Principal Advisor Business Continuity

• Work from where you are  

• Permanent, full-time position 

• Ensure critical health services have robust continuity arrangements 

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  

This senior strategic role provides national leadership in the development and assurance of Health NZ's Business Continuity Management System. It ensures critical health services are supported by robust continuity arrangements and leads the design, improvement, and governance of frameworks, training, and assurance processes that strengthen system-wide resilience. 

About the Team/Service/ Location  

This role sits within the Health, Wellbeing, Safety & Organisational Resilience team in the People & Culture team, reporting to the National Manager Emergency Management. You'll be part of a national network of emergency management professionals, working closely with district leads and regional teams to strengthen our emergency preparedness and response capabilities.  

About you  

You'll bring over eight years' experience in business continuity or organisational resilience, with a strong track record in leading BCMS at a national or organisation-wide level. You're confident engaging with senior leaders and diverse stakeholders, translating complex requirements into practical, system-wide solutions.  

Formal qualifications in business continuity and programme management, along with deep knowledge of emergency management legislation and health sector agencies, are required to help support your success in this role. 

• Strong political judgement, resilience under pressure, and ability to anticipate risks and opportunities in complex, high-stakes environments.  

• Experience in designing and embedding frameworks, MoUs, or system-level arrangements that drive consistency across distributed organisations. 

• In-depth knowledge of the CDEM Act, National CDEM Plan, National Security System, and CIMS, and their intersection with Business Continuity in the health system.  

• Strong political judgement, resilience under pressure, and ability to anticipate risks and opportunities in complex, high-stakes environments.  

• Postgraduate or relevant tertiary qualification in emergency management, public policy, organisational resilience, risk management, or a related field (desirable). 

• Formal training or certification in governance, programme/project management, or stakeholder engagement (e.g., PRINCE2, MSP, IAP2) (desirable). 

• Experience working within the public sector or across government systems and in an operational environment (desirable). 

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 24 November 2025. If you have any questions about the role, please contact Lisa van der Mespel at lisa.vandermespel@tewhatuora.govt.nz 

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