Media & Communications Partnering Lead (Education, Faculty)

Location: Auckland City Campus, Auckland, New Zealand; flexible hours and hybrid/remote working patterns available

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

Company

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

What you will do

• Lead, coach, and develop a team of five embedded Media and Communications Partners.
• Build and implement a partnering model supporting the University’s faculties and education portfolio.
• Provide strategic communications counsel and reputation management advice to senior leaders.
• Oversee communications planning, messaging, audience identification, channel selection, and delivery.
• Lead proactive media storytelling that supports the University’s reputation and social licence.
• Coordinate 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 and 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.
• Strong stakeholder engagement, influencing, planning, prioritisation, and problem-solving skills.
• Understanding of New Zealand’s media landscape and the impact of AI on audience engagement.
• Cultural competency, including understanding of Te Ao Māori and Te Tiriti o Waitangi, with a commitment to equity and inclusion.

Culture & Benefits

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

Hiring process

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