ACC Accredited Employee Programme Regional Lead Central

Te Whatu Ora; Palmerston North; On-site; NZD 90,000 - 140,000; Full time

Job summary

Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora in Palmerston North is seeking a Regional Lead for the ACC Accredited Employer Programme. The role provides regional functional leadership for injury management, supporting advisors and claim administrators to deliver high‑quality outcomes for kaimahi.

It carries influence across the Central Region without direct reports and focuses on consistency, quality, and multi‑disciplinary collaboration.

Qualifications

• Minimum two years of injury and illness management experience.
• Experience providing functional or professional leadership.
• Ability to work across teams and organisational boundaries to achieve outcomes.

Responsibilities

• Provides regional functional leadership for the ACC Accredited Employer Programme and injury management.
• Oversees regional implementation of the injury management model and promotes consistent practice.
• Oversees claim quality assurance and handles complaints effectively.
• Manages Third Party Administrator relationships for the region.
• Monitors regional claim performance and identifies improvement opportunities.
• Provides specialist advice and guidance to injury management advisors and specialists.
• Builds relationships with internal and external stakeholders to support outcomes.
• Collaborates across the wider Occupational Health regional service.

Skills

Injury management

Leadership

Stakeholder engagement

Coaching/Mentoring

Job description

ACC Accredited Employee Programme Regional Lead Central

• Fixed Term, 8 months, full time
• Based in the Central Region, Lower North Island preferred

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

The purpose of this role is to provide regional functional leadership and coordination for injury management and the ACC Accredited Employer Programme, supporting injury management advisors and specialist claim administrators to deliver high-quality claim management and optimal outcomes for injured colleagues.

The role does not have direct reports but provides leadership across the function through subject matter expertise, coordination, quality oversight, relationship management and influencing consistent practice across the Central Region.

Key Responsibilities include:

• Provides regional functional leadership for the ACC Accredited Employer Programme and injury management function, supporting high-quality claim experiences for Health New Zealand kaimahi.
• Oversees regional implementation of the approved injury management model and promotes consistent practice across the region.
• Provides oversight of claim quality assurance, including supporting the effective management and resolution of complaints.
• Oversees Third Party Administrator (TPA) arrangements and relationships for the region.
• Monitors regional claim performance, identifies trends and opportunities for improvement, and supports appropriate action.
• Provides specialist advice, guidance and support to injury management advisors and specialist claim administrators, helping to build consistency and capability across the function.
• Develops strong relationships with key internal and external stakeholders to support effective injury management outcomes.
• Works collaboratively across the wider Occupational Health regional service, contributing to a multidisciplinary approach to Occupational Health programmes of work.

About you

You bring at least two years' experience in injury and illness management, including experience in the management of ACC claims. You have experience providing functional or professional leadership, specialist advice and guidance to others, and are confident working across teams and organisational boundaries to achieve consistent, high-quality outcomes.

You have demonstrated experience in coaching, mentoring, education and capability development, particularly within injury and illness management. You are comfortable providing leadership through expertise, influence and collaboration rather than direct line management.

You have the ability to develop strong relationships with key internal and external stakeholders and communicate clearly and effectively. You are skilled at influencing, negotiating and working collaboratively to achieve positive outcomes. Your professionalism, sound judgement and commitment to quality underpin your approach.

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 serve our communities.

We welcome applications from our diverse Māori, Pacific, disabled, and rainbow communities.

North Island - Manawatu / Whanganui - Palmerston North

Job type:

Job type: Fixed Term

Expertise:

Clinical - Nursing - Occupational Health