National Clinical Lead, Hospital Care Pathways - Fixed Term

• Based in Palmerston North Hospital, 12-month Fixed Term Opportunity | 0.4 FTE (16 hours per week)
• Collaborate with industry stakeholders and peers, building strong professional networks while driving innovation in clinical practice.
• Enjoy a supportive, high-impact role with opportunities for professional growth, continuous learning, and recognition for your leadership and expertise.

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 the National Clinical Lead Hospital Care Pathways, you will provide senior clinical leadership to the Care Pathways programme in the MidCentral region during a key transition period. This fixed‑term role oversees clinical guidance and quality assurance while the existing Streamliners Hospital Health Pathways platform is migrated to the Health New Zealand national SharePoint site.

You will maintain strong clinician engagement, support improvements to pathway processes, and ensure pathways remain accurate, up-to-date, and aligned with national and regional priorities. The role represents a secondary care perspective nationally through the Strategic Clinical Leadership Group (SCLG), contributing to collaborative operational discussions and national consistency in care pathways.

About the Team/Service/ Location

You will be based at Palmerston North Hospital and work as part of a team responsible for the clinical management and coordination of care pathways. You will also work closely with the national digital services teams as part of the migration project.

About you

You are an experienced and highly skilled medical practitioner with a strong track record in complex health environments. You bring over 10 years of clinical experience, including significant leadership responsibilities, and are adept at guiding multidisciplinary teams to develop, implement, and maintain safe, evidence-based care pathways. You excel at clinical governance, validating information, and communicating complex medical content clearly to diverse audiences. Collaborative by nature, you build strong partnerships across the health system and industry stakeholders to ensure high-quality, coordinated patient care. With a commitment to professionalism, integrity, and continuous improvement, you take personal responsibility for delivering outcomes that enhance patient safety and support the growth and effectiveness of your team.

• Be a qualified medical practitioner with a current practicing certificate, bringing over 10 years of experience in complex health environments, including at least 3 years in a senior clinical leadership role.
• Lead, mentor, and support multidisciplinary teams, ensuring the development, implementation, and maintenance of safe, evidence-based, and locally relevant clinical care pathways.
• Provide expert oversight of clinical governance, validate clinical information, triage feedback effectively, and communicate complex medical content clearly to diverse audiences.
• Build and maintain strong partnerships across the health system, including teams, industry stakeholders, and community groups, to support coordinated and high-quality patient care.
• Demonstrate professionalism, integrity, and self-awareness, taking personal responsibility for delivering high-quality outcomes, fostering collaboration, and continuously improving your leadership practice and team performance.

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 11:59PM Tuesday, 07 April 2026.

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.