Brand & Experience Lead

Southern Cross Medical Care Society; Auckland; Hybrid; NZD 140,000 - 190,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Five days wellbeing leave per year

Health insurance for you and your whān

Life insurance cover and discounts on…

Extra parental leave benefits and well

Wellbeing programme

Job summary

Southern Cross Health Insurance is recruiting a Brand & Experience Lead in Auckland. You will champion the brand across all touchpoints, leading events, marketing and customer experiences to strengthen engagement with members and customers.

You will shape strategy, build a high-performing team, and partner with internal and external teams to ensure authentic, cohesive brand experiences that support growth and trust. This is a permanent, hybrid role based in Auckland.

Qualifications

• Proven track record leading brand strategy and marketing initiatives.
• Experience building brands across multiple channels.
• Strong stakeholder management and leadership.
• Experience in insurance or financial services is a plus but not required.

Responsibilities

• Champion and evolve the Southern Cross brand across touchpoints.
• Lead a high-performing team to deliver integrated brand, content, events and marketing initiatives.
• Partner with stakeholders and external agencies to maximise marketing investment.
• Drive brand affinity and engagement to support business growth.

Skills

Brand leadership

Stakeholder management

Marketing strategy

Team leadership

Education

Bachelor's degree in marketing/brand management

Job description

About us

Southern Cross Health Insurance is shaping a healthier Aotearoa New Zealand. Our purpose is simple: empowering our members to live well for longer. We're here to give peace of mind through timely access to quality care, inspire healthier living, and lead positive change across the health system. As a New Zealand-owned, member-based organisation, we're building a future where wellbeing is at the heart of everything we do — delivering exceptional value for our members and creating an environment where our people thrive. Now is an exciting time to join us. You'll be part of a high-performing, values-driven team where people are at the heart of everything we do — and in return for your talent, you'll have the opportunity to grow, make an impact, and be proud of the difference your work makes.

About the role

We’re looking for an experienced Brand & Experience Lead to champion the Southern Cross Health Insurance brand, both externally and across our organisation. This is an influential leadership role with accountability for strengthening the appeal and uptake of our brand and offerings across existing and prospective individual and business customers. You’ll bring our brand to life across every touchpoint, ensuring it shows up cohesively through our marketing, digital channels, events, customer experiences and cross-functional teams. In this role, you will Champion and evolve the Southern Cross brand, ensuring it shows up consistently and meaningfully across every customer, member and employee touchpoint. Lead a high-performing team to deliver integrated brand, content, events and marketing initiatives that strengthen engagement, reputation and growth. Shape and execute brand strategies that grow brand affinity, support business priorities and position Southern Cross as a trusted proactive health partner. Partner with stakeholders across the business and external agencies to bring the brand to life, maximise marketing investment and deliver exceptional member experiences. You’ll have the opportunity to lift our creativity and relevance as we continue evolving as a proactive health partner. You will help ensure our brand is more than a visual identity, embedding a clear and authentic brand experience across the many ways our people, members, customers and partners interact with us.

About you

You’ll be an accomplished brand leader who understands how to build, protect and embed a brand across an organisation. You’ll be equally comfortable setting strategy, influencing senior stakeholders, developing people and working closely with teams to bring ideas to life. You’ll bring Proven success leading brand strategy, customer engagement and marketing initiatives within a complex, customer-focused organisation. Experience building and embedding strong brands across multiple channels, teams and customer touchpoints. An empowering leadership style, with a track record of developing high-performing teams and leading change successfully. Strong commercial acumen, stakeholder management skills and the ability to translate strategy into measurable business outcomes. Experience within insurance or financial services could be valuable, but it is not essential. We’re open to leaders from other strong consumer or member-based organisations who can demonstrate how they have strengthened a brand and embedded it across an enterprise.

Our values, who we are and what’s important to us

Ngākau nui. Āhurutanga. Tikanga. Join a team that’s always there, always real, always true. If you thrive in a purpose-driven, diverse and supportive culture, we think you’ll love working with us.

What we offer you

• Five days of wellbeing leave per year
• Health insurance for you and your immediate whānau
• Life insurance cover and discounts on pet and travel insurance
• Extra parental leave benefits and financial wellbeing support
• The ability to participate in our workplace wellbeing programme

But that’s not all. If you need more time to support your whānau, we offer work-life balance, a hybrid environment and a volunteer day each year to spend with your team contributing to a cause or community of your choice.

This is a permanent, Auckland-based role. While we appreciate interest from candidates in other locations, we’re unfortunately unable to consider remote options for this position. We are proud to have taken the Pride Pledge, reflecting our commitment to inclusion and belonging. We also facilitate an active, employee‑led Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Forum, which includes our Rainbow Network, Māori Network, Pasifika Collective, and Neurodiversity and Whānau Support networks. If you share our commitment and passion, we'd love to hear from you.

About us

Southern Cross Health Insurance is shaping a healthier Aotearoa New Zealand. Our purpose is simple: empowering our members to live well for longer. We’re here to give peace of mind through timely access to quality care, inspire healthier living, and lead positive change across the health system. As a New Zealand-owned, member-based organisation, we’re building a future where wellbeing is at the heart of everything we do — delivering exceptional value for our members and creating an environment where our people thrive. Now is an exciting time to join us. You’ll be part of a high-performing, values-driven team where people are at the heart of everything we do — and in return for your talent, you’ll have the opportunity to grow, make an impact, and be proud of the difference your work makes.