Kaupapa Maori Design Officer

• Help design places and projects that reflect mana whenua stories, values and aspirations.
• Embed kaupapa Māori design approaches in Te Wai Takamori o Te Awa Kairangi | RiverLink and urban design across Lower Hutt.
• Build meaningful partnerships with mana whenua, iwi and Council teams through design work with lasting community impact.

Help shape a more inclusive Lower Hutt by bringing mana whenua stories, values and aspirations into the design of our places and urban development projects.

About the role – As part of Hutt City Council’s Urban Design Team, you’ll help bring mana whenua stories, values and aspirations into the design of places and urban design projects across Lower Hutt. You’ll build strong relationships with mana whenua, iwi, marae, Te Tira Māori and teams across Council, supporting meaningful engagement throughout each project.

You’ll plan and deliver urban design projects, commission cultural narratives and foundations to guide planning and design, and support Te Wai Takamori o Te Awa Kairangi | RiverLink to embed cultural values and kaupapa Māori approaches. It’s an opportunity to contribute to work that honours mana whenua partnership and helps shape places for future generations.

Job Description

About you – You’ll bring design capability and the relationship skills to work effectively across a range of projects and partners. You’ll also have:

• A design qualification or experience in a built environment context, with knowledge of technical drawing and strong visual communication skills for developing and presenting design concepts.
• Clear communication skills and the ability to build relationships, collaborate and influence across multidisciplinary teams.
• A sound understanding of Te Tiriti o Waitangi and its relevance to urban design and development in Aotearoa.
• Confidence using Microsoft Office, Adobe Creative Suite and relevant modelling software.
• Knowledge of mātauranga Māori.

About us – At Hutt City Council our vision is to build a connected, resilient and inclusive city where all our people thrive. Kia noho mai tēnei tāone hei pou herenga waka, hei pou herenga kaupapa, hei wāhi whai hua ki hōna iwi.

Our people are ‘proud to be part of it’ - working here is truly rewarding knowing together we're making a genuine difference to Te Awa Kairangi ki Tai Lower Hutt and its people, both now and into the future. Tūhono mai. Come join us!

Some of our great benefits include:

· Paid birthday leave — take a day off to celebrate YOU!

· Wellbeing leave, plus additional wellbeing perks.

· Flexible working options to suit your lifestyle.

· Discounted health insurance.

Join Hutt City Council’s Urban Design Team and help create places that reflect mana whenua aspirations and contribute to Lower Hutt’s future. You’ll work alongside committed partners on meaningful projects with a lasting impact.

Applications close 10 November 2026

Please note we may review applications before the closing date and encourage you to apply as soon as possible. We reserve the right to withdraw the job advertisement at any time.