Chief Executive
Permanent / Full Time
Lead a trusted Ōtautahi youth service, strengthening partnerships, sustainability and outcomes for rangatahi.
Chief Executive
Te Tahi Youth | Ōtautahi Christchurch
Since 1995, Te Tahi Youth has stood alongside young people in Ōtautahi, providing accessible, empowering and non-judgemental support. Founded by Dame Sue Bagshaw as one of Aotearoa New Zealand's first Youth One-Stop Shops, the organisation has continued to evolve while staying true to its purpose: helping rangatahi become the best version of themselves.
Today, Te Tahi Youth provides integrated medical, mental health, counselling, youth development, employment and transition services from the Christchurch Youth Hub, The Loft at Eastgate, schools and community locations across greater Ōtautahi.
With strong operational foundations in place, Te Tahi Youth is ready to take its next steps. The Board is seeking a thoughtful, outward-looking Chief Executive who will protect what is working well, strengthen organisational resilience and lead a confident response to the evolving needs of rangatahi and their communities.
The opportunity
Reporting to and working in close partnership with the Board, the Chief Executive will provide strategic and organisational leadership across Te Tahi Youth's people, services, finances, funding relationships and wider stakeholder network.
You will lead an experienced Senior Leadership Team and create the clarity, trust and accountability that enable clinical, youth, social service, employment and corporate professionals to perform at their best.
Externally, you will strengthen Te Tahi Youth's profile and influence across the health, social services and community sectors, building trusted relationships with agencies, commissioners, funders, philanthropic partners and complementary service providers.
Te Tahi Youth is seeking a visible and credible advocate who can stay close to the detail, look ahead and bring people together around a clear sense of purpose.
Key priorities will include:
The person
You will bring senior leadership experience from health, social services, community services, the public sector or another complex, purpose-led environment.
Clinical qualifications are not required, although experience in health or multidisciplinary service delivery would be valuable. More important is the ability to respect professional expertise, support strong clinical governance and enable clinical leaders to deliver safe, responsive and high-quality services.
You may already be a Chief Executive or General Manager, or you may be a senior leader ready to step into broader organisational leadership. You will understand the responsibilities of reporting to a Board and value a strong, transparent and appropriately challenging partnership between governance and management.
Humility, curiosity and emotional intelligence will also be central to success. This means listening before acting, recognising the strengths already present and building confidence through consistency, sound judgement and trust.
You will ideally bring:
Cultural leadership
Te Tahi Youth is committed to Te Tiriti o Waitangi, improving Māori health equity and reducing barriers to services for rangatahi and whānau.
The Chief Executive will bring demonstrated cultural capability, an understanding of Te Ao Māori and a willingness to keep learning, supporting the organisation to build genuine, enduring partnerships with tangata whenua, iwi, hapū, whānau and culturally aligned organisations.
You will ensure rangatahi voice is actively sought and reflected in decisions, services and organisational priorities.
Te Tahi Youth's work is grounded in its C-A-R-E values:
Compassion. Acceptance. Resilience. Encouragement.
These values describe both how the organisation supports rangatahi and how its people are expected to work alongside one another.
Why Te Tahi Youth?
This is an opportunity to lead a trusted organisation with a proud legacy, deeply relevant purpose and significant potential for future impact.
The incoming Chief Executive will inherit skilled and committed people, established services, well-developed systems and a Board committed to working constructively and closely with its leadership. Alongside these strengths sits considerable complexity, including a demanding funding environment, growing community need and partnerships that require sustained attention, trust and care.
For the right person, that combination will be highly motivating.
In short, Te Tahi Youth requires a leader who can honour its legacy while shaping its future - someone who balances empathy with accountability and can inspire confidence across the Board, staff, funders, rangatahi and community.
Apply
To request the Candidate Briefing Document or arrange a confidential discussion, please contact Heather Ewing on 03 265 0667, or click the "Apply" button to express your interest.
Applications should include a current CV and a covering letter outlining your interest in Te Tahi Youth and the leadership experience, approach and values you would bring to the role.
- Lead a respected organisation supporting rangatahi across health, wellbeing and employment
- Strengthen partnerships, funding resilience and sector influence
- Bring empathy, accountability and genuine commitment to Te Tiriti o Waitangi
Te Tahi Youth | Ōtautahi Christchurch
Since 1995, Te Tahi Youth has stood alongside young people in Ōtautahi, providing accessible, empowering and non-judgemental support. Founded by Dame Sue Bagshaw as one of Aotearoa New Zealand's first Youth One-Stop Shops, the organisation has continued to evolve while staying true to its purpose: helping rangatahi become the best version of themselves.
