Permanent role Based in Wellington CBD with flexible work arrangements Lived experience leadership Work on issues at the heart of Aotearoa New Zealanders wellbeing Committed to be grounded in Te Tiriti o Waitangi Are you looking for a role that will have a positive impact on the lives of all people in Aotearoa New Zealand? Te Hiringa Mahara (Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission) contributes to better and equitable mental health and wellbeing outcomes for all people in Aotearoa. We have leadership and oversight roles of the mental health and addiction system with monitoring, advocacy, and engagement functions. The Principal Advisor Lived Experience plays a key role in supporting Te Hiringa Mahara as we assess and report on progress with system transformation, monitor mental health and addiction services, and advocate for the collective interests of people with lived experience of mental distress and / or addiction.

As the Principal Advisor Lived Experience, you will provide expert advice to ensure that the voices of the lived experience community are represented and reflected in all that Te Hiringa Mahara does. You will enable Te Hiringa Mahara to advocate for the collective interests of people who experience mental distress and/or addiction. It will be essential that the Principal Advisor Lived Experience works with and alongside our other Principal Advisor Lived Experience role for Mori and Whnau.

You will play a key role in developing and strengthening stakeholder relationships and lived experience and consumer engagement, ensuring collaboration and a co-design approach. You will be able to demonstrate specifically how your own personal lived experience of mental distress or addiction has given you insights, access, knowledge, and active involvement in supporting other groups with lived experience and/or the broader health sector. Further information about our approach to understanding, honouring, and working with lived experience is available in Nau Mai te Ao.

We are looking for someone who: can draw on your own personal expert knowledge of lived experience concepts, knowledge, and understanding of frameworks has extensive networks in the mental health and addiction sector has leadership experience within the mental health and addiction sector on a national level, and expert level experience working with lived experience communities has a strong knowledge of Te Ao Mori and tikanga as it relates to lived experience communities. This is a great time to join our small team and contribute to improving mental health and wellbeing for Mori, our priority population groups, and for all people living in Aotearoa. As a Te Tiriti o Waitangi-grounded organisation, we are committed to fulfilling our responsibility as an independent Crown entity to honour Te Tiriti o Waitangi and work in partnership with Mori as tangata whenua.

We want our workforce to reflect our communities across Aotearoa and are actively seeking applications from people who represent.