General Manager Medical & Surgical

Te Whatu Ora; Gisborne; On-site; NZD 180,000 - 260,000; Full time

Job summary

Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora in Gisborne seeks a General Manager to provide strategic and operational leadership across a large Directorate of clinical and non-clinical services.

You will partner with inter-professional clinical leaders to deliver safe, high‑quality care, align with health targets, manage workforce planning and financial performance, and drive service development in a patient-centred, collaborative culture.

Qualifications

• Extensive leadership experience in health settings (≥10 years).
• Postgraduate qualification in leadership/management; health discipline degrees preferred.
• Proven ability to lead diverse teams through change and improve results.
• Medical/surgical setting experience desirable.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic and operational leadership across a Directorate of clinical and non-clinical services.
• Partner with clinical leaders to ensure safe, high-quality care and achievement of performance targets.
• Oversee workforce planning, financial performance and service development.
• Foster collaboration, continuous improvement and accountability across service areas.

Skills

Leadership experience

Budget management

Strategic planning

Communication skills

Education

Postgraduate qualification in leadership/management

Degrees in health-related discipline

Job description

Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora is firmly grounded in the principles of Te Tiriti o Waitangi and is committed to building a health system that serves all New Zealanders.

About the Role

The General Manager works in strong partnership with their inter-professional clinical leaders to provide strategic and operational leadership across a Directorate of large clinical and non-clinical services. The role ensures services deliver safe, high-quality care, meet performance expectations, and operate sustainably. A core focus is on service development, workforce planning, financial performance, interdepartmental coordination, and supporting the delivery of health targets. The General Manager is responsible for fostering a strong culture of collaboration, continuous improvement, and accountability across service areas, partnering closely with clinical leaders to ensure that operational decisions are clinically informed and patient-centred.

The Tairāwhiti Hospital and Specialist Service workforce includes over 1037 staff, reflecting significant ethnic and demographic diversity and collaborates regionally with other hospitals in Te Manawa Taki to enhance health outcomes. There is one hospital site in the district. Gisborne is based on the east coast of the North Island of New Zealand.

About you

You will have proven experience in a leadership role, planning, business development and budget management. You must have the ability to work collaboratively within a multidisciplinary team, have exceptional written and verbal communication skills and the ability to perform and meet targets.

• Extensive experience in health including at least 10 years in leadership roles
• Hold a post graduate qualification in leadership/management, with one or more academic degrees in a health related discipline
• Proven experience successfully leading diverse teams through change and achieving improved results
• Experience in a medical and surgical setting is desirable.

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.

We will review applications as received and may proceed with the recruitment process, before the closing date of this advert.