Aukaha Ako Takiwa Delivery - Senior Educational Leadership Role

About this Role

The Aukaha Ako – Takiwā Delivery is a senior leadership position responsible for directing and managing educational delivery across a broad region covering Taranaki, Hawke's Bay, the lower North Island, and extending to Te Waipounamu. Reporting to the Paemanu (Director) Ako Takiwā Delivery, the role offers strategic and operational leadership to drive educational excellence, learner success, quality outcomes, and sustainable growth within the region.

You will lead a team of educational leaders and collaborate closely with the Takiwā Senior Leadership Team to ensure consistent and effective delivery of teaching, learning, assessment, academic administration, and quality assurance while adhering to organisational and regulatory standards.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide strategic leadership by crafting and executing regional educational plans aligned with organisational priorities supporting growth and learner success.
• Monitor academic performance indicators such as retention, completion, and graduation rates and spearhead initiatives for continuous educational improvement.
• Oversee teaching, learning, assessment, and academic administration to guarantee high-quality program delivery.
• Lead and develop educational leaders and staff, promoting a high-performance culture inspired by Ngā Uara and Te Kaupapa Matua values.
• Drive innovation through championing projects, pilot programs, and initiatives that strengthen educational delivery and future capabilities.
• Ensure rigorous governance, compliance, reporting, and risk management practices to safeguard the reputation and integrity of Te Wānanga o Aotearoa.
• Contribute as a member of the Takiwā Leadership Team, providing leadership on operational, strategic, and organisational matters.

Candidate Profile

The ideal candidate is an experienced educational leader passionate about learner success, possessing a proven track record in achieving strategic and operational results within complex educational settings. You have extensive experience leading managers and geographically dispersed teams, with a focus on educational quality outcomes. You’re skilled at building relationships with colleagues, students (tauira), iwi, hapū, communities, and external partners to fulfill shared objectives.

Required Qualifications and Experience

• A Master's degree in Education, Educational Leadership, or a closely related discipline.
• A minimum of seven years’ experience in a senior educational leadership capacity.
• Demonstrated leadership within the tertiary education sector, including responsibility for overseeing teaching and learning delivery.
• Experience managing large or geographically distributed teams.
• Expertise in academic quality assurance, educational performance monitoring, reporting, and implementing continuous improvements.
• Proficiency in developing and executing strategic and operational plans.
• Strong analytical skills with data-driven decision-making abilities.
• Experience managing organisational risk, compliance, and performance metrics.
• Excellent communication, relationship management, and stakeholder engagement capabilities.
• Commitment to coaching, mentoring, and developing staff and leaders.