Manager, Māori Partnerships

Published: 29 May 2026

Te whakapakari tahi i tō tātau Taiao – Enhancing our environment together.

Our vision is a healthy environment and a resilient and prosperous community.

About The opportunity | Ko te āheinga:

We are looking for a Manager, Māori Partnerships to join our Tū Hono Rau – Community and Partnerships Group. This is a full-time, permanent opportunity based in Napier.

Tū Hono Rau – Community and Partnerships is the Council’s integrated function for communications, engagement, kaupapa Māori and Te Tiriti leadership. Its purpose is to strengthen Council’s relationships with tāngata whenua and the wider community, ensuring participation and partnership are embedded in all decisions, and uphold a visible and trusted presence.

The Manager, Māori Partnerships is responsible for leading Council’s Māori Partnerships function and ensuring Council meets its participation, partnership, and Te Tiriti o Waitangi obligations in a consistent, coordinated, and effective manner. Reporting to Te Pou Whakarae, this role provides full people leadership to a specialist team and is accountable for setting direction, managing demand, maintaining role clarity, and providing assurance to senior leadership and governance on Māori partnership matters.

A key focus of this role is to provide strategic leadership for the integration of kaupapa Māori, mātauranga Māori, and hononga Māori integration across Council policy, planning, programmes, and decision‑making processes. This includes ensuring Māori considerations are identified early, addressed appropriately, and meaningfully reflected in Council outcomes.

About you | E pā ana ki a koe:

You will be an experienced leader who can provide clear direction and support to a high‑performing team. You will bring a culturally grounded approach to your work, with demonstrated competency in Te Reo Māori me ōna tikanga, and you naturally build strong working relationships through collaborative work practices. You thrive in environments where partnership, respect, and cultural understanding drive meaningful outcomes, and you’re confident engaging with iwi, hapū, and Māori organisations in a way that is authentic, accurate, and tikanga‑aligned.

You will also have:

• A relevant bachelor’s degree or equivalent tertiary qualification
• Minimum 3 years’ management experience
• Excellent interpersonal skills with the ability to initiate and engage effectively at all levels, internally and externally
• A valid driver's license

What we offer | Nga huanga mōu:

The salary range for this role is between $122,485 to $144,100 and will depend on the qualifications and experience of the successful candidate.

Other benefits of working for our team include:

• Flexible working options to support work/life balance
• 5 weeks annual leave after 3 years
• 4% superannuation after 3 years
• Life insurance and income protection
• Subsidised eye tests and lenses, flu vaccinations, and other well-being initiatives
• Strong commitment to developing and upskilling people within a supportive working environment.

See a full list of our staff benefits here 

As an equal opportunity employer, we are dedicated to creating a welcoming and inclusive environment. We recognise that collaborative and innovative organisations depend on having a workforce made up from a diverse range of perspectives and experiences. We're all about excellence, and we encourage open communication – if you need any specific support, just let us know! Our main goal is to empower each person to share their unique talents to contribute to the outcomes for our community. This commitment ensures that our workplace is a dynamic and progressive space where everyone can flourish.

HBRC is responsible for Civil Defence emergencies and as such, all staff may be called upon to support the response.

How to apply | I pēhea ki te whakauru:

Applications close Sunday, 28 June 2026, however we will be shortlisting and interviewing appropriate candidates as applications are received. If you are interested in this position, please do not wait to apply as we may close the ad earlier than advertised.

Applicants must have existing rights to work in New Zealand.

To view the job description please click here.

Apply via Seek

If you would like any further information regarding the role, please email hr@hbrc.govt.nz

About us | E pā ki a mātou:

At Hawke’s Bay Regional Council our purpose is to work with our community to protect and manage the region’s precious taonga of rivers, lakes, soils, air, coast and biodiversity for health, wellbeing and connectivity. Our organisation is diverse and our work is varied. Our structure comprises of six key business units; Corporate Services, Integrated Catchment Management, Asset Management, Māori Partnerships, Policy & Regulation, and the Executive Advisory Group which also consists of the Civil Defence and Emergency Management.

We focus on prioritising:

Te kounga o te wai, te haumarutanga me te mārohirohi ā-āhuarangi o te whakamarutanga | Water quality, safety and climate-resilient security.  

Kia koi, kia toitū hoki te whakamahinga o te whenua | Climate-smart and sustainable land use. 

Kia ora, kia āhei, kia mārohirohi ā-āhuarangi hoki te rerenga rauropi | Healthy, functioning and climate-resilient biodiversity. 

Kia toitū, kia mārohirohi ā-āhuarangi hoki ngā ratonga me ngā hanganga ā-whare | Sustainable and climate-resilient services and infrastructure. 

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