Team Manager

Permanent, Full-time (40 hours per week)

• Service operates Monday – Friday, General operating hours are between 8am to 5pm

• Position is based from our Papakura hub

• Pay Range: Competitive — dependent on experience and qualifications

Ember values our employees — they are our secret sauce and we are committed to doing the best we can for our kaimahi. We believe our people’s abilities, knowledge and experience are irreplaceable. To support this, we offer an attractive remuneration package, comprehensive leave entitlements and ongoing professional development.

Ember Korowai Takitini | Nga Matapono

Ember Korowai Takitini blends professional expertise and lived experience to offer a range of services and supports for anyone with mental health, addiction or intellectual disability needs.

At Ember we support people to live the lives they choose and we challenge the systems that hold them back. We desire a society that better understands and responds to mental distress, addiction and intellectual disability.

• Additional leave — recreation days, study leave

• Comprehensive Health & Wellbeing programme including health checks, vaccinations and Employee Assistance Programme (EAP)

• Training opportunities for upskilling, professional development and career progression

• The opportunity to make a meaningful impact every day in a values-led organisation

About The Service | Ko Te Whare O Mahi Marumaru and Peer Talk

Mahi Marumaru is a mobile peer service supporting people to recover from alcohol and other drug-related issues. The English translation for Mahi Marumaru is ‘many people working together’. All Peer Support Workers have their own lived experience of addiction and personal journey of recovery.

Anyone aged 18-65 living in the Counties Manukau District Health Board area is eligible for this service. We prefer self-referrals but will accept introductions from clinicians, other services and family.

Peer Talk is a service that connects people in need of mental health support with Peer Support Workers over the phone between 5pm and midnight. It is one of several helpline services that constitute the National Telehealth Service. It is run in collaboration with Whakaroungarau. They provide all the facilities of the call centre operations.

Ember provides Peer Support Workers trained to deliver peer support and man the phones. Peer Talk is an effective way to overcome some of the barriers that make it difficult for people to access mental health care, namely distance and cost. This free phone-based service makes it easier for those in need to get help. Essentially you will use the same skills as a face-to-face peer support worker and apply this to working over a phoneline. Peer Talk is available to everyone in the Te Whatu Ora – Health NZ (Counties Manukau area).

The Team Manager Role | Nga Mahi

We are seeking an experienced and values-driven Team Manager to lead a team of eight kaimahi across the two services. The Team Manager will provide operational leadership, supervision and development for staff, ensure high-quality service delivery, and work collaboratively with internal and external partners to achieve the best outcomes for our whaiora.

Key responsibilities include:

• Provide day-to-day leadership, supervision and coaching to a team of support workers, facilitators and peer staff

• Ensure services are delivered in a safe, culturally responsive and recovery-focused manner that aligns with Ember values and clinical standards

• Support staff performance and development through regular supervision, training needs identification and capability building

• Coordinate service rostering and resource allocation to meet client needs and service demands

• Manage operational tasks including incident reporting, quality improvement, risk management and contract compliance

• Build and maintain strong working relationships with external stakeholders, funders and partner agencies to support pathways for clients

• Contribute to service planning, evaluation and continuous improvement activities, including data collection and reporting

• Role-model Ember’s equity, tikanga and inclusion commitments and promote a workplace culture of safety, respect and learning

You will have | Nga Pukenga

• Proven leadership experience in a health, social services or community setting

• Have your own lived experience with Addictions - Alcohol and other Drugs (AOD)

• Experience supervising and developing multidisciplinary teams, with a strengths-based and trauma-informed approach

• Strong knowledge of quality and risk systems, and experience with incident management and continuous improvement

• Excellent interpersonal, communication and problem-solving skills with the ability to engage diverse stakeholders

• Ability to encourage and role model positive behaviours, participation, and communication in all activities and in line with our values.

• Competency in managing teams, rosters, and service operations, and some competency in financial management to support Ember’s procedures

• Understanding of cultural safety, bicultural practice and commitment to equity and inclusion

• A current registered practicing certificate in one of the following fields is preferred: Occupational Therapy, DAPAANZ, Counselling, Social Work, Nursing

• Full NZ Drivers Licence and ability to travel between sites as required

• Valid work visa, residency or citizenship

Don't meet every single requirement? We still encourage you to apply — you might be just the right person for the role.

When applying please have | Kia Whakauru

• An up-to-date CV prepared

• A Cover Letter detailing

o Why you’re interested in the role

o What leadership skills, competencies and experience you would bring to the role

“He aha te mea nui o te ao? Maku e ki atu, he tangata, he tangata, he tangata.”

What is the most important thing in the world? It is people, it is people, it is people.

Ember is an equal opportunity employer. We welcome and embrace diversity and inclusion in the workplace and are committed to providing a safe and supportive environment for all. We particularly welcome applications from our Māori, Pacific and Rainbow communities.

We will interview candidates as applications come through rather than waiting until the advertisement closes. The vacancy may be filled earlier if a suitable candidate