Job Description

Writing Team Leader – English

We're looking for a creative individual to lead Te Papa's English Writing Team. Working in close and supportive collaboration with the Reo Māori Writing Team Leader, this position embodies the bicultural partnership on which the museum was founded.

Te Papa
Te Papa is a world-leading, bicultural, cross-disciplinary museum. The writers are the museum's storytellers, comprising permanent staff and project-based contractors. These staff work primarily on exhibitions and related audience-facing experiences across media, both physical and digital. They help to identify powerful stories, and create engaging and accessible text in English and te reo Māori – sometimes in parallel, sometimes one after the other (translation).

Who we're looking for
We're looking for someone who's passionate about connecting with broad audiences through creative yet concise and accessible text, underpinned by sound scholarship, and who's equally passionate about supporting the revitalisation of te reo Māori.

You must also be:

• a highly resilient and positive team leader and mentor, who remains calm under pressure, uncertainty, and change
• diplomatic as well as confident and proactive, and able to collaborate effectively with people of different skillsets and perspectives, including community-based writers
• focused on opportunities and solutions over problems
• highly organised, with an ability to prioritise and delegate as necessary
• experienced in overseeing text-development and design processes across media, physical and digital
• comfortable with resourcing, scheduling, budgeting, and briefing (project-management type tasks)
• highly proficient in Word-processing software and collaborative digital tools (eg, Trello), and familiar with design software and information databases
• experienced working in a bicultural/bilingual environment, or eager to work in one.

Reporting to and supporting the Head of Experience Design and Content, you will:

• help guide the creation of Te Papa's exhibition experiences, collaborating with other interpretive staff to do so – especially writers, curators, experience developers, designers, digital producers, educators, and public programmers
• manage the publishing process for all English exhibition-related text, ensuring that the highest standards of storytelling and accuracy are upheld
• oversee the provision of writing and editing services to other internal Te Papa teams, assuring the quality of public-facing text.

You might have a background in publishing for museums, print or digital media, film, television, theatre, or education.

Knowledge of te reo and tikanga Māori is an advantage.

This is permanent fulltime positionn. The starting salary for this position will be between $91,773 to $108,980 with opportunity for progression through the band. Offers will be made within the range to reflect the skills and experience offered by the candidate and internal relativities.

Along with you CV and cover letter, please include a selection of relevant writing samples showcasing your work as part of your application. 

Applications close on 9 June 2025.

Applicants must have the ability to obtain and maintain the legal right to work in New Zealand.

Prior to Te Papa confirming any offer of employment, pre-employment checks will be undertaken including criminal conviction history and reference checking as a minimum.