Programme & Cultural Engagement Manager

Shepherdess is a social-impact initiative documenting the things that matter to rural communities across Aotearoa. Our quarterly magazine is a proudly independent, locally owned, award-winning print publication, published in the Horowhenua and curated from farms and kitchen tables across Aotearoa. Shepherdess has become a trusted voice for women across Aotearoa – spanning generations, cultures and communities. It’s a continually growing platform that extends well beyond the pages of the print magazine. With the launch on Sky Open of Shepherdess the television series – which has since aired in Australia and elsewhere internationally – the success of The Shepherdess Muster event, and the release of our podcast Far From Town, produced in collaboration with RNZ, we continue to expand our reach and impact.

Do you get excited by the power of events to bring people together? Are you confident working within te ao Māori and bringing mātauranga Māori and te reo Māori into your work? Do you love the idea of working alongside a great group of women to create something special for other women? Do you love organising and planning? Are you looking for a role that could fit among your other commitments, that’s creative, engaging and community-focussed?  

The Shepherdess Muster is our flagship biennial festival that brings together women for three days of guest speakers, workshops, live music, arts, morning fitness and good food in a rural location. The programme includes over thirty workshops, curated around three pou: health and wellbeing, the arts, and business development and entrepreneurship.  

We are looking for a wahine who will bring a diverse and inclusive programme to life for The Muster. You will be a member of our Project Team working closely with the volunteer Event Committee, curating and co-ordinating the programme of guest speakers, workshop presenters and artists to create an inclusive, diverse weekend event.  

 Alternating between small rural communities in the North and South Islands, the next Muster will be held in early 2028 in the lower North Island. We are looking for someone who will help shape and deliver the 2028 event, with the potential to stay on for the 2030 Muster and those that follow. 

At Shepherdess we are a small but creative team who work from home offices across the motu. We offer a flexible, supportive and friendly working environment – many of us fit our work with Shepherdess around other roles, kids, family life and everything else we’ve got going on. 

We’re looking for someone with strong relationships and ​​experience within te ao Māori and confidence in te reo Māori; a good team player, communicator and relationship manager; and someone who has a love of rural Aotearoa.

This role would suit someone who is freelancing or contracting. Refer to the full Role Description for details.