Title:  Conservation Learning Facilitator - Kaupapa Māori

• Connect te ao Māori with wildlife conservation
• Inspire learners through kaupapa Māori education
• Help shape future learning at Auckland Zoo
• Salary for this role is $77,119 per annum

He angitūtanga: The opportunity

Auckland Zoo has an exciting full-time permanent opportunity for a Conservation Learning Facilitator – Kaupapa Māori to help connect people with wildlife and inspire greater kaitiakitanga for te taiao. As part of the Conservation Learning and Community Engagement team, you’ll develop, deliver and evaluate engaging learning experiences for schools, kura kaupapa Māori, kōhanga reo and community groups—onsite, offsite and online. Working closely with our Kaupapa Māori Advisor, you’ll bring a strong te ao Māori lens to existing Mātauranga Māori programmes and help create new learning opportunities that explore the connection between kaupapa Māori and wildlife conservation. You’ll also contribute to the future strategic direction of learning, zoo design and operations, helping ensure our educational experiences honour Auckland Zoo’s commitment to  strengthening our relationship with te ao Māori and deliver meaningful Māori outcomes. This role includes some evening, weekend and public holiday work when required.

In this role, you will:

• Develop and deliver high-quality conservation learning programmes grounded in mātauranga Māori, with clear outcomes aligned to relevant education frameworks, Auckland Zoo’s mission and the Zoo-relevant outcomes in Tātaki Auckland Unlimited’s Te Mahere Aronga and Auckland Council’s Tāmaki Ora – Māori Outcomes.
• Build trusted relationships with kura kaupapa Māori, kōhanga reo, schools and community groups to broaden participation and create meaningful connections between learners, te ao Māori and wildlife conservation.
• Evaluate programme effectiveness by collecting participation and impact data, mapping audiences and turning insights into practical improvements and future learning opportunities.
• Contribute a te ao Māori perspective to zoo developments and visitor experiences, including the design and delivery of programming for Te Taiao and other future initiatives.
• Support wider conservation, advocacy and engagement activities, including visitor and community programmes, outreach, operations and field conservation work, while promoting continuous improvement across the team.

Click this link to access the Position Description

He kōrero mōu: About you

You’ll bring a genuine passion for te ao Māori, education and wildlife conservation, along with the energy and confidence to connect learners with the natural world in meaningful and memorable ways. You’ll be knowledgeable, empathetic, resilient and positive, with a solutions-focused approach. You do not necessarily need to come from a traditional classroom-teaching background—we’re equally interested in people with relevant facilitation, community, environmental or conservation education experience and a strong cultural contribution to make. You’ll be confident communicating verbally and in writing in te reo Māori, understand tikanga Māori and the aspirations of mana whenua and mātāwaka in Tāmaki Makaurau, and be able to apply this knowledge naturally in your teaching and engagement. You’ll also understand outcome-based learning, different teaching and engagement approaches, relevant education frameworks, Te Tiriti o Waitangi and Māori environmental principles.

To be successful in this role, you will have:

• A degree in science, psychology, education or another relevant discipline, or equivalent practical experience in education, facilitation, community engagement or conservation.
• At least two years’ teaching or educational facilitation experience, or equivalent experience delivering environmental or conservation learning to diverse audiences.
• Knowledge and practical experience applying the New Zealand Curriculum, Te Whāriki, Ka Hikitia – Ka Hāpaitia or comparable education and learning frameworks.
• Experience using kaupapa Māori approaches to learning, with the confidence to converse and write in te reo Māori; the capability to support the future delivery of full te reo Māori programmes for kura Māori and kōhanga reo would be highly valued.

Please note: Standard hours for this role are Monday to Friday however flexibility is needed to work weekends and evenings when required.

Ngā āhuatanga kei a mātou: What we offer

We offer a competitive remuneration package, generous holiday allowance, and the pleasure of working in an award-winning Zoo. You will also have access to the full range of Tātaki Auckland Unlimited benefits – we have a range of discounts and deals with corporate suppliers which cover financial services, health, retail and hospitality discounts to name a few.  We're a hard-working close-knit team that are passionate about Auckland Zoo’s mission to build a future for wildlife and wild places, and we’re looking for like-minded individuals that share our values.

Apply now via our careers site or using the button below, and ensure you attach a bespoke covering letter that is written for this position. We want to know why you're interested in this role and what makes you a great fit!

For more information on Auckland Zoo, please visit https://www.aucklandzoo.co.nz/

Applications Close Sunday 18 October 2026

Tātaki Auckland Unlimited is an equal opportunity employer (EOE) and we are committed to providing a working environment that embraces and values diversity and inclusion. If you have any support or access requirements, we encourage you to advise us at the time of application to assist you through the recruitment process.