Today, Te Tahi Youth provides integrated medical, mental health, counselling, youth development, employment and transition services from the Christchurch Youth Hub, The Loft at Eastgate, schools and community locations across greater Ōtautahi.
With strong operational foundations in place, Te Tahi Youth is ready to take its next steps. The Board is seeking a thoughtful, outward-looking Chief Executive who will protect what is working well, strengthen organisational resilience and lead a confident response to the evolving needs of rangatahi and their communities.
The opportunity
Reporting to and working in close partnership with the Board, the Chief Executive will provide strategic and organisational leadership across Te Tahi Youth's people, services, finances, funding relationships and wider stakeholder network.
You will lead an experienced Senior Leadership Team and create the clarity, trust and accountability that enable clinical, youth, social service, employment and corporate professionals to perform at their best.
Externally, you will strengthen Te Tahi Youth's profile and influence across the health, social services and community sectors, building trusted relationships with agencies, commissioners, funders, philanthropic partners and complementary service providers.
Te Tahi Youth is seeking a visible and credible advocate who can stay close to the detail, look ahead and bring people together around a clear sense of purpose.
Key priorities will include:
- working with the Board to translate strategy into clear organisational priorities;
- strengthening relationships with government, funders, sector partners and the wider community;
- navigating the funding and commissioning environment with foresight and commercial discipline;
- supporting robust clinical governance and high-quality multidisciplinary service delivery;
- building financial sustainability through contracts, grants, fundraising and partnerships;
- leading, developing and empowering the Senior Leadership Team;
- maintaining transparent, balanced and constructive reporting to the Board;
- embedding rangatahi voice within organisational thinking and service development; and
- advancing Te Tahi Youth's cultural capability and relationships with tangata whenua.
The person
You will bring senior leadership experience from health, social services, community services, the public sector or another complex, purpose-led environment.
Clinical qualifications are not required, although experience in health or multidisciplinary service delivery would be valuable. More important is the ability to respect professional expertise, support strong clinical governance and enable clinical leaders to deliver safe, responsive and high-quality services.
You may already be a Chief Executive or General Manager, or you may be a senior leader ready to step into broader organisational leadership. You will understand the responsibilities of reporting to a Board and value a strong, transparent and appropriately challenging partnership between governance and management.
Humility, curiosity and emotional intelligence will also be central to success. This means listening before acting, recognising the strengths already present and building confidence through consistency, sound judgement and trust.
You will ideally bring:
- senior leadership experience within a complex, people-centred organisation;
- knowledge of government funding, commissioning, contracts, fundraising or public-sector relationships;
- strong financial judgement and the ability to balance purpose with sustainability;
- experience building strategic partnerships across organisations and sectors;
- confidence working with a Board and presenting balanced information, risks and options;
- an empowering leadership style that combines trust with clear accountability;
- the judgement and courage to address difficult issues constructively;
- excellent communication, advocacy and stakeholder engagement skills; and
- a genuine passion for improving outcomes and access to services for rangatahi.
Cultural leadership
Te Tahi Youth is committed to Te Tiriti o Waitangi, improving Māori health equity and reducing barriers to services for rangatahi and whānau.
The Chief Executive will bring demonstrated cultural capability, an understanding of Te Ao Māori and a willingness to keep learning, supporting the organisation to build genuine, enduring partnerships with tangata whenua, iwi, hapū, whānau and culturally aligned organisations.
You will ensure rangatahi voice is actively sought and reflected in decisions, services and organisational priorities.
Te Tahi Youth's work is grounded in its C-A-R-E values:
Compassion. Acceptance. Resilience. Encouragement.
These values describe both how the organisation supports rangatahi and how its people are expected to work alongside one another.
Why Te Tahi Youth?
This is an opportunity to lead a trusted organisation with a proud legacy, deeply relevant purpose and significant potential for future impact.
The incoming Chief Executive will inherit skilled and committed people, established services, well-developed systems and a Board committed to working constructively and closely with its leadership. Alongside these strengths sits considerable complexity, including a demanding funding environment, growing community need and partnerships that require sustained attention, trust and care.
For the right person, that combination will be highly motivating.
In short, Te Tahi Youth requires a leader who can honour its legacy while shaping its future - someone who balances empathy with accountability and can inspire confidence across the Board, staff, funders, rangatahi and community.
Apply
To request the Candidate Briefing Document or arrange a confidential discussion, please contact Heather Ewing on 03 265 0667, or click the "Apply" button to express your interest.
Applications should include a current CV and a covering letter outlining your interest in Te Tahi Youth and the leadership experience, approach and values you would bring to the role.
