Regional Manager, Primary and Rural - Planning, Funding and Outcomes

• Based in Te Waipounamu | Permanent Fulltime
• Collaborate across national, regional, and local levels to deliver better health outcomes for whānau
• Lead initiatives that shape the future of equitable and accessible healthcare

Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora is the country's largest employer, delivering universal public healthcare to 5 million New Zealanders.

We provide essential hospital, specialist, and community health services across 80+ locations — from large urban centres to rural towns and remote communities.

Our goal is to improve health outcomes for all New Zealanders by delivering equitable, accessible and innovative care.

About the Role

As Regional Manager, you'll oversee system design, service planning, integration, and provider relationships for your assigned life course portfolio. You'll lead a high-performing team to deliver strategic, evidence-based solutions that improve Māori health and eliminate inequities.

In this senior leadership position, you'll represent your portfolio at national and regional forums, influence policy, and ensure alignment between local priorities and national strategies. You'll also manage regional budgets, performance frameworks, and risk to ensure accountable and transparent service delivery.

About you

You are a strategic and influential leader who thrives on complexity and collaboration. You can navigate ambiguity, connect diverse stakeholders, and turn strategy into tangible, measurable outcomes You bring a deep understanding of commissioning, system and service design, and the operational realities of delivering equitable care at scale. You think conceptually, anticipate the long-term impacts of decisions, and translate vision into pragmatic strategies that deliver measurable health outcomes.

You have a proven record of implementing Te Tiriti o Waitangi in action—embedding its principles into planning, funding, and service delivery. You work with purpose, building trust and accountability through strong partnerships with iwi, Māori and Pacific providers, communities, clinicians, and government agencies. You are recognised as a credible and influential thought leader—someone who can connect policy intent with on-the-ground performance to drive transformation across the health system.

You will bring:

• Strategic leadership and system thinking – proven ability to design and implement large-scale health system strategies, translating national priorities into cohesive regional actions that deliver Pae Ora outcomes.
• Technical commissioning and service design expertise – extensive experience in health service commissioning, procurement, funding models, and performance frameworks, with the ability to analyse complex data and evidence to inform investment decisions.
• Te Tiriti o Waitangi and equity leadership – a strong personal and professional commitment to Te Tiriti obligations, with demonstrated success in partnering with iwi, Māori providers, and communities to deliver mana motuhake and equitable outcomes.
• Operational excellence and financial acumen – experience leading operational teams with accountability for significant budgets, risk management, and resource optimisation to ensure value and transparency.
• People leadership and capability development – proven success building, leading, and inspiring multidisciplinary teams in dynamic and demanding environments, fostering a culture of trust, innovation, and continuous improvement.
• Relationship and influence – exceptional communication and relationship management skills, with the credibility to influence across ministerial, clinical, community, and provider networks at national, regional, and local levels.
• Change and innovation mindset – agility to lead through reform, shape new service models, and champion continuous improvement through evidence-based decision-making and system redesign.

Working at Health New Zealand 

Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora is dedicated to ensuring excellent healthcare for the people of New Zealand. We embrace a workforce that is diverse and inclusive so that we are better positioned to understand and service our community. We welcome applications from our diverse Māori, Pacific, disabled, and rainbow communities.   

How to Apply 

To apply, please click “apply now.”  All applications must be submitted through our online careers portal by 11:59 PM Wednesday, 19 November 2025. For further information, please contact Jenita Spencer on Jenita.Spencer@TeWhatuOra.govt.nz.

Whilst Health New Zealand is undergoing change, affected kaimahi will be given preference and priority for this position.

We will review applications as received and may proceed with the recruitment process before the closing date of this advert.