Regional Leadership Advisor - Wellington

Role overview

The Ministry of Education New Zealand is seeking a Regional Leadership Advisor to serve the Wellington region from Lower Hutt. This is a fixed-term, full-time position that will begin on 28 January 2027 and run for approximately 1 to 2 years as a secondment.

The role is designed for experienced school principals who can coach and support other principals as they navigate leadership challenges and deliver education priorities. Support is provided both in person and remotely, through one-to-one guidance, cluster-based work, group sessions, seminars, and wānanga.

The position sits within Te Mahau leadership and reports to a Director of Education. You will work with a network of leadership advisors across New Zealand, alongside regional colleagues, to strengthen leadership capability and improve practice across schools and kura.

Applicants must use the current or most recent terms of employment and remuneration.

What the role involves

In this position, you will support principals and tumuaki across the Wellington region, including those working within Kāhui Ako and other cluster networks. A key part of the job is helping leaders collaborate, share expertise, and drive transformational change across the schooling system.

You will draw on your own leadership background to offer trusted advice, address issues as they arise, and help improve school leadership at a regional and sector-wide level. The role also involves promoting good practice, strengthening collaborative networks, and supporting innovative curriculum, teaching, and learning approaches.

What you need to bring

This opportunity is intended for a highly experienced current school principal or someone who has retired within the last 12 months. The ideal candidate will have deep, practical understanding of a principal’s responsibilities and the ability to work effectively across the education sector.

Experience in both primary and secondary settings is important, as the role requires the flexibility to support schools across these environments. You should also be respected within the sector, act with integrity, and demonstrate strong school management plus strategic and instructional leadership capability.

Adherence to Public Service Standards of Integrity and Conduct is required.

About the organisation

Te Tāhuhu o te Mātauranga | Ministry of Education provides national, regional, and local support to the education sector, and in some cases directly to ākonga and whānau. Te Mahau | Education Services acts as the main connection point between the Ministry and education providers, helping ensure leaders and communities can access the expertise, programmes, and resources needed to help children and young people reach their full potential.

The wider purpose of the group is to help implement government and Ministry policy, strengthen education and community leadership, and support improvement across a self-managing system so that aspiration and achievement can rise for all learners.

Application details

Interested candidates should submit a completed Expression of Interest form and CV. The organisation asks applicants to share information about themselves, including values, motivation, strengths, transferable skills, and the perspectives they can contribute.

No cover letter is required. Only two attachments should be included: the EOI form with a letter of endorsement from your Board, and a CV.

For further information, the contact person is Roy Sye, Director of Education for Wellington.

The application deadline is 5:00 pm on Monday, 27 July 2026.

Additional information

Date advertised: 25 Jun 2026

Location: Lower Hutt, New Zealand; Wellington Region

Employment type: Fixed-term, full-time

Start date: 28 January 2027

Contract length: 1 to 2 years

There is one vacancy for this role.