Māori Summer Internships

DairyNZ Māori Summer Internship Programme provides tauira Māori with the opportunity to gain meaningful, hands-on experience within Aotearoa New Zealand’s primary sector.

About us

Te whanake anamata angitu mō ngā pāmu kau o Aotearoa – Progressing a positive future for New Zealand dairy farming

We are full of people who have a passion for delivering great outcomes and creating positive change. We leverage our collective strength by bringing the dairy sector together, helping farmers build more sustainable, profitable, and resilient farm businesses; because a strong dairy sector means a strong New Zealand.

At DairyNZ, we seek opportunities to incorporate Te Ao Māori and mātauranga Māori into our research, projects and ways of working to achieve better outcomes for Māori, the dairy sector and Aotearoa.

Your opportunity

We are looking for passionate and dedicated tauira Māori to join our summer internship programme. This is an opportunity to gain practical experience across an industry-good organisation and a public research organisation, while exploring meaningful career pathways in the primary sector.

Now in its sixth year, the programme supports aspiring researchers, scientists, rural professionals and future agricultural leaders through a combination of hands-on experience, mentoring, professional development and networking.

We have two Māori summer internships available, with opportunities based in Hamilton or Rotorua.

Ideal background

Preferably studying towards, or have recently completed, an undergraduate or master’s degree in Science or a related field, such as science communication or environmental law.

We’d love to hear from you if you have:

• An understanding of, or enthusiasm for, Te Ao Māori, mātauranga Māori or kaupapa Māori.
• A passion for the primary sector and an interest in innovation.
• A positive, motivated and curious approach to working in an innovative environment.
• A strong commitment to workplace health and safety.

Internship period

23 November 2026 to 27 February 2027, with some flexibility around the dates for successful candidates.

Why join us?

This is an opportunity to build your skills, confidence and professional networks with the support of kaimahi Māori, science teams and other tauira and early-career researchers.

As part of the programme, you will also have the opportunity to share your learnings and experiences at our intern wānanga, where you will be immersed in mātauranga Māori and learn about local kaitiakitanga practices.

Benefits

• Mentorship and guidance from experienced kaimahi and leaders.
• Practical skills and experience alongside experts in your field.
• Professional connections across the science, research and primary sector communities.
• An opportunity to explore future career pathways within the primary sector.

Sound good to you? Come join our team who together, are making a difference.

Applications close: Wednesday, 14 October 2026 at 12.00pm.

Applications will be reviewed as they are received, with shortlisting and interviews taking place throughout the recruitment process, so we encourage you to apply early.