Senior People and Performance Partner

• Senior HR Business partner
• providing high level advice to senior people leaders
• Nation wide, fixed term role to 30th June 2026

Want to work for an organisation making a difference for Aotearoa NZ's most vulnerable? We're looking for a Senior HR Business Partner to provide strategic HR advice and guidance to Senior Leaders within our frontline business groups.

Mō mātou | About us

Oranga Tamariki—Ministry for Children has a commitment to putting tamariki and rangatahi at the heart of what we do. In our work, we aim to demonstrate these values:

• We put Tamariki first
• We believe Aroha is vital
• We respect the Mana of people
• We are Tika and Pono
• We value Whakapapa
• We recognise that Oranga is a journey

We are committed to ensuring that New Zealand is the best place in the world to be a child. We are also committed to ensuring Oranga Tamariki partners with hapū, iwi and Māori organisations to find appropriate solutions for tamariki in need.

Mō te tūnga | About the role

We are looking for a 'Senior HR Business Partner with a difference' to be a part of our in-flight Enabling Communities Programme. Enabling Communities is a transformational initiative that provides selected partners the opportunity to redesign and reimagine what care looks like for their own tamariki and whānau. Partners lead the design, development, and implementation of prototypes, they set the pace, and they are the decision makers.

Reporting into our People and performance team but embedded within the Enabling Communities team, you will have the opportunity to work with a team that is passionate and committed to supporting the success of our Partners to deliver system change for their communities. To be successful in this role, you will need to have significant experience working collaboratively as well as the confidence and demonstrated competence to work in an environment that is grounded in Mātaturanga Māori, te reo Māori me ōno tikanga. This is not a role for someone who is inexperienced in engaging with and working in partnership with iwi, Māori providers, and community groups, nor for someone without significant business partnering experience in a transformation environment.

Ngā pūmanawatanga ōu | What you will bring

We're looking for a passionate, pragmatic HR Business partner that can provide well informed and strategic advice to senior stakeholders. Our ideal candidate is a practical, inclusive, and agile HR practitioner.

Some other key requirements of the role include but aren't limited to:

• You'll be a quick starter, able to build an understanding of the Partner prototype requirements and use that to identity and inform capability development and culture change requirements for Oranga Tamariki staff
• Strong communication and advocacy skills to influence future people related initiatives that will support Oranga Tamariki to give effect to partnered ways of working
• Experience collaborating with Project and Change Managers to support the analysis of the people impacts and to design new ways of working
• Confidence in providing hands on support and advice to senior leaders and front-line managers to embed changes to how their team's work
• Strong employee relations experience to support engagement with employee representative groups at both a local and national level, and to ensure we meet our obligations to engage with and consult our staff
• An analytical mindset to assist the team source and understand workforce related data and information and to contribute to developing people related reporting measures to assist in understanding the workforce implications of the EC programme
• An ability to influence those around you to ensure the Enabling Communities work is understood and prioritised
• Engagement skills that demonstrate genuine manaakitanga (humility), and the ability to know when to lead and when to advise, and when to step back and āta Whakarongo (listen)
• A deep and broad understanding of operating within a Māori Crown relationship; and applying a partnership-based practice
• An ability to see the big picture and understand the strategic and local context

Nōu te rourou | What's in it for you

Oranga Tamariki offer an impartial remuneration package, that offers progression annually for experience through tenure. Annual remuneration for this position starts between $125,926 and $139,459 dependant on experience. We offer a vibrant and supportive team so you can thrive and grow, flexible work options and a genuine commitment to wellbeing. We welcome diversity and are committed to working in an inclusive and respectful way. This is your opportunity to apply your skills and experience to the wellbeing of tamariki and rangatahi.

To see all the benefits of working for Oranga Tamariki, please visit

Me pēhea te tuku tono | How to Apply

Apply online with your CV and Covering Letter. Please use your cover letter as an opportunity to let us know why you are interested in this specific position, why you are the best person for it and what Oranga Tamariki values resonate with you the most and why? Please limit your cover letter to 1 page.

If you have any questions about role, please contact

Hurry as applications for this role close at 5pm on Tuesday 11th November 2026

We will be reviewing applications and inviting candidates to interview prior to this date, so apply now

If you are interested in any of our vacancies, please ensure that you make yourself familiar with our code of conduct as it sets out our expectations for our kaimahi and requires you to present at work free from the influences of both drugs and alcohol.