Kai Waiheke Coordinator

KAI WAIHEKE

Coordinator — Job Description

Waiheke Island's Community Food Resilience Network

OUR VISION

Waiheke Island’s food system is thriving and alive. Our food system is supported by good governance and collective action across food initiatives on the island. We grow abundant, healthy food on our land that feeds all of our community members. No one is hungry and everyone has access to affordable, nutritious food. Our oceans are abundant with marine life, our waterways are healthy, and our surplus rainwater is stored and saved. Our soils are healthy and regenerating. We have no food ‘waste’ — we make nutrient-dense living compost that supports food production.

This vision comes from the Waiheke Food Charter, the community-made foundation of Kai Waiheke’s work.

VALUES AND PRINCIPLES

The Kai Waiheke Coordinator will embody and give effect to the following values in all aspects of their work:

TE TIRITI Ō WAITANGI

Kai Waiheke gives effect to Te Tiriti o Waitangi as the founding document of Aotearoa. The Coordinator will honour Kai Waiheke’s Te Tiriti partnership with Ngāti Paoa as the principal Mana Whenua of Waiheke Island, and acknowledge other Mana Whenua interests on Waiheke. In practice, this means:

• Actively incorporating Māori values, tikanga, and perspectives into planning and decision-making

• Building and maintaining respectful, ongoing relationships with Mana Whenua

• Ensuring te reo Māori and kaupapa Māori are reflected in communications and kai-related mahi

OVERVIEW

The Kai Waiheke Coordinator is a paid role at the heart of the Kai Waiheke community food resilience network. The primary purpose of this role is to further the aims and objectives of Kai Waiheke and help deliver projects that work towards the Vision Statement and the Waiheke Food Charter.

Working with and guided by the Kai Waiheke Steering Committee, the Coordinator will build and sustain a thriving, connected network across Waiheke’s food system — weaving together growers, makers, educators, community groups, businesses, and Mana Whenua to achieve what none could accomplish alone.

The Steering Committee will be benchmarking progress against the work plan to ensure that the Coordinator is on track and achieving Kai Waiheke’s goals. 

KEY FUNCTIONS

Network Coordination

• Support and maintain a network/database of individuals, groups, and organisations contributing to food resilience on Waiheke

• Serve as the central point of contact for the Kai Waiheke network and the wider community

• Facilitate connections and collaboration between network participants, supporting them to share knowledge, resources, and expertise

• Support the establishment of sub-committees where the Steering Committee sees fit, providing coordination and liaison as required

Project Support & Facilitation

• Provide support, information, resources, and encouragement to individuals and groups seeking to activate or advance local kai resilience projects and initiatives

• Undertake project and event management functions to run the Kai for Community Festival and to lead the Waiheke Local Board Climate Flagship project: Local Food Production

• Develop and implement the Kai Waiheke Work Plan to guide the focus and priorities of the network

• Support the consensus-based decision-making processes of the Steering Committee

Communications & Advocacy

• Promote and advocate for the Kai Waiheke kaupapa, the Waiheke Food Charter, and the network’s activities

• Lead regular, transparent communication with the public to inform and encourage participation, through digital channels, media, and community events

• Ensure all external communications representing Kai Waiheke are aligned with the network’s kaupapa and messaging

• Build the public movement for food resilience on Waiheke

Meetings & Events

• Coordinate Steering Committee meetings, ensuring agendas, logistics, and follow-up actions are well managed (minimum 6 meetings per year)

• Organise and facilitate regional hui, wānanga, food security events, and other network gatherings if and as needed 

• Undertake secretariat functions for Kai Waiheke including minute-taking and documentation of decisions at Steering Committee meetings

Platform & Information Management

• Oversee the development and maintenance of relevant platforms and tools that facilitate stakeholder linkages, resource sharing, and promotion of events and wānanga

• Support the collection and sharing of information to strengthen collective knowledge across the network

Conflict of Interest & Transparency

• Declare any conflicts or commercial interests in accordance with Kai Waiheke’s guidelines

• Support transparent, respectful, and timely communication across all network relationships

The ideal candidate will bring:

• A genuine passion for food sovereignty, food resilience, and community wellbeing on Waiheke Island 

• Independent and self motivated, with the ability to work independently and self manage

• Sound understanding of the Waiheke Island community and/or strong ability to build relationships across the island’s diverse food system

• Existing networks and connections across Waiheke, or demonstrated ability to establish and maintain these effectively

• Experience working in a community-based or community development role

• Strong organisational skills and experience developing, leading, and implementing work programmes

• Experience managing community-level projects and empowering people to contribute is an advantage 

• Excellent facilitation and communication skills — written, verbal, and digital

• An understanding of and commitment to Te Tiriti o Waitangi and te ao Māori values

• Ability to work with urgency and pace, while maintaining collaborative and inclusive practice

• Comfort with consensus-based decision-making and a non-hierarchical, community-led approach

KEY RELATIONSHIPS

The Coordinator will work with and be supported by:

Applicants must apply online via the Do Good Jobs portal.