Residential Youth Worker

• Permanent roles available - start date on the 1st December 2025
• We need role models with a passion for supporting and empowering rangatahi
• Attractive remuneration and benefits package

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

Take a step away from doing work that is the same day in and day out. Join the team at our Korowai Manaaki Youth Justice Residence as a Residential Youth Worker and take pride in knowing that the work you do every day makes a real difference to the lives of our tamariki.

What is a Youth Justice Residence? It's a place where 13-17-year-olds accused of an offence stay to await court proceedings or serve a sentence. This means they are not free to leave. However, a residence is not a prison, and our Residential Youth Workers are not prison guards. Our Residence team understands that the causes of offending are complex, and that successfully dealing with young offenders, demands action beyond simple punitive measures.

Mō te tūnga | About the role

Guiding positive behavioural change is often challenging and our residential youth workers have many responsibilities, including:

• Ensuring that a safe and secure environment is maintained for the benefit of the rangatahi, staff and the community
• Supporting young offenders in their personal growth and rehabilitation with a focus on health, education, training and employment
• Working with rangatahi to help them build and strengthen relationships with their whānau and communities and encouraging them to act on referrals to services

To do well in this role a tertiary qualification in sport, health, education or youth work would be useful but life skills such as carpentry, culture, arts and sport skills are invaluable.

This is not a 9 to 5 job - our rangatahi require wrap around support from us which is why our Residential Youth Workers do rostered shifts as we provide 24-hour, 7-days per week care (including weekends and public holidays).

The shifts are a rotating roster with a mixture of AM shift (6.30am - 3.00pm) and PM (2.30pm pm) shifts.

It is important that you are motivated to engage in our way of being, so it is an advantage to have skills in tikanga & te reo Māori - however a strong motivation to learn restorative approaches is a great start. You will work within a collaborative and reflective workplace so need to be open minded and a team player who is committed to achieving Oranga Tamariki's vision, purpose, and values together.

Our team is dedicated to ensuring the time rangatahi spend in a Youth Justice Residence is transformative, meeting their needs and improving their prospects. This role offers you the chance to be actively involved in the daily operations of the residence, working directly with rangatahi to understand their unique needs and help them succeed.

Ngā pūmanawatanga ōu | What you will bring

• A passion for wanting to make a positive difference in the lives of rangatahi
• The ability to build positive relationships with a wide range of people
• Good communication skills with the ability to work with others and contribute to a supportive and inclusive team
• Knowledge of Tikanga and Te Reo is an advantage - Oranga Tamariki is committed to developing our kaimahi to develop this important capability
• Willingness and ability to work across a roster that covers mornings, evenings, weekends and public holidays
• A good level of physical fitness that will allow you to safely support and interact with rangatahi

In this role you need to have the right to work in New Zealand, either as a NZ citizen or permanent resident. You will also need to be able to meet the safety checking and police vetting requirements required under the Children's Act, please note that Clean Slate does not apply.

Nōu te rourou | What's in it for you

• Full training, supervision and career development opportunities
• The ability to make a difference to the outcomes for our rangatahi (young people)
• The ability to make long lasting relationships within the community

We offer a remuneration package that starts between approximately $57,760 and $65,334 (depending on your experience). On top of this, we also apply a 20% allowance to your base remuneration for working shifts/a roster pattern. The 20% allowance is applied once you have completed your initial induction and are placed onto a rotating roster that covers days, evenings and weekends. Base remuneration plus the 20% allowance works out to be between $64,766 and $78,400 (depending on your experience). Additionally, Oranga Tamariki has a remuneration framework that offers step-based annual increases based on your tenure.

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

Me pēhea te tuku tono  | How to Apply

Apply online by clicking "Apply Now" please include your CV and cover letter.

If you are an Oranga Tamariki employee, please register or log in using your Oranga Tamariki e-mail address.

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.

Oranga Tamariki is committed to developing a diverse workforce and an inclusive workplace. We provide equal employment opportunities and welcome applications from everyone who can meet the requirements of the role. We also support flexible working arrangements.