Business Development Manager – Postgraduate Māori and Pacific

Te Whiwhinga mahi | The opportunity

Help create pathways to postgraduate study for Māori and Pacific communities across Aotearoa.

We’re looking for a Business Development Manager – Postgraduate Māori and Pacific to help create stronger pathways into postgraduate study for Māori and Pacific communities across Aotearoa. This is an exciting opportunity to use your relationship-building, business development and engagement expertise to connect people with postgraduate opportunities that support their aspirations, professional development and future goals.

You’ll build and nurture trusted relationships with iwi, Māori and Pacific organisations, professional bodies, community groups and key stakeholders, identifying opportunities to strengthen connections with postgraduate study. You’ll develop and manage a strong engagement and recruitment pipeline, promote our postgraduate programmes in ways that resonate with Māori and Pacific audiences, and turn strong stakeholder relationships into new opportunities and sustainable growth.

A key part of the role will be business development and lead generation – identifying new partnerships, creating opportunities and connecting the dots between community and workforce needs and the postgraduate opportunities we offer. You’ll also lead and coordinate outreach, engagement and activation activity, working alongside postgraduate recruitment teams, faculties, Māori and Pacific engagement teams, Marketing and Recruitment, and wider Strategic Engagement functions.

Your work will be guided by the strategic flightpaths set out in the University’s Pacific strategy, Ala o le Moana, helping ensure that engagement and partnership activity aligns with the University’s aspirations for Pacific learners and communities.

You’ll be joining a team that values Manaakitanga, Whanaungatanga and Kaitiakitanga, and a University committed to equity, diversity and its relationship with tangata whenua and Te Tiriti o Waitangi.

What you’ll be doing

• Build and grow trusted relationships with iwi, Māori and Pacific organisations, employers, community groups, professional bodies, and public sector and workforce development organisations.
• Identify new business development and lead-generation opportunities that can strengthen Māori and Pacific postgraduate participation.
• Develop and actively manage a Māori and Pacific postgraduate recruitment pipeline, turning relationships and engagement opportunities into measurable outcomes.
• Promote postgraduate programmes and pathways in ways that connect with the aspirations of Māori and Pacific communities and workforce capability needs.
• Lead and coordinate targeted engagement, outreach, recruitment initiatives and partnership opportunities.
• Work collaboratively across faculties, postgraduate programme teams, Marketing and Recruitment, the PVC Māori Office, PVC Pacific Office and wider Strategic Engagement teams.
• Contribute to a connected Māori and Pacific community across Marketing and Recruitment and Strategic Engagement.

This is a full-time (37.5 hours per week), permanent opportunity.

The full salary range is $98,700 to $133,500 per annum, depending on skills and experience (Band H).

We have a structured salary framework with three zones: developing (those developing into the role), fully effective (target), and contributing beyond what is expected of the role (upper). Appointments are typically made within the target range of $93,201 – $107,500 per annum, depending on skills, experience, and internal equity.

We welcome conversations about your expectations and what matters to you in your overall package. Any offer will be made within the advertised range and guided by fairness, consistency and our commitment to pay equity.

For more detailed information about the role and requirements, please refer to the Position Description.

He kōrero mōu | About you

You’ll be a confident relationship builder who knows how to open doors, build trust and create mutually valuable partnerships.

You may come from a business development, sales, recruitment, partnership management, stakeholder engagement, community engagement or relationship management background. What matters most is your ability to build authentic relationships and turn those relationships into meaningful outcomes.

You’ll bring:

• Strong relationship-building, networking, influencing and partnership development skills.
• Experience identifying and developing business opportunities or stakeholder partnerships.
• Experience working towards targets and managing a pipeline.
• Strong communication, presentation and proposal-writing skills.
• Confidence working across different stakeholder groups and organisational environments.
• Cultural awareness and an inclusive, relationship-centred approach to engagement.
• Experience working with Māori and/or Pacific communities, organisations or stakeholders.
• The ability to work autonomously while also collaborating across a complex organisation.

Experience in higher education, workforce development, the public sector or another large organisation would be valuable, but we’re interested in the skills, relationships and perspective you can bring.

Ngā āhuatanga kei a mātou | What we offer

Our scale creates opportunities that few organisations can offer. From research and innovation to education, reputation and community engagement, you’ll work across a diverse range of communications challenges while contributing to initiatives that have real and lasting impact for staff, students, our communities and the world.

Beyond the work itself, you’ll be joining a vibrant and inclusive community. From staff networks and cultural communities to social clubs, volunteering opportunities, wellbeing initiatives and campus events, there are countless ways to connect, contribute and build meaningful relationships across the University.

We also offer:

• A commitment to work/life balance with a 37.5-hour working week, flexible hours and hybrid/remote working patterns.
• A competitive remuneration package with up to 6.75% super, annual salary increase with performance-based multiplier.
• Time to recharge and disconnect with 5 weeks’ annual leave and an additional leave buy/sell scheme.
• Support for parents and carers with subsidised on-site childcare (including Kōhanga Reo), gender-neutral parental leave up to 9 weeks’ full pay, and on-site parenting and feeding spaces.
• A commitment to the wellbeing of our people with confidential access to a range of EAP services, including mental health counselling, financial guidance, neurodiversity coaching and rongoā services, a world-class on-site fitness centre, access to student specialists across our supervised training clinics, and discounted health insurance.
• The opportunity to grow with access to an extensive programme of professional, leadership and cultural development, including digital capability coaching, specialised leadership development programmes, and Te Ao and Te Reo Māori learning programmes for staff.
• The opportunity to build your career with one of New Zealand’s most diverse and complex organisations.

Me pēhea te tuku tono | How to apply

Please submit an application online by the closing date of 23rd October 2026. Please include your cover letter and CV, highlighting your interest in the role, your capabilities, and relevant experience.

Please reach out to Sharon Kishore (Recruitment Consultant) via sharon.kishore@auckland.ac.nz with any questions.

Reasonable accommodations – We are committed to building a more equitable and inclusive workforce and workplace, so we encourage applicants to reach out to discuss any reasonable accommodations throughout the recruitment process, including alternative ways to submit applications.

Whānau and support people – Should you be invited to an interview for this role, you are welcome to have a support person, or whānau member accompany you. Please let us know if there is anything we can do to support you throughout the recruitment process.