Community Engagement Champion

About OnTrack
OnTrack is a charitable organisation working to improve mental wellbeing and help prevent suicide across New Zealand’s Thoroughbred, Harness and Greyhound racing industries.

We are a mixed bunch at OnTrack, but what brings us together is a deep care for people, our work, and making real change for those who work in racing. We are practical, community-led and relationship-driven. We work alongside people at the grassroots of the industry, in the places where trust is built, conversations happen, and support can make a genuine difference.

About the role
As a Community Support Champion, you will help build stronger, healthier racing communities across Aotearoa.

This is a hands-on role for someone who enjoys working with people, building trust and turning conversations into meaningful outcomes. You will be out in the field meeting people where they are, growing engagement in OnTrack’s work, delivering training and support, and helping create momentum for change across the industry.

This is also a chance to be part of something different. OnTrack is helping lead a new approach to wellbeing and suicide prevention in racing, one that starts with people, community and trusted relationships. We work across the full range, from growing everyday wellbeing and connection, through to supporting people who are under pressure or doing it tough, and helping communities respond in safe, practical and compassionate ways.

At its heart, this role is about relationships. It is about understanding the realities of racing life, helping people see why wellbeing matters, and making it easier for them to access the right support, tools and opportunities. It is also a role that requires initiative. You will need to generate opportunities, follow up leads, make introductions, and think creatively about how to engage people who may not yet see this as a priority.

The work is rewarding, but it is not always easy. You will sometimes meet resistance or indifference, so you will need the resilience to keep going, the confidence to have honest conversations, and the ability to move from one opportunity to the next without losing heart. Over time, trust builds, engagement grows, and the benefits of support become visible in the people and communities we work alongside.

This is a diverse and purposeful role where you will be part of real change as it happens, in individuals, in workplaces and across racing communities.

What the role involves
In this role, you will:

• build and maintain trusted relationships across the racing community
• create opportunities for engagement by reaching out to new and existing contacts
• promote and secure bookings for OnTrack workshops, programmes and other support
• deliver and co-facilitate training in ways that are practical, engaging and relevant
• follow up conversations and leads, and turn them into meaningful next steps
• spend time in the field at race meetings, training facilities, workplaces and community events
• support local Champions and strengthen peer and community connections
• help people access the right support when they are under pressure or doing it tough
• contribute ideas, insights and local knowledge that help shape our work
• work closely with the wider OnTrack team to keep momentum going and ensure good follow-through

About you
You are someone who connects easily with people and genuinely enjoys being out in communities. You are warm, credible and practical, with the confidence to start conversations, build trust and keep things moving.

You are just as comfortable picking up the phone, following up a lead or introducing OnTrack to a new workplace as you are sitting down for a deeper conversation with someone who needs support. You understand that meaningful change takes both heart and initiative.

You will likely bring:

• strong relationship-building and communication skills
• confidence in engaging with a wide range of people and personalities
• the ability to generate opportunities rather than wait for them to appear
• resilience and self-motivation, particularly when faced with push back or slow uptake
• experience in community engagement, training, support work, outreach, workforce development or a similar people-focused role
• good judgement, emotional maturity and the ability to respond appropriately in sensitive situations
• the ability to work independently while staying connected to a wider team
• It could be an advantage if you also have:
• knowledge of, or connections within, the racing industry
• experience delivering workshops or facilitating groups
• experience in wellbeing, mental health, community development or not-for-profit sectors
• an understanding of peer support, suicide prevention or community-based support models

Why join OnTrack
This is a chance to be part of something meaningful and genuinely different.

You will join a team that is helping shape a stronger future for racing by building trust, reducing stigma, growing capability and making support easier to access. It is a role with variety, purpose and visibility, where you will be able to see the impact of your work in real time.

We offer:

• a varied and rewarding role with real community impact
• the chance to be part of a fresh, community-led approach to wellbeing and suicide prevention
• a supportive team environment with regular professional support
• monthly counselling or supervision
• competitive remuneration
• a company vehicle (for work use)
• the opportunity to grow with an organisation making a real difference

Other information
This role is based in Ellerslie, Auckland, and includes regular travel across New Zealand, including some overnight stays and occasional work outside standard hours to reflect the rhythms of the racing industry. The successful applicant will hold a full New Zealand driver license and willingness to travel regularly. You will also be required to complete a New Zealand Police Check and must have the right to work in New Zealand.