Builder

Be the first tradie on the tools

Imagine a construction company staffed entirely by women and trans/non-binary tradies. A place where the culture is supportive, safe and accountable, and where how we treat each other matters as much as the quality of the work.

Now imagine being there from the first day; helping us build that company.

Cahoots Tradies is looking for our founding builder: someone with broad skills, a problem-solving brain and a real interest in changing what the trades look like in Aotearoa.

About us

Cahoots started with Cahoots Workshop, a community workshop in central Pōneke/Wellington exclusively for women and trans/non-binary folks. Since opening in September 2025, it's become a place where hundreds of people learn practical skills, use tools and build confidence together.

Cahoots Tradies is the next step: a social enterprise delivering building services with women and trans/non-binary tradies. It's being designed from the ground up as a culture-first, trauma-informed and accountable workplace. Profits sustain the Cahoots Workshop, so every job helps empower our community.

We've done the groundwork. There’s strong demand from people who want to hire women and gender minority tradies, and who rate safety and respect as critical when someone comes into their home. Now we need the right person to start building it with us.

The role

Full-time · Pōneke · Employed by Cahoots Tradies Ltd · Starting early 2027 (or by negotiation)

You'll do the mahi: domestic repairs, maintenance, renovations and small-to-mid construction jobs. You'll also help shape what this company becomes: how we quote, how we run jobs, how we look after each other, and what it feels like for every tradie who joins after you.

What you'll do

• Deliver a wide range of work: repairs and maintenance, general carpentry, doors and windows, decks and fences, accessibility modifications, small renovations and builds
• Scope jobs, estimate time and materials, and deliver quotes
• Work directly with clients, helping them feel comfortable and confident having you in their home
• Provide input into our systems (job workflows, health and safety processes, checklists), using real jobs to figure out what works
• Be involved in setting our culture: how we onboard and support new tradies, and how we'll train apprentices in the future
• Be part of telling the story through photos, video, social media, events and media. We'll support you, and you'll always have a say in what you're comfortable with

What you'll bring

• Solid building experience across a broad range of domestic work. A trade qualification is preferred, but experience counts
• Strong repair and problem-solving skills, and you're happy figuring out what's going on behind the wall
• Good at estimating time and materials, reliable and punctual
• Clear, warm communication with clients
• Comfortable being visible, or keen to grow into it
• A genuine interest in equity, community and building a better trades organisation
• Full driver's licence

Nice to have

• LBP licence
• Experience mentoring, teaching or supporting apprentices
• Experience running your own jobs or business
• Comfort with job management software (e.g. ServiceM8)
• Understanding of te ao Māori and tikanga in practice

What we offer

• Site Safe training as needed.
• You don't need your own kit to apply. We're setting things up now, so we'll work out vehicle, tools and other gear together.
• A workplace that's culture-first and trauma-informed, by design
• Real influence over how a company is built, not just how a job is done
• A pathway to grow as we grow: second tradie, a qualified LBP, apprentices, then multiple crews
• Connection to the Cahoots Workshop community

Who this role is for

This role is open to women and gender minorities, including trans, non-binary and gender-diverse people. You don't need to tick every box. If this sounds like the kind of place you've been wanting to work, we want to hear from you.

Send us your CV and a short video or voice note. Tell us a bit about yourself, the work you've done, and why this role appeals. Pick whatever format suits you best. We're not judging production quality.

Apply here

Ngā mihi, and we hope to hear from you.