Senior Advisor (Te Taiao)

• Shape Māori outcomes across Auckland’s parks and community places
• Build enduring partnerships with mana whenua, iwi and mataawaka
• Lead culturally responsive change grounded in Te Tiriti and mātauranga Māori

He angitūtanga: The opportunity

We have a unique opportunity to help shape how Auckland’s parks and community places reflect, protect and celebrate the aspirations of Māori. Providing specialist advice across whenua and parks management, you will work alongside parks teams, mana whenua, iwi and mataawaka to advance priority Māori outcomes aligned with Tamaki Ora particularly Taiao ora. You will play a key role in strengthening culturally responsive practice, influencing system change and supporting our people to honour Te Tiriti o Waitangi through the way parks are planned, managed and cared for.

In this role, you will:

• Build trusted and enduring relationships with mana whenua, iwi, mataawaka organisations, internal teams and external partners.
• Lead practical system change that supports respectful, consistent and meaningful engagement with Māori.
• Help protect and appropriately manage sites of significance, cultural landscapes and cultural assets across Auckland’s parks network.
• Work closely with parks teams and leadership communities to grow cultural capability and ensure Māori aspirations are reflected in parks services, planning and work programmes.

Click this link to access the Position Description

He kōrero mōu | About you

You will bring a strong understanding of mātauranga Māori and the confidence to work across multiple knowledge systems, while supporting the organisation to uphold Te Tiriti o Waitangi in practice. With experience in whenua, te taiao, conservation or parks-related work, you will be a natural leader who can coach, mentor and influence others to deliver high-quality outcomes. You will also bring strong programme management, analytical and relationship-building skills, with the ability to balance long-term strategic priorities with the delivery of practical outcomes. Collaborative and organised, you will be comfortable coordinating complex work, measuring impact and building trusted relationships across teams and the wider council.

To be successful in this role, you will have:

• A relevant tertiary qualification and at least seven years’ experience working with Māori communities, conservation, environmental management or a related field.
• A strong understanding of te ao Māori, tikanga Māori and Te Tiriti o Waitangi, with confidence communicating in both te reo Māori and English.
• Demonstrated experience in parks or whenua management, including implementing programmes, processes and projects alongside Māori or mana whenua.
• Excellent written, verbal and relationship-building skills, with the ability to work effectively both independently and as part of a collaborative team.

Ngā āhuatanga kei a mātou: What we offer

Auckland Council is one of the largest local authorities in the South Pacific providing essential services and facilities to more than 1.6 million people. We are progressive socially, culturally and environmentally while we work towards creating change having an impact on our journey to becoming a city we are proud of for our ratepayers and residents.

Ehara taku toa, he takitahi, he toa takitini My success is not mine alone, but the success of many.

In return for your hard work, you will be rewarded with a competitive salary and be a part of a friendly and collaborative team that is dedicated to our customers. You will receive dedicated training and development to help build your career and on top of this, as part of our Auckland Council Group, you will gain access to many benefits and discounts. Click link to find out more about our employee benefits package.

If you have any questions about this role, please email me kennedy.sua@aucklandcouncil.govt.nz

Me Tono Ināianei!: Apply Now!

Applications close: Monday 3 July 2026

#workingforauckland

Auckland Council 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.