Te Ara Hou Programme Manager

• Palmerston North Location
• 12 Month Fixed Term Contract

Lead rehabilitation. Inspire change. Help shape positive futures for rangatahi.

Oranga Tamariki is seeking an experienced and values-driven Te Ara Hou Programme Manager to join the leadership team of the Military Style Academy (MSA) Programme in Palmerston North.

The Military Style Academy is an intensive therapeutic intervention for serious and persistent youth offenders. Combining educational, vocational, cultural, therapeutic, and physical activities, the programme supports rangatahi to address the underlying drivers of offending behaviour and build the skills, resilience, and support networks needed for successful reintegration into their communities.

As Te Ara Hou Programme Manager, you'll lead the therapeutic and rehabilitation components of the programme, ensuring evidence-informed, culturally responsive, and clinically sound services are delivered across the residential and community phases of the MSA journey.

Mo te tunga | About the role

Reporting to the Kaiwhakahaere and working alongside the Practice Manager as a peer leader, you'll provide leadership, clinical oversight, and professional guidance to a large multidisciplinary team delivering assessment, intervention, rehabilitation, transition, and reintegration services.

Your team includes Facilitators, Practitioners, Psychologists, Case Leaders, Transition staff, and Administration Support. Together, you'll ensure rangatahi receive coordinated support that addresses offending behaviour, emotional regulation, addiction issues, wellbeing, life skills, and successful community reintegration.

Key responsibilities include:

• Leading and developing a multidisciplinary therapeutic and rehabilitation workforce.
• Providing clinical governance, professional leadership, and programme oversight.
• Ensuring interventions are evidence-informed, culturally responsive, and aligned with programme objectives.
• Overseeing rehabilitation, transition, and reintegration planning for rangatahi.
• Building strong partnerships with wh nau, iwi, community providers, education, health, and Youth Justice stakeholders.
• Driving continuous improvement, workforce capability, and service quality.
• Supporting positive outcomes through strong operational leadership and collaborative practice.
• Participating in an on-call leadership roster and providing leadership coverage when required.

He korero mou | About you

You are a proven leader with a strong therapeutic or rehabilitation background and a passion for supporting vulnerable young people to achieve lasting change.

You will bring:

• Significant leadership experience within Youth Justice or a closely related sector working with high-risk and vulnerable young people.
• Experience leading multidisciplinary teams in complex operational environments.
• Strong knowledge of youth offending, rehabilitation, reintegration, and therapeutic practice.
• Experience providing professional, clinical, or practice leadership.
• A strong understanding of the New Zealand Youth Justice system and associated legislation.
• Proven capability in workforce development, coaching, performance management, and succession planning.
• Exceptional stakeholder management skills and experience working with iwi, wh nau, community providers, and government agencies.
• Strong strategic thinking, decision-making, and problem-solving skills.
• A commitment to Te Tiriti o Waitangi and culturally responsive leadership.
• A relevant tertiary qualification and a current full New Zealand Driver Licence.

Why join the Military Style Academy?

This is a unique opportunity to lead a programme that creates genuine and lasting impact for rangatahi, wh nau, and communities.

You'll be part of a team committed to:

• Supporting meaningful behavioural change and reduced reoffending.
• Delivering innovative and evidence-informed rehabilitation services.
• Building strong pathways for successful reintegration.
• Strengthening partnerships with wh nau, iwi, and communities.
• Improving outcomes for some of Aotearoa's most vulnerable young people.

Me pehea te tuku tono | How to Apply

If you're an experienced leader with a passion for rehabilitation, therapeutic practice, and supporting positive futures for rangatahi, we'd love to hear from you. Apply online with a cover letter and copy of your CV.

If you have any questions about role, please contactInfo_[email protected]

Remuneration for this position starts between $147,010-$162,887 depending on experience.

Applications close at midnight on Wednesday the 14th of October 2026.

Well be reviewing applications and scheduling interviews as they come in - so dont wait, apply now!

If you are interested, please ensure that you make yourself familiar with our code of conduct as it sets out our expectations for our kaimahi and requires you to present at work free from the influences of both drugs and alcohol.