Maaori Partnerships Senior Advisor

He angituutanga: The opportunity 

Reporting to the Maaori Partnerships Manager, you’ll play an important delivery role within IAWAI’s Maaori partnerships and engagement function. You’ll help bring IAWAI’s Maaori Partnership Strategy to life and support Maaori engagement across our $3 billion infrastructure programme, ensuring Te Tiriti o Waitangi principles are reflected in how we plan, design, and deliver essential water services.

You’ll work directly with mana whenua, iwi, and Maaori stakeholders to support engagement across drinking water, wastewater, and stormwater projects. This includes helping ensure engagement is timely, well‑coordinated, culturally appropriate, and aligned with both iwi expectations and IAWAI’s organisational obligations. You’ll also support early and ongoing engagement throughout project planning, optioneering, design, and delivery, making sure Maaori perspectives are meaningfully captured and influence key decisions.

In this role, you’ll collaborate closely with Aronui Tuuhono to integrate Maaori engagement with wider community engagement processes, avoiding duplication and ensuring strong alignment. You’ll also support coordination with Aronui Paaoho where Maaori engagement connects with organisational or public communications, helping ensure messaging is accurate, respectful, and consistent.