Senior Portfolio Manager

• Based in Southern (Otago or Southland) | Permanent, full time
• Help shape the future of health services across Southern
• Work at a system level, guiding a diverse portfolio of health programmes and investments

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

In this role, you will lead the strategic planning, management, and optimisation of a commissioning portfolio spanning services that directly impact the wellbeing of communities across Southern.

A typical day will see you shaping investment strategies, overseeing procurement and contract management, guiding service redesign, and developing evidence-based recommendations for improved health outcomes. You will analyse system performance, identify opportunities for redesign, and ensure services align with national and regional priorities.

You will build strong working relationships across Te Whatu Ora, Manatū Hauora, iwi and Māori partners, community representatives, clinicians, and providers. You'll champion whānau and community voice, embed equity considerations in commissioning decisions, and ensure the portfolio delivers sustainable, high-quality results.

This position is ideal for someone who thrives in complexity, enjoys system-level thinking, and is motivated by the opportunity to influence long-term population health outcomes.

About you

You are a strategic leader who brings confidence in system design, commissioning, and portfolio oversight. You understand how to connect the dots across services, policy, funding, and operational realities — and you are adept at translating strategy into pragmatic action.

You will likely bring:

• Extensive experience (typically 5–10+ years) in commissioning, planning, funding, or system/service design within a complex health or social sector environment.
• A confident ability to lead the development of strategies, investment plans, redesign initiatives, and long-term portfolio roadmaps.
• Strong programme and project leadership capability, with experience overseeing full commissioning lifecycles from analysis through to procurement, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation.
• Deep analytical skills — able to interpret data, identify trends, and use insights to inform strategic decisions and performance improvements.
• Proven experience building robust, influential relationships with Māori, Pacific communities, sector partners, and agencies, ensuring equity and Te Tiriti obligations sit at the centre of decision-making.
• Excellent communication and advisory skills, able to distil complexity into clear recommendations for senior leaders, Boards, Ministers, and key stakeholders.
• A future-focused mindset — able to anticipate emerging challenges, design forward-looking service models, and navigate the machinery of government with confidence.
• The agility and resilience needed to work in a rapidly evolving health environment, balancing competing priorities while maintaining a strong focus on outcomes.

You are someone who is energised by system change, motivated by equity, and ready to influence the direction of health services across Southern.

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 11:59 PM Tuesday, 18 November 2025. For further information, please contact Jenita Spencer on

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.