"Kaihautū | Director"

Kā Waimaero | UC Māori

Located in Ōtautahi | Christchurch, Aotearoa | New Zealand

Full-time at 37.5 hours per week (1.0 FTE)

1 year Fixed term role

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

What You Will Do

Are you looking for a role that will provide variety and challenge to your working day, where you will lead and implement across a broad range of kaupapa? Then this is the role for you!

The role of the Kaihautū | Director is to lead the development and implementation of the initiatives and plans set by the Office of Treaty Partnership. The Director will provide strategic advice, guidance, and leadership to proactively support the development of the University of Canterbury’s relationships with internal and external stakeholders through the delivery of Māori plans set by the Office of Treaty Partnership that align with the University’s broader strategic plans.

The Director will oversee the functions and operations of the Academic and Māori student teams and build an effective and efficient team within UC Māori.

The Kaihautū will lead and support UC’s strategic intent to contribute to Māori and Indigenous development regionally, nationally and internationally and will support UC’s commitment to develop graduating students who demonstrate Te Tiriti o Waitangi and intercultural competence and confidence, to live and work in Aotearoa and a multicultural world.

Who You Are

To be successful in this role you will have excellent interpersonal skills to be able to engage successfully with a wide range of UC staff, diverse ākonga Māori, whānau, and other Māori community members including kura, iwi, rūnanga and organisations. You will also have:

A minimum of 10 years’ experience in a relevant role including the following:

Successful track record of strategic leadership, development, business planning and budget management.

A high-level understanding of Te Tiriti o Waitangi, and competency in te reo Māori me ōna tikanga.

A strong directional vision for improving and enhancing the overall experience of Māori

Possesses an in-depth understanding of the issues involved in the achievement of educational success by Māori

Strong interpersonal skills and commitment to working in a team environment.

Well-developed analytical skills that can bridge between a strategic plan and its tactical implementation.

Active commitment to upholding the values, tikanga (protocols and processes), kawa (rules) of cultural practice and traditions as guided by mana whenua, Ngāi Tūāhuriri, and valuing te reo Māori.

Who You Will Work With

The role of UC Māori is to help the University in general and in supporting a learning environment which recognises and promotes New Zealand’s unique Te Tiriti based society.

The Office of Treaty Partnership is one of the key initiatives of our UC Futures Programme with a vision to become a vibrant contributor to indigenous knowledge economies regionally, nationally and internationally. We are committed to developing graduates and staff that can live and work in a Aotearoa and a multi-cultural world as well as delivering leading edge Māori student recruitment, retention and achievement strategies.

For more information about our team, please visit us here @ UC Maori | UC

Why UC

Tangata Tū, Tangata Ora - Engaged, Empowered, Making a Difference.

The University of Canterbury is committed to accessible higher education, service to 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.

UC’s Benefits approach is shaped by Ngā Uara | Our Values Whanaungatanga, Tiakitanga, and Manaakitanga. 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 University of Canterbury is an Equal Employment Opportunities (EEO) employer and we encourage diversity in our staffing profile. The University of Canterbury actively seeks to meet its obligation under the Treaty of Waitangi | Te Tiriti o Waitangi.

The closing date for this position is: 6 March 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 WorkatUC@canterbury.ac.nz

You must have Aotearoa New Zealand or Australian citizenship/permanent residency or hold a valid NZ work visa to be considered for this role.