Are you a passionate advocate for tamariki and rangatahi?
VOYCE – Whakarongo Mai is seeking an experienced superstar to join our wonderful team of Kaiwhakamana (Advocates) to champion the voices of care experienced tamariki and rangatahi (young people in the care of Oranga Tamariki) across the Te Waipounamu region. Our office for this role is based in Dunedin. This is a primarily onsite role, with regular travel required throughout the region.
In this role, you will have the opportunity to build and nurture relationships with young people, support tūhono events and develop relationships with a variety of stakeholders. It is important to note that in order to effectively carry out this role, some travel across the Te Waipounamu region will be required. You will be working alongside a small team of Kaiwhakamana based across the region, who are passionate about championing the voices of care experienced tamariki and
rangatahi.
In this position, you’ll be working to enhance the Kaupapa and values of VOYCE – Whakarongo Mai and ensure the voices of care experienced tamariki and rangatahi are heard and valued.
About you
We want someone who believes in the kaupapa of VOYCE – Whakarongo Mai and brings an authentic passion for young people and a desire to influence the care system. Someone who aligns with and champions our values of Aroha, Manaakitanga, Tika and Pono. Someone who trusts young people to make their own decisions, rather than someone who thinks they know best and what is
right for young people.
You will have:
- Experience working with children and young people aged 0–25, ideally within the social
services, youth development, education, health, or community sector
- Demonstrated experience working with children and/or young people and know how to build relationships with them, as well as build strong positive relationships with providers and agencies across the region.
- Confident working in secure residences and/or multidisciplinary environments with experience in youth development/participation and knowledge and application of child protection legislation and practices.
- Ability to work both autonomously and as part of a collaborative team with excellent time management, organised, well developed interpersonal skills.
- Excellent attention to detail, with strong analytical and administrative skills accompanied with solid professional judgement.
- Proficient in event and activity planning, and group facilitation to deliver impactful opportunities that foster relationships and engaging connections for young people.
- A strong understanding of tikanga Māori and feel comfortable working with people with disabilities.
- A full clean driver’s licence is essential.
- The ability to obtain Children’s Worker clearance (you will be asked to submit two forms of identification prior to interview if shortlisted for this role – one being a NZ Driver’s Licence, with the other being a Passport, NZ Birth Certificate, or any other Category A identification document, as well as any relevant name change documentation to ensure your vetting will progress smoothly).
- Flexibility and availability for travel around the region in our pool vehicles, as well as further afield when required for mahi, events hui, professional development, and other mahi-related gatherings. This travel will at times require you to stay overnight.
In addition, you would ideally bring:
- A qualification in youth work, social services, education, health sector or
similar (or equivalent experience).
- A strong knowledge of and interest in the care sector.
You will be visiting children and young people in their homes and communities (including YJ and/or Care and protection residences and group home environments) and will need to be flexible about your availability to meet with them. This will likely mean some evening and weekend work in
addition to regional travel.
Why join us at VOYCE?
Not only will you leave mahi every day feeling like you are making a difference in the lives of care-experienced young people throughout Aotearoa, you will also work for an organisation that:
- Has a culture of learning and growth – after your first year at VOYCE, you will have access to an annual dedicated Professional Development budget to support your career.
- Provides internal training opportunities, and an excellent induction programme that sets you up for success.
- Prioritises your wellbeing with ongoing initiatives and support throughout the year, driven by our Hauora Committee.
- Health insurance benefits
- Provides EAP, to support you both in and out of mahi.
- Is supportive, fun, are incredibly passionate about what we do!
About VOYCE
VOYCE – Whakarongo Mai is an independent NGO that provides advocacy services for children and young people in care. It was co-designed by and for children and young people with care experience who wanted to talk to someone outside the care system when they felt unsure, unheard and didn’t know what was happening or they wanted to have a say in their lives. Our work is underpinned by a robust practise framework guided by our five foundational pou, which were developed with rangatahi:
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Whakamana – supporting tamariki and rangatahi in care to express their views
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Tuhono – connection of tamariki and rangatahi through events and creating community
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Whakatairanga – the collective voices of tamariki and rangatahi
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Whai Pukenga – building a positive future through practical skills support and opportunities
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Rangatiratanga – growing leadership
Applications close Friday, 26 June 2026 at 5pm
For more information or a copy of the job description, email pandc@voyce.org.nz
Note: The anticipated start date for this position will be first week of August
At VOYCE – Whakarongo Mai, we are committed to creating a supportive and inclusive workplace that celebrates diversity. We are Rainbow Tick accredited and take pride in being an equal opportunity employer. We welcome all applicants that feel they have the necessary skills, experience, and passion for this role to apply. If you require any reasonable adjustments during the recruitment process, please let us know how we can assist you.VOYCE – Whakarongo Mai is open to candidates with valid working visas. Please note that we are unable to sponsor work visas for this position.
Please note: We will be reviewing applications as they
come through and reserve the right to close applications prior to the listed
date where we identify a suitable candidate for this role.
