Media & Communications Partnering Lead (Education, Faculty)

Location: Auckland City Campus, Auckland, New Zealand. Full-time role with flexible hours and hybrid/remote working patterns.

Salary: NZ$114,400–NZ$169,800 per annum. Typical target range: NZ$122,501–NZ$155,000 per annum.

Company

Waipapa Taumata Rau, hirify.global, is New Zealand’s leading university, with more than 47,000 students and over 6,000 staff.

What you will do

• Lead, coach and develop a team of five Media and Communications Partners.
• Build and embed a partnering model for communications support across the University’s faculties.
• Provide strategic communications counsel and reputation management advice to senior education leaders.
• Oversee communications planning, messaging, audience identification, channel selection and delivery.
• Develop proactive media stories that strengthen the University’s reputation and social licence.
• Support communications responses during emerging issues and crisis situations.

Requirements

• Significant experience in strategic communications, media relations, communications business partnering or public relations within a large, complex organisation.
• Proven people leadership experience, including coaching, mentoring, performance development and leading teams through change.
• Experience managing reputationally sensitive communications issues in dynamic environments.
• Understanding of New Zealand’s changing media landscape and the impact of AI on audience engagement.
• Cultural competency, including a strong understanding of Te Ao Māori and Te Tiriti o Waitangi.
• Strong stakeholder engagement, influencing, planning, prioritisation and problem-solving skills.

Culture & Benefits

• 37.5-hour working week with flexible hours and hybrid/remote working patterns.
• Up to 6.75% superannuation and an annual salary increase with a performance-based multiplier.
• Five weeks’ annual leave and an additional leave buy/sell scheme.
• Subsidised on-site childcare, gender-neutral parental leave and parenting and feeding spaces.
• Employee wellbeing support, including EAP services, counselling, financial guidance, neurodiversity coaching, health insurance and fitness facilities.
• Professional, leadership, digital capability, cultural and Te Ao Māori and Te Reo Māori development programmes.

Hiring process

• Submit an online application with a cover letter and CV by 1 October 2026.
• Reasonable accommodations are available throughout the recruitment process.
• Whānau members and support people may attend interviews if invited.