Ko wai mātou | Who are we

Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei is a hapū of Ngāti Whātua. We live in and around the Tāmaki isthmus. We hold to our mana motuhake, our history, our culture, our identity, and our reo. Our whakapapa traces to Tuperiri and the hapū Ngā Oho, Te Taoū, and Te Uringutu.

We are tangata whenua in Tāmaki. Our authority over land and sea rests on take tupuna, take raupatu, ahi kā, and tuku whenua.

Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei Trust looks after the collective affairs of our hapū. We have more than 8,000 registered members across Aotearoa and overseas. Ōrākei Marae is our cultural hub.

Te Kahu Tōpuni o Tuperiri describes the protective reach of our ancestor across our rohe.

Purpose of the role

We are looking for a highly organised Cultural Engagement & Operations Coordinator to join our Toi Whātua Directorate. This role acts as the operational connector across our cultural, communications and strategy functions, ensuring Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei is represented with excellence at every engagement.

You’ll be the central point for coordination, planning, relationship management and information flow, ensuring our internal teams, external partners and mana whenua responsibilities are aligned and well-prepared. This is a pivotal role that supports high-quality cultural engagement delivery and strengthens our presence across Tāmaki.

Ngā tino pūkenga/whēako | Qualifications & Experience

Essential:
You will bring professionalism, calmness, and exceptional organisational capability. You know how to keep people connected, informed, and aligned, and you thrive in a role where every day involves relationship building, coordination, and cultural delivery support.

We’re looking for someone who has:

Experience in bookings, administration, or event coordination

Strong communication skills across all channels

Excellent organisational and time-management skills

Experience with CRM/database systems (ideally Dynamics)

Proficiency in te reo Māori me ngā tikanga Māori

Confidence working with iwi and kaupapa Māori environments

Attention to detail, follow-through and a strong process mindset

To be successful in this role, we recognise that the following values & competencies are critical for kaimahi/employees to flourish at Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei:

• Manaakitanga 
• Respect
• Resilience
• Whānau outcome focused
• Collaboration
• Cultural Understanding

Key Result Areas:

Coordinate all cultural engagement activity and ensure seamless planning and delivery
Maintain the cultural engagement calendar, CRM, and stakeholder data to a high standard

Act as the central connector between teams, ensuring information flows clearly and on time
Build and manage strong relationships with internal directorates and external partners
Provide high-quality coordination and support at key cultural engagements and events
Lead operational processes, templates, meeting agendas, and action tracking for the team
Identify risks, bottlenecks, and opportunities, recommending practical solutions
Drive continuous improvement through streamlined systems and best-practice workflows
Uphold tikanga, cultural integrity, and Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei values in all engagement activity
Support cultural and professional development and contribute positively to team goals

Requirements & Checks

Applicants must have the right to work in New Zealand. 

Please be aware in applying for this role, you may be required to undergo the following pre-employment checks:

• Police Vetting Report

Apply Now

If you're interested, please click the 'Apply for this job' button at the top or bottom of the page. If you have any questions about the role please email: peopleperformance@nwo.iwi.nz 

We will be reviewing applications and undertaking interviews ahead of the closing date, therefore please do not hesitate to submit your application!