi i Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha whānui, ka whakakahatia te māiatanga, me te āheitanga o Te Tiriti o Waitangi hei toitū te tiriti.

The role of UC Māori is to provide leadership, support and guidance across the University in strengthening Te Tiriti o Waitangi competence and confidence and supporting the University to uphold its responsibilities as a Treaty partner.

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: 19 October 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.

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