Administration Services Team Leader

Job Description:

Te Kura Toi Matihiko | School of Creative & Digital Arts
Located in Ōtautahi | Christchurch, Aotearoa | New Zealand

• 5 weeks annual leave +5 days university holidays
• Professional development opportunities
• Generous superannuation provisions (up to 6.75% employer contribution)
• Permanent full-time position (37.5 hours per week)

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

Āu Mahi | What You Will Do

As the Administration Services Team Leader within the School of Creative & Digital Arts (CADA), you will provide leadership, direction, and oversight to a multi-campus administration team.

You will ensure the smooth and effective delivery of high-quality administrative services that support academic programmes, student experience, and commercial activities, including Kōawa Studios.

In this role, you will:

• Lead and elevate a team: build capability, create role clarity, and foster a high-performing, values-led culture through coaching and active leadership
• Bring order to complexity: monitor and facilitate workload of administration team, coordinate competing priorities, balance academic cycles with commercial demands, and ensure seamless service delivery
• Drive smarter ways of working: review, redesign, and continuously improve systems, workflows, and administrative processes
• Own operational excellence: oversee core administrative functions (finance, payroll, staffing, logistics) with accuracy, compliance, and efficiency
• Enable commercial success: support and coordinate the administrative backbone of revenue-generating activities like Kōawa Studios
• Lead through projects: plan, track, and deliver school-wide initiatives, managing stakeholders and mitigating risks
• Champion safety and compliance: take ownership of Health & Safety systems, ensuring a proactive and well-managed environment

Mōu | Who You Are

You are an experienced leader who knows how to bring people together, lift performance, and create structure in complex environments. You enjoy being at the centre of operations and take pride in making things work better, faster, and smarter.

You will bring:

• At least 5 – 6 years’ in relevant administration work
• Strong people leadership experience with a focus on coaching and team development
• A solid background in administration or operations in a complex environment
• The ability to juggle multiple priorities and stay calm under pressure
• A sharp eye for improving systems and processes
• Outstanding skills and knowledge in budgeting, financial processes, and administrative systems
• Excellent communication skills and the ability to build trusted relationships
• A proactive mindset with the initiative to solve problems and drive outcomes
• An understanding of te ao Māori and a commitment to inclusive practice will set you apart.

Mahi Ngātahi | Who You Will Work With

You will sit at the heart of the School’s operations, working closely with the Head of School, Faculty Manager, academic leaders, and professional staff.

Leading the CADA administration team, you will also engage with students, contractors, and external partners, ensuring administration is not just a support function but a strategic enabler of success.

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.

UC’s Benefits approach is shaped by Ngā Uara | Our Values Whanaungatanga, Tiakitanga, and Manaakitanga. They are designed to be relevant, support and inspire our people, they include:

• 5 weeks annual leave +5 days university holidays
• UC Parental Leave (up to 9 weeks paid) + 26 weeks Government paid parental leave and onsite childcare facility
• generous employer contribution to superannuation (up to 6.75%)
• flexible working arrangements
• professional development and study opportunities
• supportive working environment
• a wide range of retail discounts across shopping, entertainment and travel
• on-campus staff discounts including UC RecCentre
• 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: 17 April 2026 (midnight, NZ time)*Please note applications will be reviewed after 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 WorkatUC@canterbury.ac.nz

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

#LI-DNI

Job Details

Reference #	31636
Posted on	02 Apr 2026
Closes on	17 Apr 2026 23:55
Location(s)	Christchurch
Expertise	Administration
Job level(s)	Experienced
Work type(s)	Continuing (Permanent) full-time