Merge Service Manager – Lived Experience Leadership

Lifewise Trust – Karangahape Road, Auckland

Help lead meaningful change for Auckland’s street whānau and people experiencing homelessness. Merge Café and Community is a trusted, welcoming space where people can connect, feel safe and access pathways to housing, employment and wellbeing.

Lifewise is seeking a Merge Service Manager with strong leadership skills and lived experience of homelessness, addiction or mental distress to guide this important community hub.

About the Role

In this senior role, you will:

• Lead Merge Café, Merge Community and peer outreach teams.
• Ensure Merge acts as the “front door” to Lifewise’s wider supports.
• Strengthen Merge’s place within the Karangahape Road community.
• Contribute to organisation-wide strategy as part of the Senior Leadership Team.
• Bring a lived-experience lens to Lifewise’s services and relationships.
• Oversee quality, service performance, health & safety and compliance.
• Manage budgets, funding contracts and reporting.

This is a fast-paced, people-focused leadership role where every day is different.

About You

You’ll bring:

• Lived experience of homelessness, addiction or mental distress.
• Experience in peer support or community-led development.
• Strong people leadership and relationship-building skills.
• Understanding of housing, Work & Income or mental health/addiction service pathways.
• Experience in operational or service leadership.
• Relevant practice qualification; tertiary leadership or management study preferred.

Digital confidence, cross-cultural capability and experience developing or improving services are an advantage.

Why Lifewise?

We live our values of Compassion, Courage, Respect and Integrity, and are committed to Te Tiriti o Waitangi and culturally responsive practice. Join us in creating a community where everyone feels valued and able to thrive.

Apply Now

If you want to lead meaningful change and champion lived experience in a senior role, we’d love to hear from you.