People & Culture Manager

Moo maatou | About us

At Waikato-Tainui, our vision is to grow a prosperous, healthy, vibrant, innovative, and culturally strong iwi to enable mana motuhake. Guided by our commitment to the Kiingitanga, tikanga and te reo, we work to improve outcomes in education and training, employment, marae development, health and wellbeing, environmental stewardship, and the preservation of our tribal identity.

Moo te tuunga | About the role

Reporting to the General Manager – Operations, you will lead our People & Culture Team and champion people initiatives that reflect both technical HR excellence and our iwi values. This is not just an operational leadership role — it’s about partnering with kaimahi and leaders in a way that strengthens relationships, supports our kaupapa, and enables our people to deliver the mahi that matters most to our marae and tribal members.

Our People & Culture Team includes a People and Culture Advisor, People and Culture Business Partner, Payroll Officer, Health and Safety Advisor, Senior Health, Safety and Wellbeing Business Partner, and Kaimahi Journey Coordinator. Together, you will deliver the People & Culture work programme, provide trusted advice to leaders, and embed practices that balance legislative requirements with the unique tikanga and values of our organisation.

This role will focus on:

• Lead and support the People & Culture Team in their day-to-day mahi.
• Oversee delivery of the annual People & Culture work programme and projects.
• Provide trusted guidance to the Senior Leadership Team and managers.
• Lead the annual remuneration review process (Dec–Mar).
• Analyse and report on people data and insights quarterly.
• Prepare governance-level reporting and develop policies and procedures.
• Ensure employment law and health & safety practices are applied in a way that honours our organisational values and iwi context.
• Lead complex HR or health and safety processes when required.

Ngaa puumanawatanga oou | What you will bring:

• 8+ years’ HR experience with proven ability to lead people and programmes.
• Strong relationship skills and a collaborative, business-partnering style.
• Experience in employment law, employment relations, and health & safety.
• Ability to produce and analyse people data (Excel proficiency essential).
• Experience leading teams and managing people performance.
• A genuine love for working with people and a willingness to learn.
• Alignment with a values-led approach where relationships, respect, and service to the kaupapa guide decision-making.
• Experience in iwi or Maaori contexts is preferred, or a demonstrated openness and commitment to learning and working in this way.

Me peehea te tuku tono | How to apply

To apply for this role, please submit your CV and a tailored cover letter. It is expected that your cover letter will demonstrate your experience, ideally providing examples which reflect your capability to fulfil the role competencies as set out in the position description. The cover letter will be significant and will inform the shortlisting process.

To request a copy of the position description or if you have any paatai about the role, please contact our Kaimahi Journey Coordinator, Fraims Tuifua at [email protected]

Applications close Friday 24 October 2025, but the position may be filled earlier if a suitable candidate is found.

This role is permanent, full-time (37.5 hours per week). You must be legally entitled to work in New Zealand.

Employer questions

Your application will include the following questions:

• Which of the following statements best describes your right to work in New Zealand?
• How many years' experience do you have as a People and Culture Manager?
• How many years of people management experience do you have?
• How many years' experience do you have in industrial relations & employment law?
• What's your expected annual base salary?
• How much notice are you required to give your current employer?
• What's your highest level of education?

Apply now