Tumu Whakarae | General Manager Role
About Te Taura Ora ō Waiariki
Te Taura Ora ō Waiariki is the legislated Te Arawa Iwi Māori Partnership Board for Rotorua and surrounding areas. Established under the Pae Ora (Healthy Futures) Act 2022, the organisation represents Te Arawa perspectives on health needs and aspirations, monitors health sector performance, and influences the design and delivery of health services to Te Arawa whānau and Māori that reside in the area. Through their mahi, they seek to improve hauora outcomes and ensure the voice and aspirations of Te Arawa are realised.
Te Kōwhiringa | The Opportunity
This is a rare and exciting opportunity to lead a dynamic and purpose-driven organisation at the forefront of Māori health advocacy and systems change. As -Tumu Whakarae (General Manager), you will work closely with the Board to develop and implement Te Taura Ora o Waiariki’s operational strategy, manage key relationships with Te Arawa Iwi and Hapū, health system partners, and ensure the organisation operates with excellence, integrity, and strong cultural grounding.
This is a permanent, full-time role based in Rotorua, offering the opportunity to make a lasting and meaningful difference for Te Arawa whānau and the wider Māori health sector.
Ngā Haepapa Matua | Key Responsibilities
- Developing and leading the operational Business Plan in conjunction with the Board
- Support the Board to maintain and enhance relationships with Te Arawa Iwi, Hapu, and health entities.
- Providing strategic advice across contracting, partnerships, policy alignment and stakeholder relationships
- Establishing and maintaining financial controls, budgeting and financial reporting frameworks
- Building and sustaining key relationships with Te Whatu Ora, Ministry of Health, Hauora Māori Advisory Committee, National and Regional IMPB networks, iwi, hapu, whānau, local providers and community partners
- Leading policy development and quality assurance to guide organisational practice
- Overseeing monitoring and reporting frameworks that reflect whānau voice and sector performance
- Embedding Mātauranga Māori and Te Arawa tikanga across all organisational functions
- Managing and developing a high-performing team with a culture of respect, accountability and excellence
Ngā Āhuatanga Matua | Key Attributes
- Proven executive or senior management experience, ideally within health, social services, policy or Māori development sectors
- Sound knowledge of kaupapa Māori principles, tikanga and kawa, with a genuine appreciation of te reo Māori
- Strong financial management capability including budgeting, reporting and risk management
- Demonstrated ability to build and sustain complex stakeholder relationships across iwi, hapu, government, and community
Me Pēhea te Tono | How to Apply
If you are passionate about improving hauora outcomes for Te Arawa and are ready to lead an organisation committed to meaningful and transformative change, we would love to hear from you.
Please apply online with your cover letter and CV addressed to Kellie Hamlett, Recruitment Specialist at Talent ID Recruitment Ltd. Applications close 16th March 2026 and will be treated with the utmost confidentiality.
Kōrero with Aroha Dorset the General Manager of Te Taura Ora o Waiariki - Te Arawa IMPB
Aroha Dorset, General Manager of Te Taura Ora o Waiariki – Te Arawa IMPB, recently joined the kōrero to discuss the newly launched Whānau Voice Grant. She shared valuable insights into how this kaupapa will empower whānau-led projects, uplift local voices, and enhance hauora throughout our Te Arawa communities.
Applications are now open — click here to learn more. Applications close November 27.
Enabling Te Arawa Hauora Data Stories
The hauora data stories of Iwi-Māori whānau living in Rotorua can soon be told by Te Arawa.
Te Taura Ora o Waiariki – Te Arawa Iwi Māori Partnership Board (IMPB) and PHO, Rotorua Area Primary Health Services (RAPHS), have signed a data sharing agreement supporting Te Arawa whānau access to Māori health data and collection.
Enabling autonomy and transparent analysis of Māori health data can assist IMPBs nationally to selfdetermine priorities and monitor health sector performance for enhancing hauora Māori.
Over several months, RAPHS worked in partnership with Te Taura Ora o Waiariki to unravel technical and health system knots that historically prevented secure and specific data sharing. The relationship between RAPHS and Te Taura Ora o Waiariki is enduring. For RAPHS, the agreement reinforces their values of He Ora Whakapiri (Together, we make it better) and the commitment to improve health system outcomes and equity.
“Health data is a taonga, it is whakapapa, holding the genetic journey and experiences of whānau. For RAPHS, the data sharing agreement respects this taonga and is another step toward tino rangatiratanga by enabling data sovereignty for iwi Māori.” – RAPHS CEO, Kirsten Stone
The arrangement empowers Taura Ora o Waiariki to have confidential access to Māori health data that has been compiled and made anonymous. This means personal information such as a person’s name, date of birth, or address won’t be seen and individuals can’t be identified. Data will be
retrieved, analysed, and monitored to inform hauora Māori strategy and outcomes.
“Having access to accurate and timely local data is a game changer for Te Taura Ora o Waiariki. Our agreement with RAPHS will help us to identify and advocate for key changes to policy, service provision, and the funding mechanisms needed to improve quality and access to healthcare for Māori.
Coupled with what whānau are telling us, we can build a clearer picture of where best to concentrate our efforts – having data means we can work smarter” – Te Taura Ora o Waiariki GM, Aroha Dorset
Social Return on Investment (SROI)
According to Social Value International, social value is about understanding the importance that people place on changes to their wellbeing and using the insights gained to make better decisions. Social value takes into account both financial and non-financial measures to assess the impacts that a set of activities has on people and community. By accounting for a broader sense of value beyond financial returns alone, entities can make better decisions for people and the planet.
In April of this year our General Manager and Executive Officer attended a 2 day training with Social Value Aotearoa to better understand the principles of social return on investment (SROI) and gain international knowledge of best practices of social value measurement and management.
In our role as Iwi-Māori Partnership Boards (IMPBs) we have legislated responsibilities that include monitoring the health system and then influencing the commissioning cycle locally to ensure service delivery within our rohe is fit for purpose. SROI training supports this function of IMPB’s by giving us a broader lens by which we can view service provision and enables us to calculate the wider social impacts these services and service providers have for our people and our community.