Heritage Specialist

Tau ake rā te moana nei, e papaki kau ana ki te ākau tangata, kakenga waka ka mauru te tohu ki te arearenga o Mauao, he pou herenga mōu, he pou hononga mōu, kia herea ki te tika, kia herea ki te pono. Kia mau, kia ita, kia ū – haumi e, hui e, tāiki e!

Te Tūranga | About the role

Fulltime – 40 hours per week

Tuesday – Saturday

As a Heritage Specialist in the Heritage & Research team at Te Ao Mārama: Tauranga City Libraries, you’ll be working with the team to preserve our region’s history and make our collections physically and digitally accessible to the community.

Key responsibilities include:

• Delivering heritage-related programmes, exhibitions, outreach activities, and promoting public use of our collections.
• Providing in-depth research assistance (in person and through all other channels) to customers.
• Assessing and appraising archival material in accordance with the Library Archives Policy and collection criteria, including advising on the move of material in our collections as we relocate to the new central library in late 2026.
• Ensuring convenient access to the heritage and research collections by description, arrangement and digitisation of the collections.
• Ensuring that our digitisation work is compliant with preservation standards.

Ngā Pukenga | What you’ll need to succeed

To succeed in this role, you’ll bring:

• A relevant tertiary qualification in Library & Information Studies, Heritage, Archives, Māori Studies, or equivalent experience.
• Experience working with library heritage and archival collections, including curation and digital preservation.
• Strong communication skills, and an ability to engage diverse audiences in a culturally sensitive and professional manner.
• A collaborative, positive and customer-centric approach.
• An understanding of Te Ao Māori, tikanga, and Te Tiriti o Waitangi.
• An understanding of heritage, copyright and privacy legislation.

Ō Tātou Wharepukapuka | About Tauranga City Libraries

Te Ao Mārama – Tauranga City Libraries is a vibrant, community-focused library network serving our Tauranga community. We have four libraries, Tauranga, Pāpāmoa, Greerton, and Mount Maunganui, plus a mobile library service.

In addition to a robust lending collection, our libraries are hubs for lifelong learning, cultural engagement, and digital inclusion. Our staff are passionate about delivering diverse programmes for all ages, supporting local heritage research, and providing access to both physical and digital resources. The development of the new central library at Te Manawataki o Te Pāpā is an exciting next chapter for us and the addition of spaces such as the Archive Reading Room ensure it is a building fit for the future of Tauranga library services.

You can find out more about working at Tauranga City Council here.

Te Tukanga | How to apply

If you want to be part of an energetic, fun, and supportive team, then we'd love to hear from you. For more information, please contact recruitment@tauranga.govt.nz

Please note we will not be accepting applications via email. If you wish to apply, please click ‘Apply’ at the bottom of this page and follow the link.

Applications will close Monday 26 January 2026.

We’re committed to building a diverse team that reflects the communities we serve. We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds, including those living with disabilities.
If you need any support or adjustments to take part in our recruitment process, please contact our Talent Acquisition team at recruitment@tauranga.govt.nz

• You must have the legal right to live and work in New Zealand to apply for this role.
• Tauranga City Council does not accept unsolicited contact or applications from recruitment agencies. We will not pay fees or commissions related to unsolicited contact.

Job Description: Heritage Specialist