Operations Service Design Manager, Digital Operations, Digital Services

• Wellington based
• Willing to travel to multiple locations within the central north island region
• Permanent, Full-time

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

Join our team as our next Operations Service Design Manager, where you will play a pivotal role in shaping how new IT services and operational processes are designed, delivered, and embedded across the organisation.

You will provide both thought leadership and hands-on delivery, guiding major change initiatives from project development through to operational readiness. Your focus will be on ensuring smooth transitions into production, enabling our teams to deliver high-quality, efficient, and secure services.

Working collaboratively across Digital Operations, Digital Applications & Products, and Digital Delivery, you'll identify opportunities to enhance service performance, drive innovation, and strengthen the resilience of our digital ecosystem. If you're passionate about designing for success and making a tangible impact on how digital services support healthcare in Aotearoa, this is your opportunity to lead meaningful change.

About the Team/Service/ Location

Our Digital Operations team sits at the heart of Health NZ's digital ecosystem — powering the networks and systems that keep hospitals and health services running 24/7.

We're the people behind the technology that keeps clinicians connected, patient data secure, and services running smoothly. But our impact doesn't stop there — we're also building the digital foundations that will strengthen healthcare for generations to come.

The Network Engineer (Central) sits within the Network and Communications team, part of the Digital Operations function under the wider Digital Services group. Reporting into the Practice Lead (Network and Communications Central), You'll be part of a dynamic team that values innovation, collaboration, and a can-do attitude.

The team plays a vital role in maintaining the digital infrastructure that supports efficient, connected healthcare services.

About you

You will bring your IT leadership experience and passion for operational excellence to this pivotal role driving service design and delivery across Health NZ.

• 7+ years' experience in IT or technology leadership roles
• Track record of coordinating and optimising existing services and designing new solutions to meet evolving business needs
• Proven knowledge and understanding of servce management and design frameworks such as ITIL
• Strong background in large-scale business change and ensuring appropriate operational service design and readiness for solutions, across multi projects and programmes.
• Skilled in driving innovation, proactive enhancements, and maintaining secure, resilient IT environments
• Demonstrated success in managing the transition and impact of major change projects through into operational support.
• Bachelor's or Master's in Computer Science, Information Systems, Engineering, or related field (or equivalent experience)
• Industry certifications such as ITIL v4, COBIT, Prince2, or Agile highly regarded
• Process improvement experience at scale, SIAM (Service Integration and Management) experience also beneficial
• Equivalent experience demonstrating extensive solution or service design expertise will also be considered

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 Sunday 23 November. If you have any questions about the role, please contact Jayme at

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