Lead People. Strengthen Communities. Create Impact.

Bring your leadership, community focus, and commitment to innovation to a role where your work creates meaningful impact.

Are you a values-driven leader who is passionate about improving outcomes for disabled people and tangata whaikaha Māori? Do you thrive on developing high-performing teams, building strong community partnerships, and delivering services that make a genuine difference?

We are looking for a Connections and Funding Manager | Te Ara Tuitui Tāngata to lead and support regional teams across our Connections and Funding service. In this role, you will empower team members to deliver high-quality, person-directed support while fostering strong relationships with communities, providers, iwi, hapū, and other key stakeholders.

About the Role

As the Connections and Funding Manager, you will provide leadership, coaching, and support to a regional team, ensuring services are delivered consistently, effectively, and in line with the Enabling Good Lives principles.

You will work collaboratively with the wider Connections and Funding leadership team to drive service excellence, meet contract requirements, and create opportunities that support disabled people to live the lives they choose.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead, coach, and develop a high-performing regional team, fostering a culture of continuous improvement and learning.
• Support team members to deliver rights-based, person-directed services that reflect the Enabling Good Lives vision and principles.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with community organisations, providers, emergency management networks, iwi, hapū, Māori and Pasifika partners.
• Champion collaboration and nationally consistent best practice across the Connections and Funding service.
• Support and enable Local Disability Leadership Groups to effectively undertake their monitoring and advocacy roles.
• Oversee contract delivery, monitoring, reporting, and resource management to ensure quality service outcomes are achieved.
• Build team confidence and competence in the responsible, ethical, and safe use of artificial intelligence and other emerging technologies to improve efficiency, service quality, learning, and continuous improvement.

What We Are Looking For

• A genuine commitment to the rights, inclusion, and aspirations of disabled people and tangata whaikaha Māori.
• Strong leadership experience with the ability to inspire, coach, and develop others.
• Excellent relationship-building skills and the ability to work effectively with a wide range of people and communities.
• Understanding of tikanga Māori, Te Ao Māori, and the importance of culturally responsive practice.
• Exceptional communication skills and the ability to navigate complex situations with empathy and sound judgement.
• Experience working with data, reporting requirements, and contract-driven services.
• Confidence using digital tools and technology, and the ability to promote effective, ethical, and safe AI use across a team.
• Deep understanding or lived experience of disability, personal experience as a whānau member supporting a disabled person, or experience within the disability community.

Why Join Us?

At Your Way | Kia Roha, you will be part of a values-driven organisation committed to enabling innovative community solutions by and with disabled people. You will have the opportunity to lead meaningful work, grow capability in others, strengthen communities, and contribute to better outcomes for disabled people across Aotearoa New Zealand.

What’s on offer: 

• Supportive and Inclusive environment, we value your opinion!  
• Work from home 
• Opportunities for professional development 
• Employee assistance program available for staff  
• Take a day of leave for your Birthday  
• Staff discount app for use at a range of retailers. 

If you’re ready to take on a rewarding challenge and help others thrive, we want to hear from you! 

About Your Way | Kia Roha

Your Way | Kia Roha is an independent not-for-profit organisation working with disabled people and their whānau in communities across Aotearoa New Zealand. We have more than 40 years’ experience, and the majority of our staff, all members of our Board and all members of our Disability Leadership Group are disabled people or close family members of disabled people.

Moemoeā | Vision

Disabled people thriving, living the lives they choose in their community.  

Kaupapa | Purpose

Enabling innovative community solutions by and with disabled people.

Mātāpono | Values

• Rangatiratanga | Self-leadership: Choice and control over decisions builds on the mana of every individual.
• Manawatoa | Courageous: Innovative, aspirational and bold in our actions.
• Whanaungatanga | Connection: Relationships matter, and we work together with whānau and others.
• Kotahitanga | Inclusion: Everyone is included and respected for who they are.
• Kaitiakitanga | Guardianship: Sustain and respect the mauri, or lifeforce, of those we work with.

Your Way | Kia Roha is an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to creating a working environment that embraces and values diversity and inclusion.

We encourage applications from disabled people and people with lived or whānau experience of disability. If you have any support or access requirements, please let us know when you apply so we can support you through the recruitment process.

To apply, please click Apply Now and provide your CV and a cover letter. In your cover letter, please tell us why this role appeals to you and what skills, experience and knowledge you would bring.

Applications close 5pm 6 October 2026.

We will review applications and contact preferred candidates as applications are received, so if this opportunity appeals to you, we encourage you to apply as soon as possible.

Applicants must have the legal right to work in New Zealand.