Senior Advisor, Community Funding

• Improve physical activity outcomes for tamariki & rangatahi
• Leading internal change & influencing others
• Strong process orientation & drive for continuous improvement

Are you passionate about the potential of community funding to achieve better social wellbeing outcomes for Aotearoa New Zealand? Do you have a drive for (funding) practice improvement, and strive for best practice in this space?

This is an opportunity to play a key part in the strategic development, stewardship and effective delivery of Sport New Zealand’s funding portfolio, facilitating and implementing funding into the Play, Active Recreation and Sport sector, with the aim of improving the wellbeing of all New Zealanders.

We want to hear from you if you have experience in the design, implementation, delivery and monitoring of community funding programmes aimed at achieving social wellbeing outcomes.

As a government entity, Sport New Zealand Ihi Aotearoa is proud to be a kaitiaki of our country's play, active recreation, and sporting system, from grassroots to elite sport. We do this through partnerships with national sport and recreation organisations, regional sports trusts, central government bodies, councils, and other key stakeholders.

This is a full-time permanent position, located in Wellington, offering hybrid working: 3 days in the office, 2 days WFH.

Required experience and skills:
The successful individual will be able to demonstrate:

• Ideally, previous experience in the design of funding processes; Or, adjacent skills, such as project management, process development, and change leadership, specifically gained in the community or public sectors
• A broad understanding of the capabilities and characteristics of strong not-for-profit community organisations; and ideally experience in assessing the financial accounts of community organisations
• A drive for best practice; and the ability to influence and change people's behaviour and practises
• Competence in te ao Māori, and an understanding of how kaupapa Māori organisations operate (advantageous)
• Strong problem-solving skills and a proactive approach to identifying and addressing challenges
• A customer-centric approach with an ability to understand and respond positively to stakeholder needs and preferences
• Strong analytical skills and attention to detail, to confidently manage detailed investment budgets
• Sound judgement and decision-making skills, and the ability to use these effectively under pressure
• Commitment to ensuring continuous improvement in investment processes.

Reporting to the Investment Lead, the Senior Investment Advisor will:

• Be part of a small, internally focused team, advising internal audiences on funding processes and best practice. The team is responsible for the end-to-end funding process, from the design of a new funding stream, through to the allocation of funds to individual organisations
• Work closely with Sport NZ’s external facing teams on the monitoring of funded organisations, and reporting on performance to ensure the funding is having the desired impact
• Lead the successful design and development of investment streams within Sport NZ's funding portfolio
• Drive Sport NZ’s continuous improvement journey by leading strategic projects while ensuring the smooth operational delivery of our funding portfolio
• Be part of a friendly, highly collaborative team, with a reputation for consistently delivering quality results

Sport NZ is committed to becoming a fully equal opportunity employer who knows equity, diversity, and inclusion lead to stronger whanaungatanga and improved organisational performance. We value and embrace differences and diverse ways of thinking and being - staff at Sport NZ are celebrated for who they are and their unique contributions to our organisation.

APPLICATIONS CLOSE:  9am, Wednesday 21st May 2025

APPLICATIONS PROCESS:
Frog Recruitment is managing this recruitment process on behalf of Sport New Zealand Ihi Aotearoa.
The preferred process is to APPLY ONLINE with a copy of your CV. If you encounter any difficulties making an online application, you can send it directly to  [email protected]  
Longlisted candidates will be contacted by Frog Recruitment for initial, informal discussions; and more info about the opportunity can be provided at that time.

Note:  We encourage early applications to this role, as shortlisting will begin before the application deadline. The title for this role is also an advertising title and may differ from the JD.


Operating for over 20 years in Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom, people2people, Edge Recruitment, and Frog Recruitment are an award-winning recruitment group and HR solutions provider. As an inclusive workforce, we welcome everyone and encourage our employees, clients, and candidates to showcase their authentic selves.

Should you require reasonable adjustments throughout the recruitment process, we encourage you to make a request by phoning the above-mentioned recruitment consultant to discuss. In response to these requests, we will collaborate closely with you to implement the appropriate adjustments.