Student Success Coach

Job Description:

Kia Angitu | Student Success Programme

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%)

Kia hiwa rā, kia hiwa rā! Nāia te pōwhiri nā Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha kia tono mai i te tūranga nei.

Āu Mahi | What You Will Do
We have an exciting opportunity for an inspiring Success Coach to support the delivery of our suite of enrichment programmes to support the development of students. We are keen to find someone who is empathetic and has the skills for working with young people to facilitate their leadership development and community connection throughout their studies. The Success Coach will work within the wider Enrichment team, and together you will work with students from diverse backgrounds to create opportunities and promote success.

You will have oversight into the coordination and facilitation of group activities/events, which will include focusing on goal setting, organisation skills, self-regulation, leadership and self-reflection.

Mōu | Who You Are
The desired candidate will have at least 5 years’ experience working in the Psychological Health or Pyscho-education setting preferably in motivational coaching, as well as have:

• A sound understanding of the role of Te Tiriti o Waitangi in Higher Education
• Exhibit non-judgement and empathy for students
• Pastoral care and student service experience to help navigate students through their study goals
• Ability to build strong relationships and work across UC to build understanding and support for coaching function
• Prior experience in facilitating workshops and group teachings
• Previous experience in working with Māori and Pacific peoples is a definite advantage
• Excellent written, oral and interpersonal communication skills along with strong organisational skills
• Bachelor’s degree (level 7) in Psychology, Social work or related field
• An alignment with our organisation's values and culture, promoting a positive and inclusive work environment.

Mahi Ngātahi | Who You Will Work With
The mahi undertaken in Kia Angitu, UC’s student success programme, is designed to achieve one of UC’s key strategic objectives – to develop and provide a positive environment to support student success through a range of pedagogical, digital, and organisational approaches. Kia Angitu has been recognised in the NZ Higher Education landscape as an innovative and leading programme of work, bringing together a range of interconnected initiatives that focus on the introductory experiences of students as they transition into their first year of study at UC and beyond. This is particularly important for traditionally underserved communities including Māori, Pacific, first in whānau students, as well as those from low-decile schools and students with disabilities.

Ngā Painga o UC | Why UC
Ngā Uara | Our Values of manaakitanga, whanaungatanga and tiakitanga guide our decisions and behaviour and provide a roadmap for how we do things at UC, affirming our commitment to pastoral care and support for our ākonga and staff. They challenge and inspire us to be the best we can, and make UC a great place to work and study. For more info on Ngā Uara | Our Values visit us here.

We are committed to accessible higher education, service to the community and the encouragement of talent without barriers of distance, wealth, class, gender or ethnicity. The University explicitly aims to produce graduates and support staff who are engaged with their communities, empowered to act for good and determined to make a difference in the world.

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: 18 November 2026 (midnight, NZ time)
Please note, applications will be reviewed after the close date, and interviews are likely to be take place between 3^rd-9^th December.

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 CV.

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.