Change Manager

Southern Cross Hospital; Wellington; On-site; NZD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive rewards

Health insurance

Flexible working arrangements

Employee referral program

Job summary

Southern Cross Hospital in Wellington seeks an experienced Change Manager to lead people-side change across programmes and projects. You will build relationships with leaders, clinicians and frontline staff to ensure adoption and lasting impact.

You will design communication and training plans, navigate resistance, and drive organizational change from planning through to implementation, delivering measurable improvements in patient care and operations.

Qualifications

• 5+ years' experience in change management, transformation, or change leadership roles.
• Proven experience developing change strategies in complex environments, including managing change-related risks.
• Strong project management and stakeholder engagement skills, with the ability to influence at all levels.
• Excellent communication, presentation and facilitation skills.
• Experience developing and delivering training programmes and capability-building initiatives.
• Highly organised, proactive and able to manage competing priorities.

Responsibilities

• Lead the people side of change across programmes and projects.
• Develop communication and training plans for stakeholders and frontline staff.
• Support adoption of new ways of working and sustain change across the organisation.
• Partner with leaders, clinicians, project teams and staff to deliver lasting results.

Skills

Change management

Transformation leadership

Stakeholder engagement

Project management

Communication & facilitation

Training & capability building

Education

Change management certification (Prosci/ADKAR)

Job description

Southern Cross Hospital – Wellington, North Island

Southern Cross Wellington Hospital is a private elective surgical hospital. The hospital features day procedure facilities, five operating theatres and a modern High Dependency unit - all of which allows the hospital to provide for the needs of a variety of patients, including those requiring complex surgical procedures. Clinical services include Orthopaedic surgery, Neurosurgery, Colorectal surgery, Gynaecology, Paediatric surgery, Ear, Nose & Throat, Ophthalmology, Oncology and Urology.

First established in 1992, the hospital has seen significant additions and upgrades on the site over recent years. The new building adjacent to the hospital at 88 Hanson Street houses a state-of-the-art Day Stay surgical facility (Wellington Surgical Centre), Affinity Medical imaging and the Southern Cross Specialist Centre.

We're looking for an experienced Change Manager to help bring some of our most important improvement initiatives to life. This role suits someone who enjoys turning strategy into action and helping people understand, adopt and sustain change.

Partnering closely with leaders, clinicians, project teams and frontline staff, you'll lead the people side of change across a range of programmes and projects. You'll spend your time building relationships, supporting stakeholders through change, developing communication and training plans, and helping teams adopt new ways of working that will have a lasting impact across Southern Cross Healthcare.

This role has a strong project focus, so you'll be comfortable rolling up your sleeves and helping drive initiatives forward from planning through to implementation. You'll enjoy working with a wide range of stakeholders to navigate change in a complex operational environment. At its core, this role is about bringing people together through change and helping projects achieve lasting results.

We're looking for someone who thrives in an autonomous role, is organised and detail-focused, and has the confidence to navigate challenges and influence others. Most importantly you'll be approachable, collaborative and skilled at building strong relationships across a diverse range of stakeholders. This is a fantastic opportunity to make a real difference in an organisation committed to delivering exceptional care to New Zealanders.

• 5+ years' experience in change management, transformation, or change leadership roles
• Proven experience developing and delivering change strategies in complex environments, including managing change-related risks
• Strong project management and stakeholder engagement skills, with the ability to influence at all levels
• Excellent communication, presentation and facilitation skills
• Experience developing and delivering training programmes and capability-building initiatives
• Highly organised, proactive and able to manage competing priorities
• Resilient, confident and able to navigate resistance while building strong relationships
• Experience working in or alongside a hospital environment is desirable but not essential
• Relevant tertiary qualifications and/or change management certification (e.g. Prosci, ADKAR) would be advantageous
• Competitive Rewards: Attractive remuneration package, relocation allowance, and employee referral bonus scheme.
• Health & Wellbeing: Funded health insurance, a comprehensive wellbeing programme, and generous Christmas/New Year breaks.
• Flexibility & Growth: Flexible working arrangements.
• Perks & Community: Discounts from a range of partners and the opportunity to join our Employee Network.

Ko wai matou | Our Organisation

At Southern Cross Healthcare, our purpose is clear. Our values shape everything we do:

• Care First – We lead with compassion, delivering care that’s deeply human through genuine manaakitanga.
• Better Together – Collaboration is our strength. We unite diverse skills and perspectives to create better outcomes for all.
• Pursue Excellence – We strive to improve, innovate, and excel every day—never settling, always aiming to deliver our best.

We honour Te Tiriti o Waitangi and foster a culturally safe environment that reflects manaakitanga and values the unique perspectives of our people. Our core value, Better Together, guides our goal to build a workforce that mirrors the diversity of Aotearoa New Zealand.

If you have specific needs or would like to discuss how we can support you, please contact our Talent Acquisition team at *******@schl.co.nz for a confidential conversation.

Join us, and together, each of us can be part of something important, helping people live their best lives by reimagining healthcare.