Ringa Hapaai Customer Service

Hamilton City Council is hiring through its Hamilton City Libraries division to grow its team of service professionals. The libraries network spans seven sites across the city, including the Central Library in Garden Place and community libraries at Chartwell, Dinsdale, Hillcrest, Glenview, St Andrews and Rototuna. The Ringa Hapaai Service Representative role sits onsite at Te Kete Aronui Rotototuna Library, offering a chance to contribute to a warm, community-focused culture and to grow within a team that values initiative and collaboration.

These roles blend books with people. You’ll bring your own strengths to a role that isn’t only about shelving; it’s about helping the public access information, technology, and learning opportunities. If you enjoy a community setting, value inclusivity, and like the idea of libraries as active community spaces, you’ll likely feel at home here.

The team emphasises growth and autonomy and supports a welcoming environment for staff and patrons alike. The Rotototuna site is the primary onsite location for this role, and you’ll find purpose in enabling visitors to connect with resources, programmes, and each other in meaningful ways.

A day in the life at Te Kete Aronui Rotototuna Library

You’ll handle core library duties at the desk, including issuing books, locating titles, processing returns and keeping shelves orderly, all while helping customers with a friendly, patient approach.

You’ll guide patrons in using technology for learning, job searching, staying connected with family, or feeding curiosity, turning digital access into practical support for everyday needs.

You’ll help run programmes and events for the community, from story-time and wriggle and rhyme to stop-motion workshops, coding classes, and assisting the Auaha Makerspace librarians with hands-on activities.

You’ll connect people with resources on topics like genealogy and heritage, or with interest groups, and you’ll offer thoughtful reading recommendations to help visitors discover their next great book.

Hours for this role will be: Te Kete Aronui Rotototuna Library, 19 hours per week, Thursday 4.00pm-8.00pm, Saturday 9.00am-5.00pm and Sunday 9.00am-5.00pm. This is a permanent position.

What you’ll need to bring and what helps

Here's what the team is looking for in a candidate who can thrive in this role.

• Solid experience delivering customer service and comfort working with a diverse community; library background is a bonus.
• Interest in starting or running children’s programmes and taking the lead on events.
• A natural, positive demeanor that makes everyone feel welcome and respected.
• Ability to use a computer confidently and handle cash transactions.

Nice-to-haves

• Prior experience in a library setting would be useful.
• Experience supporting community activities or programmes beyond the front desk.
• Any related skills or experience that help with engaging users or assisting technology-based tasks.

Pay, benefits and practical details

The listing notes the pay starts at 30.02 NZD per hour, and it also lists a minimum annual salary of 60,000 NZD. The role is permanent, with 19 hours per week scheduled across Thursday evenings and weekend days, onsite at Te Kete Aronui Rotototuna Library in Hamilton, NZ.

Benefits include opportunities for professional development, two wellbeing days per year, free health insurance through Unimed (including hospital and surgery cover and discounted membership for family), free annual health checks and flu vaccination, the option to purchase additional annual leave, eye testing and glasses cost reimbursement, and discounts at local businesses such as gyms, cafes, dentists and more.

The Council notes it is committed to Te Tiriti o Waitangi and works with Kiingitanga, Waikato Tainui, mana whenua and other Māori partners. Shortlisting will occur as applications are received, and the role is expected to start on 5 December 2026.

All candidates will be notified of the outcome by email. Short-listed candidates will undergo an interview, reference checks and a criminal check. If the role is safety sensitive, a pre-employment medical including drug and alcohol testing may be required. Further information about these checks and privacy can be found via the council’s careers page.

Advice for applicants

Tip 1: Put your strongest customer service experience up front on your resume, especially any work directly serving a diverse community or in a library setting, since that aligns with what this role expects.

Tip 2: When you describe must-have skills, tell a concrete story. Include a time you helped someone access a resource, led a children’s programme, or guided a patron through a digital task, with a clear outcome.

Tip 3: In interviews, be ready to discuss how you create a welcoming environment even under pressure, share a specific moment where you turned a difficult interaction into a positive experience for the patron.

Tip 4: Consider a question that shows you’re curious about growth and impact, such as asking how the library team measures success in community engagement or what opportunities exist to expand Auaha Makerspace programming.

How to apply

View the Position Description: View the Position Description.

Click apply and complete your application. If you want to include a cover letter, combine it with your resume and upload as a PDF, or use the "Write a message to the Hiring Team" box to share your notes.

Applications close on the date 04/11/2026. The hiring process may start before the closing date, and shortlisted candidates will be asked to participate in interviews, reference checks and a criminal background check. If this role is safety sensitive, a pre-employment medical including drug and alcohol testing may be required.