Senior School Administrator

Job Description:

Te Kura Mahi ā Hirikapo | School of Psychology, Speech and Hearing

Located in Ōtautahi | Christchurch, Aotearoa | New Zealand

• 4 weeks annual leave +5 days university holidays
• Professional development opportunities
• Fixed term position, 37.5 hours per week
• Generous employer contribution to superannuation (up to 6.75%)

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

Āu Mahi | What You Will Do
This is an exciting opportunity to provide senior administrative leadership within the School of Psychology, Speech & Hearing. Working alongside the Administration Services Manager, you will oversee day-to-day operations across finance, academic administration and staff management, ensuring efficient processes and high-quality support for staff and students. You will also contribute to the School's strategic and operational objectives through financial oversight, continuous improvement and effective stakeholder engagement.

Mōu | Who You Are

You are an experienced administrator with strong financial capabilities, excellent organisational skills and the ability to manage competing priorities. You bring a proactive, solutions-focused approach, enjoy supporting and developing others, and can build effective relationships with a diverse range of stakeholders.

You will also be able to demonstrate experience in:

• Proven extensive experience in business administration and coordinating complex operational functions.
• Supervising administrative teams, allocating workloads and supporting staff development.
• Monitoring budgets, analysing financial data and managing financial documentation.
• Managing academic administration, enrolments, examinations or student management systems.
• Coordinating recruitment, payroll, timesheets and travel arrangements.
• Maintaining administrative systems, improving processes and managing competing priorities.
• Strong written and verbal communication, problem-solving and stakeholder relationship skills.
• An alignment with our organisation's values and culture, promoting a positive and inclusive work environment.

A tertiary qualification at NZQA Level 5 or equivalent experience is required. Experience within a tertiary education environment is desirable, as is a demonstrated commitment to upholding organisational values, tikanga and te reo Māori. Competency in te reo Māori me ōna tikanga would be an advantage.

Mahi Ngātahi | Who You Will Work With
Reporting to the Administration Services Manager and working with the wider School, you will provide leadership and supervision to the School's academic administration team. You will collaborate with academic staff, programme coordinators and wider University colleagues to support the effective delivery of the School's operations.

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.

• 4 weeks annual leave +5 days university holidays
• generous employer contribution to superannuation (up to 6.75%)
• flexible working arrangement
• 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: 18 November 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 or hold a valid NZ work visa to be considered for this role.

Please note, this is an onsite position.