Help guide for job candidatesHe āwhina i ngā kaitono tūranga mahi
Questions about applying for jobs at Te Papa through our Jobs Centre? Find information to help make your application process easier.
On this page:
Why work at Te Papa?
Searching for jobs in Te Papa’s Jobs Centre
What to include in your job application
Forgotten username and/or password
Uploading a CV
After you’ve applied for a job
Receive job alerts
Length of time jobs are advertised
New Zealand work visa requirements
Gender and ethnic pay gaps
Kia toipoto
Contact us
Rongowhakaata kaumātua holding down the pae of Te Hau ki Tūranga at the opening of the Ko Rongowhakaata: The Story of Light and Shadow exhibition at Te Papa. Photograph by Tim Onnes
Why work at Te Papa?
Our vision
E huri ngākau ana. E huri whakaaro ana. E huri oranga ana.
Changing hearts. Changing minds. Changing lives.
Our mission
To understand the past, enrich the present and meet the challenges of the future.
Our benefits
Tai Tamariki Kindergarten onsite with priority waitlist for Te Papa staff (operates 8am–6pm), with the Ministry of Education benefit of free 20 hours’ ECE for all children from ages 1–5 years
Free entry to paid exhibitions for staff members
Subsidised car-parking on-site
Staff discounts in the Te Papa stores and cafes: 10% in the cafes and 20% in the retail stores
Visual/eye examination subsidies and reimbursements
Employee assistance programme through Vitae
Health insurance group discount scheme with Southern Cross
Free flu vaccinations each year
10% discount at Dragons Chinese Restaurant
A secure bike cage facility at Cable St and bike stands at Tory St are available for staff who wish to cycle for commuting or regular exercise.
Get involved
Social Club events and gatherings
Opportunity to participate in pōwhiri, blessings and exhibition openings
Te Papa runs several tours throughout the day that staff are welcome to join
Te Papa Venues Head Chef Ilavarasu Rajendran, 2019. Te Papa
Searching for jobs in Te Papa’s Jobs Centre
To find a job at Te Papa:
See ‘Most recent jobs’ or click ‘All Jobs’ in the dark grey band near the top of the page.
If there are no current vacancies that match your skills, register your details by creating a profile for yourself and attaching your CV. Click on ‘Register’ on the top right. Once you have registered click on ‘My Profile’ to add preferred position types, your CV, previous areas of work etc. Your details will be stored in our Jobs Centre database. You can choose to be emailed when a vacancy occurs that matches your preferences by editing your details under ‘Job Alerts’.
Senior Curator Pacific Cultures Sean Mallon, Pacific Collection Store Tour, 2016. Photo by Amanda Rogers. Te Papa
What to include in your job application
When you apply for a Te Papa vacancy, you must:
Complete all the required fields in the application form
Attach a copy of your CV and cover letter
Complete any questionnaires attached to the job application.
Forgotten username and/or password
If you have forgotten your Jobs Centre username and/or password:
Select ‘Login’ on the top right
Fill in your email and click ‘Forgotten your password?’
Your username and password will be emailed to that address.
Uploading a CV
Your CV should be in Microsoft Word (.doc and .docx) or PDF format and no larger than 3MB.
If you’re unable to attach a CV to your profile in the Jobs Centre:
Complete your profile and apply for the vacancy you’re interested in, without attaching a CV
Send your CV to recruitment@tepapa.govt.nz, stating your name and the position you are applying for
A member of Te Papa’s Human Resources Team will then upload your CV and attach it to your application.
Te Papa staff installing Finale: Bouquet by Nike Savvas, 2019. Photo by Maarten Holl. Te Papa (141484)
After you’ve applied for a job
After you have submitted your online application:
You should receive an acknowledgement email confirming that we have received your application
A recruitment panel will assess your skills and experience in relation to the requirements of the position.
You will hear back from Te Papa within two weeks of the closing date for the position. If the recruitment process takes longer than this, we will let you know.
After shortlisting has been completed, the hiring manager or their representative will contact you via email or phone to advise you about the outcome of your application.
Receive job alerts
To receive alerts when new vacancies are added to the Jobs Centre:
Log in to your Jobs Centre account and click on ‘Jobs Alert’
Select the specific criteria for the types of roles you are interested in.
Length of time jobs are advertised
Vacancies are usually advertised on the Jobs Centre for a minimum of one week. Most of our vacancies are posted for two weeks, but some may stay open until the position is filled. If the closing date is open-ended, we will state this in the advertisement for that particular role.
New Zealand work visa requirements
Anyone who is legally entitled to work in New Zealand can apply for our vacancies. For certain vacancies, if you currently do not have the legal right to work in New Zealand, you may receive an email advising you that your application will not be considered further.
Gender and ethnic pay gaps
Te Papa is committed to Kia Toipoto and has published its action plan to help close the gender, Māori, Pacific and ethnic pay gaps. The purpose of publishing this current information is to help in our plan to create an inclusive and equitable workplace.
Gender pay gaps
| As at 30 June | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Te Papa Gender Pay Gap | 8.09% | 10.5% | 19.71% | 21.59% |
| Te Papa Gender Pay Gap (excluding casuals) | -1.04% | -3.38% | 1.34% | 1.39% |
| New Zealand Gender Pay Gap | 8.6% | 9.20% | 9.10% | 9.50% |
Approximately a third of Te Papa’s workforce is comprised of casual employees (188 casuals as at 30 June 2023), with a large representation of those casuals (predominantly female) working in lower paid occupational groups i.e. hospitality. By excluding casuals from our gender pay gap analysis, we can remove some of the gender over-representation that is the primary cause for the higher gender pay gap across the entire organisation.
Ethnic pay gaps
| As at 30 June | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Māori | All Org | -8.46% | -16.7% | -9.77% | -10.92% |
| Perm/Fixed Term Only | -4.64% | -2.63% | -0.5% | -1.92% | |
| Pacific | All Org | 21.83% | 16.16% | 25.68% | 26.72% |
| Perm/Fixed Term Only | 28.14% | 30.12% | 26.78% | 33.85% | |
| Asian | All Org | 21.01% | 18.8% | 28.35% | 28.28% |
| Perm/Fixed Term Only | 19.93% | 25.91% | 26.65% | 23.31% |
High Pacific and Asian pay gaps are due to an uneven spread of Pacific and Asian people across all occupations within Te Papa. For example, we have representation of Pasifika staff in such roles as Curatorial or Hospitality and limited in Senior Management and we have representation of Asian staff in such roles as Chefs or Visitor Services and limited in Senior Management. The ethnic pay gap is an identified area within the Strategic Workforce Action plan. Recent progress within promotion of Māori into more senior roles has demonstrated a positive result for Māori pay gap and shows we can make these changes.
Kia Toipoto
Te Papa’s Kia Toipoto Action Plan for 2024-25 is published here.
Our Pay Gap analysis and Action Plan for 2024 acknowledges that we do have some way to go to close our ethnic pay gaps – particularly within our Pacific Peoples and Asian workforce and this will be one of our focus areas for the coming year to engage with these groups to understand more regarding what may be causing this and how we can seek to address this in future.
Kia Tiopoto Action Plan and Progress Report_2024-25 (342.60 KB)
Contact us
If you have any questions about applying for jobs at Te Papa, contact our Human Resources Team.
If you have applied for a job and have not heard back from Te Papa regarding the status of your application, please include your name and the position you applied for.
Email: recruitment@tepapa.govt.nz