Whānau Liaison

• A newly created position to help strengthen the support we provide to families across our Auckland programs and nationally
• A full time role (40 hours a week) as part of our National Programs Team

• 12 months fixed term position

• Grafton based, free parking, flexibility of hours

About Us

RMHC® New Zealand supports families with a child in hospital away from home.

The Ronald McDonald House® and Ronald McDonald Family Room® programs take care of the practical things in life so that families can focus on what really matters – each other.

Each year we provide more than 4,000 families from across the country with accommodation, meals and support free of charge, saving them more than $9 million collectively. We are part of a global network which is now 50 years old and operates in 36 countries worldwide.

The Opportunity

This is a newly created position to help strengthen the support we provide to families across our Auckland programs and nationally. This is more than a job - it’s providing much needed support for whānau during some of the toughest moments of their lives. You’ll work directly with families, helping them navigate complex situations, access the right services and feel supported every step of the way. In this role you will be a critical link between whānau, RMHC teams and external services — ensuring families get the right support at the right time. You will also provide professional practice advice and support for our regional program teams, to enhance the support we offer whānau engaged with our programs nationally. 

You will report to and work closely alongside our National Family Experience Lead helping to shape how RMHC supports whānau into the future; 

What your day to day will look like

Supporting whānau

• Work alongside frontline teams to identify and support whānau needing extra care
• Provide strengths-based, inclusive and culturally responsive support
• Lead intake and triage for referrals
• Help whānau navigate services, referrals and support networks
• Support crisis response, safety planning and debriefing when needed

Strengthening programmes

• Build capability across RMHC teams and contribute to national best practice
• Partner with hospital social work and clinical teams
• Champion child protection and safe practice
• Contribute to training, tools and a national whānau support strategy

Continuous improvement & collaboration

• Maintain accurate documentation and reporting
• Identify gaps, improve processes and enhance service delivery
• Build strong relationships with internal teams and external providers.

About you

You bring compassion and at least 5 years experience to this role, preferably in the health or social services sector or in a not-for-profit organisation.

You step into complex situations with empathy, confidence and sound judgement - navigating complexity, and building trust quickly.

To succeed you will also bring:

• Hands on experience and understanding of relevant practice tools and frameworks to support work with whānau including understanding dynamics of family harm, grief and loss and trauma-informed approaches
• Demonstrated cultural capability and a commitment to culturally responsive and inclusive practice
• Strong understanding of safety planning, risk assessment and crisis response
• Experience in leading a team and/or providing support and practice advice to other staff
• Demonstrated experience working in a complex, multi-stakeholder and multi-cultural environment
• Knowledge of relevant government agencies and community-based support services
• Strong strategic thinking, project management and organisational skills with the ability to manage multiple initiatives simultaneously
• A willingness to work a flexible schedule to align with the needs of whānau.

Preferred: Degree-level qualification in social work, psychology or other relevant qualification

What’s on Offer

At RMHC New Zealand we listen, we care, we provide and we act with compassion to make a world of difference in someone’s day - and yours.

• Mobile phone and Laptop provided
• Free car parking onsite
• Support for professional learning and development.

To find out more about the amazing work we do, visit https://rmhc.org.nz.

For a copy of the Position Description or to discuss the role please contact Vanessa Abetz on 0212455029 or email vanessa.abetz@joyn.co.nz

Eligibility to work in New Zealand is mandatory - this includes holding a valid work visa that covers the whole period of employment.

Applicants will be required to complete a satisfactory NZ Police Vetting application to meet child protection requirements.