Payroll Analytics Lead

• Permanent, full-time position based anywhere in Auckland or Te Manawa Taki.
• Lead regional workforce cost analytics and improve payroll controls across Te Manawa Taki.
• Build a consistent, trusted approach to payroll reporting to help leaders understand workforce costs, trends, and opportunities.
• Turn complex workforce and payroll data into actionable insights that support productivity, financial sustainability and better decision-making.
• Flexible working arrangements are available, with travel across the region required from time to time.

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 Regional Finance - Payroll Analytics Lead, you will lead the development of a consistent regional approach to workforce cost analytics across Te Manawa Taki, helping Health New Zealand better understand, manage and optimise one of its largest areas of expenditure.

Reporting to the GM Finance - Te Manawa Taki, you'll bring together district-based reporting and analytics to create greater consistency, visibility and value from payroll data.

You'll establish and embed a regional approach to payroll analytics, working closely with Finance, People & Culture and Operations teams across the region. A key focus will be developing common payroll definitions and reporting standards, standardising reporting and establishing trusted, consistent payroll reporting and performance measures across the region.

You will analyse workforce and payroll expenditure across the region, identifying the volume, price and workforce-mix drivers behind cost movements. Through benchmarking, controls, exception reporting and dashboard development, you will provide clear insights and recommendations that support operational and financial decision-making.

You'll also support regional financial sustainability initiatives by providing workforce and payroll analytics to inform investment decisions, productivity opportunities and business cases. The role will provide assurance over financial performance reporting and may also lead projects and initiatives on behalf of the Executive Regional Director.

This is a highly collaborative role where your ability to connect data, people and strategic priorities will be critical to success.

About you 

We're looking for an experienced finance and analytics professional who can confidently work with complex data and translate it into clear, actionable advice for senior leaders.

You'll bring:

• A relevant tertiary or professional qualification and significant experience in financial management, FP&A, workforce analytics or payroll reporting within a large and complex organisation, preferably within the health sector.
• Extensive experience working with large datasets in complex service environments, with a strong track record of developing meaningful insights from data.
• Strong analytical and conceptual thinking, with the ability to prepare clear analysis, briefings and recommendations to support strategic decision-making.
• Experience working within complex, matrix-structured organisations and building trusted relationships across multiple teams, districts and senior stakeholder groups.
• Experience providing assurance over programme delivery and performance reporting, with strong attention to data quality, governance and accuracy.
• Advanced Excel skills, experience working with large datasets, and familiarity with Power BI, automation, AI or other analytics tools.
• An understanding of the New Zealand health sector and the operational drivers that influence workforce and payroll costs.

You'll be a confident communicator who can adapt your approach to different audiences, facilitate diverse groups and influence others through change. Curiosity, sound judgement, integrity and a commitment to continuous improvement will be important, as will the ability to manage ambiguity and competing priorities.

Experience across a range of New Zealand health settings, data analysis/evaluation training, senior strategic advisory experience, and strong negotiation and leadership skills would be advantageous.

Working for 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 Sunday 18 October 2026. For further information, please contact Nicole Rickard on Nicole.Rickard@TeWhatuOra.Govt.NZ.

The full position description is available on the Health New Zealand Careers site.

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