Kāinga Ora Graduate Programme
Are you a recent graduate or completing your degree in architecture, structural engineering, or urban design?
If you’re passionate about the construction, housing and urban development sector, and interested in providing better housing options for all New Zealanders, then Kāinga Ora – Homes and Communities could be the right place for you to start your career.
The 18-month graduate development programme is designed to develop your capability in Construction and Innovation (C&I), Urban Development and Delivery (UDD), Urban Planning and Design (UPD) or Consentium Building Consent Authority Business Units. The programme offers a hands-on learning environment that gives you real life experience in worthwhile projects that impact better outcomes for New Zealanders, and will provide a solid foundation for a successful career with Kāinga Ora and beyond. From day one you will get involved in real mahi with meaningful deliverables and responsibilities. You’ll work alongside industry leaders on iconic projects that help create a better Aotearoa.
Why Us
At Kāinga Ora – Homes and Communities, we’re responsible for transforming housing choices, outcomes and the entire housing sector by creating homes and communities to allow all New Zealanders to thrive. Working for Kāinga Ora is an exciting chance to make a real and positive impact on New Zealanders' lives. With skills, planning and purposeful action, our people are creating the homes and neighbourhoods that will build Aotearoa's future.
With a new urban development focus, Kāinga Ora works in partnership to deliver quality urban developments that connect homes with jobs, transport, open spaces and the facilities for the communities’ needs. This includes accelerating the availability of build-ready land, and building the right mix of new housing including public, affordable, open market, and first-home-buyer homes of different types, sizes and tenures.
We are passionate about transforming New Zealand for the better. That includes being a trusted partner for Māori and iwi, protecting and enabling their rights, interests and aspirations under the guidance of Te Tiriti o Waitangi.
Benefits of the programme
Mentoring from a Senior Leader
Tap into the existing knowledge, skills and experience of senior employees.
Development and Capability plan
Structured learning programme designed to accelerate your personal and professional growth and development.
Continuous Learning opportunities
Hear from Industry leaders who are delivering New Zealand's housing and urban development priorities.
A great team and supportive environment
Every step of the way you will be supported by your Graduate Coach, Mentor, Buddy and the People Experience Advisor.
Rotations
Get involved in real mahi with meaningful deliverables and responsibilities.
Permanent Role
All Kāinga Ora Graduates begin as permanent employees and on successful completion of the programme we will move into a permanent role which is relevant to the areas of the organisation you have worked in.
Application Criteria
If you can answer 'yes' to each of the following statements, you are eligible to apply to our graduate programme:
- I am a New Zealand Citizen, an Australian Citizen, New Zealand Permanent Resident or Resident, or entitled to a three-year Post-Study Open Work Visa (for degree Level 7 or above qualification)
- I hold a relevant Bachelor's Degree or will complete my Degree by the start of the Graduate Programme in February 2022. See the list of preferred degree types. [PDF, 27 KB]
- I am available to start the Graduate programme in February 2022.
- I am able to base myself in Auckland for the duration of the 18-month Graduate Programme.
Apply now
Start your career with us in our Graduate Development Programme(external link).
Selection Process
There are 4 stages to our selection process. You will only progress to the next stage if you meet the eligibility criteria. Applications open 21 July and close 11.55pm 12 August 2021. The selection stages are:
Our teams participating in the Graduate Programme
Using a learning model where the majority of the learning will come from on the job experience, find your fit from one of the following streams:
C&I supports Kāinga Ora to grow its public and supported housing portfolio through the design and development of high quality homes that meet the needs of the community now and in the future, and by driving innovation across the construction sector. The Construction and Innovation Group also advises on standards for quality homes, provides planning and logistical support in the rehousing of tenants affected by construction and provides construction pipeline scheduling and reporting. Some of the teams you may rotate through include:
Development Strategy
Identify development opportunities from existing land holdings and strategic acquisitions. Conduct investigation on development sites to model and determine high level, practical, best use schemes and feasibility. Consult with internal stakeholders on development options for sites. Manage the project brief and handover of the development opportunity to the Programme teams.
Development Management
Develop brief proposal, test and prove feasibility, present business case for approval and oversee development through to delivery. Develop and manage business cases for development opportunities. Source and manage consultants. Source contractors for the development with Procurement. Manage development budget, schedule and regulatory approvals. Report on development progress.
Project Management
Manage and report on programmes of construction. Manage physical works contractors. Manage construction budgets and schedules. Monitor and manage compliance.
The Urban Development and Delivery Group is responsible for delivering Kāinga Ora large scale and complex urban development projects. The group is responsible for enabling more affordable market homes, better quality state homes and improved infrastructure and amenity across master planned precincts and neighbourhoods. The Urban Development and Delivery Group works with a range of partners to provide greater housing options and improved amenities that will make neighbourhoods an even greater place for communities. This Group is responsible for the Kāinga Ora super lot land sales programme, co-ordinating the delivery of major infrastructure projects and ensuring that Kāinga Ora operates as an industry leader in urban development. Some of the teams you may rotate through include:
Development Management
Deliver the redevelopment of an assigned neighborhood by providing input to project feasibility assessment, the preparation of investment business cases and supports in managing development partners, contractors and consultants. This position will support the delivery of Public, Affordable and Market housing developments in assigned neighborhoods/areas and programme/project management.
The Urban Planning and Design group provides strategic leadership on urban planning, provides best practice urban design and planning advice, leads the management of Kāinga Ora large scale strategic partnerships and works closely with place based groups, iwi, local and central government agencies and the private sector to facilitate urban development opportunities. Some of the teams you may rotate through include:
Urban Design
Support the Masterplanning and Urban Design Team who provide professional expertise and advice on urban design, spatial planning and wellbeing and sustainability outcomes. Assist with urban design tasks, coordinating design review, coordinating Homestar assessment, and providing administrative support to the Masterplanning and Urban Design Team
Development Planning
Development Planning supports development strategy and project delivery by interpreting and influencing planning policy, managing the consent process, assessing land for the development of housing, and exploring environmental and regulatory opportunities.
Kāinga Ora has a Building Consent Authority (BCA), Consentium to achieve its objectives of providing quality homes, leveraging scale and efficiency. Kāinga Ora has an ambitious target to build tens of thousands of state homes to suit requirements New Zealand’s requirements over the next 10+ years.
Consentium’s focus is on building control for state home build projects across New Zealand. The consenting process is efficient, paperless, and compliant, targeting residential and commercial state home builds alongside a comprehensive nationwide retrofit programme.
You'll be working with a group of talented building control officers with a dynamic and fresh culture. There are opportunities at all levels of building regulation and control process including quality assurance, administration, consent processing and inspection domains. Some of the teams you may rotate through include:
Consent Processing
The consenting process is an efficient, paperless, compliant targeting Residential and Commercial state house builds as well as a comprehensive nationwide retrofit programme. The role is responsible for processing of documentation for building consent applications to ensure residential building work is compliant with the NZ Building Code.
Inspections
This role involves the Inspection of buildings while a building consent is operative, certification of building work (issuing of code compliance certificates) and issuing of compliance schedules.
Meet some of our graduates
Check out the videos below and hear directly from some of our current and previous members of the graduate programme.
Page updated: 9 July 2021