consultant ophthalmologist

• Work in NZ's beautiful region of Whanganui where a relaxed healthy work life balance is encouraged
• A 138 bed-Care Capacity Demand Management (CCDM) secondary hospital
• Permanent, Full-time (1 FTE) position
• A smooth relocation transition is guaranteed

We are Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora - Whanganui. Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora is firmly grounded in the principles of Te Tiriti o Waitangi and is committed to building a health system that serves all New Zealanders.

About the Role

We have an exciting opportunity for a permanent full-time role (1 FTE) commencing as soon as possible - there is flexibility with the commencement.

Our Ophthalmology service provides high quality care to patients in the Whanganui region-offering a range of secondary and tertiary services. You will enjoy working alongside a small collaborative and cohesive team of two part-time Consultants and one Registrar providing specialist care in Ophthalmology. You will participate in the roster providing 24-hour cover for ophthalmology services. This will be on a 1:2 weekday basis and participate in the regional on-call weekend roster (1:4) with mid-Central DHB while having the flexibility to cover colleagues who are on leave.

About the Team/Service/ Location

Whanganui Hospital is located on the West coast of New Zealand's North Island with a wide range of services including emergency medicine, general medicine, general surgery, orthopaedics, O&G, ENT, ophthalmology, dentistry, and psychiatry. We serve a population of approximately 65,000 residents and serves as a central hub for the 16,000 people residing in the surrounding districts across the region.

The Ophthalmology Department is equipped with state-of-the-art equipment including Zeiss Cirrus OCT 6000 with OCT angiography, Zeiss Clarus UWF Camera with AF, Haag-Streit LED slit lamps, Accutome B-scan ultrasound, Humphery VF, Retinal, YAG and SLT lasers, microscope, Pentacam for corneal topography and chair-bed for minor ops. The theatre has Alcon Centurion Phacoemulsification system with active sentry handpieces with Zeiss microscope. We provide general ophthalmology services to our patients with tertiary services like vitreo-retina surgery, retinal electrophysiology, fundus angiography and complex glaucoma and oculoplastic services provided for our patients in Wellington.

On 24 October 2019, Whanganui was crowned the Most Beautiful City at the Beautiful Awards, an annual competition that recognises the environmental excellence of individuals, groups, businesses and schools. Towards the end of 2019, our district council was awarded the "best digital transformation" award. In a first for New Zealand, on 27 January 2020, Whanganui was accepted into the League of Historical Cities - an international affiliation of cities developed to recognise the value that historical urban areas bring to local and international communities.

Your move to Whanganui will allow you to experience a vast range of sights and entertainment in our region. It offers easily accessible mountains for skiing or hiking, lakes for fishing and boating, as well as beaches for surfing and quiet walks. The year-round temperate climate allows you to make the most of this healthy family-focused lifestyle. Whanganui also boasts an exciting arts community and facilities, a mix of local and travelling music talent, educational and sporting opportunities for all ages, historical buildings and culture. Living in Whanganui, you will be two-and-half hours' drive away from our capital city, Wellington or a 1-hour scenic flight to Auckland.

This excellent work / lifestyle balance for you and your family is further supported by a high quality of education at primary and secondary level, offered through both public and private schools.

For more information on living and working in Whanganui click here

About you

To be successful, you must hold or be eligible for Vocational Registration with the Medical Council of New Zealand. Applicants must be eligible to work in New Zealand. If you are an overseas qualified candidate, you can check your MCNZ registration eligibility and registration pathway here.

If you are an overseas applicant and have overseas medical qualifications, you will be required to provide EPIC source verification of your qualifications for your registration application. For more information about the registration process and source verification of qualifications, please visit

Other requirements for the role include:

• FRANZCO or equivalent qualification
• Collaborative leadership skills

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 30 January 2026. If you have any questions about the role, please contact Honey Pillai, Senior Recruitment & Operations Advisor -SMOs via

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