'Kotahi anō te kaupapa, ko te oranga o te iwi'

‘There is only one purpose to our work:  the wellness and wellbeing of our people'

The Ara Poutama Aotearoa strategy, Hōkai Rangi, expresses our organisation's intention to transform the way we operate to ensure that the people in our care, and their whānau, are supported to reduce recidivism and improve the humanising and healing aspects of the work we do. By the end of 2022, Ara Poutama Aotearoa will have new facilities at Waikeria Prison including Hikitia a mental health and addiction service (MHAS), designed to address the needs of ngā tāne in our care. This service is being designed, implemented, and governed in partnership with mana whenua ahi kā (Maniapoto ki te Raki and Raukawa ki Wharepuhunga) and the Waikato District Health Board. 

Mō te tūnga | About the role

As a Corrections Officer you will join a highly supportive team that manages ngā tāne in prison and in the community.  You will use your communication skills to influence ngā tāne, assisting them to make the right choices, take the right actions at the right times and continually support their individual pathways towards living offending-free lives.  Your contribution will count, and you will have a positive effect on the lives of others and public safety. It's more challenging, more interesting and more rewarding than you can imagine.

Upon an offer of employment, you will be required to complete an initial residential 11- week training course. The starting salary is $54,793 increasing to $57,432 after your initial training.

Ngā pūkenga me ngā wheako | Skills and experience

Your understanding of Te Ao Māori and Tikanga Māori or desire to learn will be an advantage as we align our model and way of working to our organisation's values – Manaaki, Rangitira, Whānau, Kaitiaki, Wairua. We are also seeking candidates who:

• Are passionate about helping others
• Who want to work in a people related role
• Are good role models within their community
• Possess skills and experience relevant to working in a varied and challenging environment
• Demonstrate strong integrity and safety awareness

About you | Mōu

To be eligible to apply you must already have:

• A current and full non-conditional New Zealand driver licence (NB. If you hold an International Driver Licence you can still apply however you must convert this to a full NZ Driver Licence before an offer of employment can be formally made to you)
• The legal right to work full-time in New Zealand
• The ability to pass a pre-employment drug test, a full medical assessment and a physical readiness assessment
• To declare any convictions and/or conflicts of interest and have them approved by us in accordance with our Corrections delegations policy
• You will be required to work shifts as our prisons operate 24/7. Your rostered shift could be of 8, 10- or 12-hours duration depending on which unit you are working in.  Our new shift schedules give staff more rostered days off to enjoy a better work/life balance.

In line with our Strategy Hōkai Rangi , we are prioritising applications from people who have experience in a Kaupapa Māori or Pasifika environment and/or a willingness to learn. Please highlight any relevant experience and/or language skills in your application. 

Mō mātou | About us

Ara Poutama Aotearoa is a name that has been gifted to us and is our commitment to improving the oranga and safety of the people, whānau, and that of the communities we serve across the motu. 

As a values-led organisation, we use the principles of rangatira (leadership), manaaki (respect), wairua (spirituality), kaitiaki (guardianship) and whānau (relationships) to shape how we work and deliver the outcomes in our strategy - Hōkai Rangi (https://arapoutama.nz/hokairangi).

Kano ārai mate KOWHEORI-19 | COVID-19 vaccinations 

All people working frontline inside prisons and in the community will be required to be fully vaccinated as part of the COVID-19 Public Health Response (Vaccinations) Order 2021. Due to the ease of transmission, the Vaccination Order supports the safety and wellbeing of our people and those we work with.

Tono ināianei | Apply Now

To apply, please submit a tailored CV and a cover letter describing your motivation for joining the department highlighting relevant skills and experience. Alignment to our kaupapa is critical to our success - we ask that you provide examples which reflect and demonstrate our organisation values. 

It is an exciting time to join us and we continue to seek out talented individuals who are committed to an inclusive, vibrant workplace. We recognise and celebrate the uniqueness of individuals, and that of the collective talent in our whānau.  All applications must be submitted through our careers site to ensure transparency. Applications received via email will not be considered. 

If you want to find out more about a career with us, visit careers.corrections.govt.nz or email our team at careers@corrections.govt.nz.