Programme Director | Kaituruki

Jora New Zealand will close on 9th September 2026. Thank you for being with us, we are cheering you on as you continue your career journey. Toi Ngāpuhi is a vibrant, Northland-based arts and cultural agency born out of an iwi arts strategic plan, Piki Tū Rangitia. For the past seven years, they have been dedicated to enhancing and uplifting their people through the arts. They do the mahi on the ground, helping communities build the skills and readiness to carve their own whare, running rangatahi programmes like Tai o Hī Tai o Hā, and creating spaces where their people can thrive enough to adorn their meeting houses. They are an independent agency doing meaningful work across Te Taitokerau. They are a positive, close-knit team driven by their kaupapa, working to strengthen Ngāpuhi identity through mahi toi by supporting artists, whānau, hapū, and strategic partners. Their vision is to foster excellence in creative and cultural expression, driven by a wairua of manaakitanga and deep cultural competency. This is a senior leadership position at the heart of Toi Ngāpuhi's mahi. As Kaituruki | Programme Director, you will provide strategic, cultural, creative, and operational leadership across their full programme portfolio, reporting directly to the General Manager. You will lead the design, development, delivery, and evaluation of programmes that respond to the aspirations of Ngāpuhi ringatoi, hapū, whānau, and communities. You will lead and grow a dedicated programme team, build trusted relationships with pūkenga, ringatoi, funders, and partners, and ensure every programme is culturally grounded, well designed, and delivered to a consistently high standard. This role carries real weight. You will be a visible face of Toi Ngāpuhi in communities across Te Tai Tokerau, and the relationships you hold and the mana you carry into those spaces matter deeply to the kaupapa. In this role, you will: Lead the strategic design, development, and delivery of Toi Ngāpuhi's programme portfolio, including Tai o Hī Tai o Hā, Te Tira Ranga, Wharau, Te Whare Tuhituhi, and the annual Minenga. Work closely with pūkenga, and ringatoi to ensure programmes are culturally grounded and incorporate mātauranga Māori and tikanga Ngāpuhi. Lead, coach, and develop a team of Pou Kaupapa and Pou Āwhina, building a collaborative and accountable team culture. Build and steward trusted relationships with hapū, marae, whānau, funders, strategic partners, and arts-sector networks. Oversee programme monitoring, evaluation, and reporting to funders, partners, and the Paerangi. Contribute to organisational planning, budget preparation, risk management, and strategic decision-making. Represent and advocate for Toi Ngāpuhi's kaupapa in regional and national forums. They need someone with flair, guts, and a deep, lived understanding of the arts, culture and the communities they serve. You do not need to be a practicing ringatoi, but you must have genuine experience working in and alongside the arts and cultural ecosystem, whether that is through arts management, programme leadership, cultural development, community arts, or producing and facilitating creative programmes. You understand what it means to work with artists, and you know how to hold that space with confidence and care. Critically, this role requires someone who is ahi kaa in Te Tai Tokerau, someone who has lived and breathed kāinga life and carries a real understanding of tikanga Ngāpuhi, the kawa of different mārae, and the nuance of moving across communities in this rohe. The relationships Toi Ngāpuhi holds are complex and precious, and the Kaituruki is the person who carries and grows them. This is not a role for someone still finding their footing in the region. They are looking for a confident, inspiring, and deeply relational leader who is motivated by the collective, not the individual, someone who is genuinely passionate about uplifting Ngāpuhi communities through the arts and brings solutions, not problems, to the table. You will bring: Substantial experience in programme leadership, arts management, cultural development, community development, or a related field. Demonstrated experience leading the design and delivery of complex, multi-workstream programmes or projects. Proven people leadership experience, including coaching, performance support, and team development. A strong understanding of ngā toi Māori, Māori creative practice, and the cultural landscape of Te Tai Tokerau. Lived experience and knowledge of tikanga Ngāpuhi and the kawa of communities across the rohe. Experience building and maintaining trusted relationships with hapū, marae, whānau, ringatoi, pūkenga, funders, and organisational leaders. Strong programme and project management skills, including planning, budgeting, risk management, monitoring, evaluation, and reporting. Competency in te reo Māori and tikanga Māori appropriate to the responsibilities of this role. A demonstrated commitment to manaakitanga, whakawhanaungatanga, integrity, and collective success. Ngā hua ka makere iho | What they offer This is a rare opportunity to lead from within an organisation doing some of the most meaningful mahi toi in Te Tai Tokerau. You will be part of a high-trust, values-led leadership team with the autonomy to shape programmes that genuinely matter for their people and their landscape. The role is based in Te Tai Tokerau. They value kanohi ki te kanohi and offer some flexibility around where and how you work. The role involves travel across the rohe, with mileage reimbursed. #J-18808-Ljbffr