Te Tari Mātai Pāpāho | Department of Media and Communication

Te Rāngai Toi Tangata | College of Arts

Located in Ōtautahi | Christchurch, Aotearoa | New Zealand

• Part-time 24 hours per week (0.6 FTE)
• Fixed-Term position (3 years)
• Starting anytime between 12 October and 2 November 2026

Kia hiwa rā, kia hiwa rā!

He hiahia, he pūkenga nōu ki te mahi a te Pūkenga? 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 a Pūkenga | Lecturer (Teaching and Administration) in the Media and Communication programme. We are seeking to appoint a Lecturer in Strategic Communication who can help develop core courses oriented toward developing professional skills. The principal duties of the role will be the coordination and delivery of three Media and Communication courses focused on strategic communication. One course will be taught onto the Master of Strategic Communication, both on campus and online, with the other two courses are in the undergraduate Bachelor of Communication within the Communication Strategy and Practice major. The University of Canterbury aims to produce graduates in strategic communication who are able to move into work in the field of strategic communication as well as other related areas and to develop their critical understanding of communication in a complex media environment.

The courses that the successful candidate would teach are ‘Advertising and Cultural Consumption’ (undergraduate), an advanced strategic communication course building on current offerings for third-year students (undergraduate), and one postgraduate course ‘Strategic Communication Portfolio’ (post-graduate capstone project). The ‘Advertising and Cultural Consumption’ course has been taught for many years, and teaching materials are readily available. The two other courses noted above have never been taught at the university. We are seeking an engaged individual who is excited about this opportunity to develop core coursework for students in strategic communication.

The postgraduate course must be created for on-campus students and online, through Tuihono UC | UC Online. A key component of the postgraduate course is connectivity with the professional field of strategic communication. Having personal networks with the profession will be an advantage. If you do not yet have them, you must demonstrate a strong desire to develop them quickly in preparation for this professionally focused course. You will be based within the Media and Communication programme, and will work collaboratively with colleagues in the Media and Communication programme | Te Tari Mātai Pāpāho and elsewhere, including Tuihono UC | UC Online, for the development of courses. The successful applicant will be expected to provide pastoral care for students, and advocacy for the strategic communication programmes.

The University is committed to developing bi-culturally competent, community-engaged and globally aware graduates and teaching which supports students' ability to understand and interact effectively. Your teaching and professional development will reflect these values.

Mōu | Who You Are

To be successful in this role, you will have, or be currently completing, a PhD in communication, or a related field. You will be proficient in teaching, with experience teaching or tutoring at tertiary level, and developing a reflective pedagogical practice that is demonstrated through a clearly stated teaching philosophy in your application. You will also be able to demonstrate knowledge of contemporary professional practice in strategic communication field. Industry experience and connections within the communication industry will be a decided advantage.

You will be motivated to promote UC’s values which include whanaungatanga - valuing people and their differences; manaakitanga - extending care and empowering others; and tiakitanga - enhancing and nurturing our resources.

Mahi Ngātahi | Who You Will Work With

You will work collaboratively with both Tuihono UC | UC Online and Te Kura Mātāpuna Tangata │ School of Language, Social & Political Sciences, who are partnering to develop an online version of the Master of Strategic Communication. You will be located with colleagues in Media and Communication. The Media and Communication programme examines the influence and impact of the media and new information technologies and shows how communication and media work within a broader social context, drawing on both the arts and social sciences. Through its Bachelor of Communication degree, various postgraduate offerings, and the BA major and minor, it aims to produce graduates who are engaged with their communities, empowered to act for good and determined to use their communication skills to make a difference in the world. Our academics are active researchers with international publication records and particular strengths in journalism, international media and politics, and critical analysis of the media from a wide range of perspectives.

For more information about our team, please visit us at UC Media & Communication.

Ngā Painga o UC | Why UC

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

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.

The University is committed to providing an excellent working environment through:

• flexible working arrangements
• supportive working environment
• professional development and study opportunities
• living in revitalised Ōtautahi | Christchurch, Aotearoa New Zealand
• a unique working environment in a beautiful campus with access to UC facilities such as the recreation centre and Staff club at discounted rates plus onsite cafés and eateries, and more.

For more information, please visit us: https://www.canterbury.ac.nz/joinus/benefits/

For more information about Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha | University of Canterbury, please visit https://www.canterbury.ac.nz/

This role sits within the Academic Staff, Associated Staff and Support Staff Collective Agreement and the following salary scale applies: Lecturer $94,181 - $113,616.

The closing date for this position is: Sunday, 21 June 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 on our careers website and should include the following:

1. a 1-page cover letter, a 1-page research statement outlining your research interests and goals,
2. and a 1-page teaching philosophy statement (combined)
3. a Resume which includes a list of relevant research publications (combined).

Please note, only 2 documents can be uploaded in the application process.

We do not accept applications by email, however, we are happy to answer any queries at WorkatUC@canterbury.ac.nz

If you have any questions relating to the role, please contact: Professor and Head of School, Linda Jean Kenix at lindajean.kenix@canterbury.ac.nz

You must have Aotearoa New Zealand or Australian citizenship/permanent residency or hold a valid NZ work visa for the length of the (3 year) term, to be considered for this role.

Please note, this position is based on Ilam campus, and not a remote working role.