Principal Clinical Advisor

Join a fast-paced environment dedicated to making a difference for Aotearoa
- Fixed term till Jan 2026, full time with flexible work options available, based in Wellington
- Salary midpoint of $140,938 actual salary dependent on your experience

Ko wai mātou - About us
Te Aho o Te Kahu, the Cancer Control Agency, provides national leadership for and oversight of cancer control.
Te Aho o Te Kahu takes a whole-of-system focus on preventing and managing cancer and oversees system-wide prioritisation and coordination of cancer care in New Zealand. It is accountable for ensuring transparency of progress towards the goals and outcomes in the National Cancer Action Plan. Te Aho o Te Kahu is equity-led, knowledge-driven, person/whānau-centred and outcomes focused.
The Knowledge Translation and Implementation team (KTI) is looking for a team member to cover parental leave. Your work will contribute towards ensuring New Zealanders have equitable, consistent access to world-class diagnosis and treatment for cancer that reflects their needs and values, and that survival for New Zealanders with cancer continues to improve at a rate comparable with other similar countries.
Ko ake mahi - What you'll do
Are you passionate about making a tangible impact in cancer control? Are you a strategic thinker with a knack for operational excellence? As our Principal Clinical Advisor, you will be entrusted with the critical task of providing high-quality, strategic, and operational clinical advice.
You'll play a pivotal role in shaping the direction of our initiatives, offering insightful analysis, and crafting recommendations that drive the design, delivery, and implementation of policies, priorities, and service delivery programs. Your leadership will be instrumental in ensuring that our efforts align with the objectives of Te Aho o Te Kahu.
Key Responsibilities
- Collaborate closely with the Manager, KTI to lead the strategic direction, prioritisation, planning, and delivery of programs and projects
- Forge and nurture effective working alliances with stakeholders across the cancer sector, fostering collaboration and maximising impact
- Identify strategic and innovative implementation opportunities, facilitating linkages and synergies with other relevant work programs
- Proactively identify areas for improvement in analysis and advice within the health and wider social sector, and recommend practical solutions.
- Mitigate strategic risks and issues related to our programs, ensuring timely resolution and escalation when necessary.
- Provide mentorship and leadership to team members, fostering a culture of excellence and continuous improvement.
- Demonstrate enthusiasm and flexibility in working across Agency boundaries, contributing to a cohesive and collaborative work environment

Ko pūkenga - What you'll bring
- Tertiary qualification in a health or relevant field and/or equivalent experience. A background in health epidemiology, health economics and/or biostatistics would be advantageous.
- Demonstrated ability to produce high-quality and right-sized written documents of various scales in a timely manner.
- Demonstrated ability to synthesis, translate and communicate both verbally and through written material, complex topics and or issues using language that is appropriate for the audience (i.e General public or expert audience).
- Exceptional communication skills and demonstrated ability to work collaboratively as a team.
- Ability to negotiate, communicate, influence with a range of key internal and external stakeholders, at all levels.
- Demonstrated ability to initiate, develop and maintain effective working relationships with key internal and external stakeholders at all levels.
- Demonstrated understanding of Te Tiriti o Waitangi and whanau, hapū, iwi needs, engagement and context. Understanding of Māori tikanga and kawa.
- Experience or understanding of the Machinery of Government would be a benefit.
- Knowledge and experience of public health approaches that impact on health inequalities and cancer would be an advantage.

Join Te Aho o Te Kahu - Ngā tūranga e wātea ana
Working at Te Aho o Te Kahu is inspiring, meaningful and rewarding. The Agency provides an incredible opportunity to work alongside other passionate individuals in leading efforts to drive the changes required to improve cancer outcomes for all New Zealanders.
**Ngā uaratanga - Our Agency Values**:
Our Vision Tō Tātou Whāinga
Fewer cancers Kia whakaiti iho te mate pukupuku
Better survival Kia runga noa ake te mataora
Equity for all Kia taurite ngā huanga
Me pēhea te tono - How to Apply
We value diversity and are committed to working in an inclusive and respectful way. We welcome applicants from all walks of life and appreciate the richness of experience that your point of difference could bring to us. Please contact us if there is any support we can provide to ensure the recruitment process is accessible to you.