Operations Lead

• Based in Te Waipounamu | Permanent Full-time
• Your chance to influence regional strategy, uplift performance, and strengthen relationships across a diverse network of partners
• Helping shape how services are planned, funded, and delivered so communities

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 Operations Lead, you will provide the essential operational leadership that keeps the Regional Planning, Funding and Outcomes (RPFO) team running smoothly and effectively. You will oversee day-to-day operations, ensure systems and processes are efficient, and support the delivery of key regional priorities.

A core part of your role is working closely with the Regional Planning, Funding and Outcomes Director, providing high-quality advice, coordinating inputs across multiple functions, and ensuring the leadership team has what it needs to make informed decisions. You will plan and oversee strategic projects, monitor performance, track progress against priorities, and provide clear reporting to support accountability and improvement.

You will also lead the preparation of accurate and timely responses to Government Services requests and build strong working relationships with internal teams, external partners, and service providers. In this role, your ability to navigate complexity, align people and processes, and maintain a high standard of operational discipline will directly contribute to better outcomes for communities across the region.

About you

You are an experienced operational leader who excels at bringing structure, clarity, and performance discipline to complex environments. You combine strong analytical capability with relationship-focused leadership, and you thrive in roles where you are required to coordinate multiple workstreams, drive improvement, and support high-quality decision-making.

You will bring:

• Operational expertise – experience managing day-to-day business activities, improving processes, and ensuring systems run efficiently and reliably.
• Project or programme management capability – ability to plan, coordinate, and deliver projects on time, manage risks, and keep stakeholders well informed.
• Strong analytical skills – confidence working with operational, financial, or performance data and using insights to support decision-making.
• Excellent communication and relationship skills – able to build trust, work across teams, and maintain effective partnerships with internal and external stakeholders.
• Proven leadership ability – able to set expectations, support others to perform well, and promote a positive and accountable team culture.
• Continuous improvement mindset – experienced at identifying inefficiencies, recommending solutions, and driving improvements that lift performance.
• Highly organised working style – able to manage multiple priorities, stay focused, and deliver consistent results in a dynamic environment.
• Sound understanding of public sector responsibilities – including risk management, compliance, and operating within financial and operational delegations.

This role will suit someone who enjoys being at the centre of operational delivery, who brings both systems-thinking and people-leadership capability, and who is motivated by the challenge of improving how services are planned and coordinated across a large and diverse region.

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 11:59PM Monday, 24 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.