General Manager - New Zealand

OnTalent; Auckland; On-site; NZD 260,000 - 370,000; Full time

Job summary

Veterinary Specialists Aotearoa (VSA), part of Sterling Group, is New Zealand's leading veterinary specialist hospital group. Based in Auckland, the General Manager, VSA will be Sterling's most senior representative in New Zealand, with full accountability for commercial, operational, people, safety and market performance across three specialist and emergency hospitals.

Reporting to the CEO - Sterling Group, the role requires strong collaboration with clinical leaders to deliver agreed clinical,

Responsibilities

• Lead delivery of VSA strategy and annual plan across multiple sites.
• Manage P&L, budget, and key performance metrics for VSA.
• Build trusted partnerships with clinical leaders, hospital managers and teams.
• Oversee people, safety, governance and regulatory compliance while supporting growth.

Job description

Veterinary Specialists Aotearoa (VSA), part of Sterling Group, was founded in 1999 and is New Zealand's leading veterinary specialist hospital group, operating specialist and emergency hospitals in Auckland and Christchurch. VSA's multidisciplinary team delivers specialist and emergency care supported by advanced technology, world-class facilities and deep clinical expertise at hospitals in Sylvia Park, Henderson and Christchurch. VSA provides a comprehensive range of specialist services including surgery, internal medicine, neurology, diagnostic imaging, cancer care, cardiology, physiotherapy and rehabilitation, regional consulting, and 24-hour emergency and critical care in Auckland.

With a culture grounded in care, respect, community and a commitment to continually perform, innovate and create, VSA works in close partnership with referring veterinarians throughout New Zealand to manage complex cases and deliver the best possible outcomes for patients and their families. As the largest New Zealand business within Sterling Group, VSA is central to the Group's future and long‑term success. This is an opportunity to preserve what makes VSA special while strengthening leadership capability and supporting its people through the next phase of sustainable growth.

The Opportunity

Reporting to the CEO - Sterling Group, and joining the Group Executive Leadership Team, the General Manager, VSA, will be Sterling's most senior representative within New Zealand. Based in Auckland, the role has full accountability for VSA's commercial, operational, people, safety and market performance, including full P&L responsibility a team of more than 190 people and three specialist and emergency hospitals.

The defining requirement of this role is partnership with VSA's clinical leaders. The General Manager will earn their confidence and work alongside them to deliver agreed clinical, people and business outcomes. That means listening well, understanding professional concerns, and influencing through relationships rather than positional authority. It also means constructively challenging senior colleagues when needed, reaching decisions together, and following them through.

The Directors lead clinically and the General Manager holds business accountability. Together they will agree on how they consult, who owns each decision, and how matters spanning both areas are escalated, including staffing, equipment investment and service development. Sterling Group provides support in strategy, marketing, finance and major projects, and will confirm the scope of that support with the appointee.

The role will lead the delivery of VSA's strategy and annual plan, translating Sterling Group priorities into clear, measurable outcomes. It will balance growth investment with disciplined commercial management, protect VSA's culture and clinical reputation, and ensure the business continues to deliver an exceptional experience for its people, patients, clients and referring veterinary practices.

Key Areas of Focus include:

• Building trusted partnerships with VSA's Directors, clinical leaders, hospital managers and teams, while providing visible and consistent leadership across all sites.
• Strengthening leadership capability, accountability, succession planning and performance, supported by effective workforce planning and specialist attraction and retention.
• Delivering revenue, EBITDA, labour and operating expenditure outcomes through disciplined P&L, budget and operational management.
• Growing VSA's referral network, services and market presence, including service expansion, partnerships, and site development.
• Delivering Sterling Group strategic initiatives while maintaining strong governance, regulatory compliance, risk management, health and safety, and clinical‑commercial alignment.

Early priorities will be to build trusted relationships with specialists, strengthen team engagement, develop leadership capability and deliver agreed business performance. You will establish credibility across VSA, provide a visible and consistent presence at every site and strengthen management capability and operational and financial discipline.

This will position VSA to pursue its growth ambitions without compromising its culture, service quality or commitment to care.

About You

You will be a senior operational leader with a proven record of building trust with highly skilled professionals. You will have led a complex, multi‑site service organisation and can point to specific examples of building trust, developing leaders and handling difficult decisions. Experience partnering with clinicians, technical specialists, owners or boards will be highly regarded, whether in veterinary healthcare, human healthcare, specialist professional services or another complex service environment.

Alongside this, you will bring sound commercial management, including senior P&L and financial management experience, strategic planning and the ability to turn strategy into clear accountabilities and sustained execution. We value practical experience as highly as formal qualifications, so a degree or formal leadership development is not essential if your track record demonstrates the same capability.

Your leadership will be collaborative, consistent, composed and compassionate. You will stay steady under pressure, listen actively, and apply fair standards to everyone. You will explain your decisions, keep your commitments, and resolve issues directly and respectfully. You will change a decision when the evidence changes and say clearly why. Colleagues will know what to expect from you, including during disagreement.

You will pair that composure with managerial courage and accountability. You will know when to consult and create shared ownership, and when to make a clear decision. Above all, you will be a values‑led, emotionally intelligent leader who cares deeply about people, animal welfare and exceptional patient care, and who brings the commercial discipline to support VSA's long‑term success.

Location and Requirements

The position is based in Auckland and requires a consistent presence across VSA's sites, regular domestic travel and periodic travel to Australia. Candidates must be legally entitled to work in New Zealand on a permanent and unrestricted basis, or able to obtain the required entitlement before commencement.

If you are motivated by the opportunity to lead a respected specialist healthcare business, develop talented people and help shape a significant period of growth, we welcome your application.

To view the candidate pack for this opportunity, please visit our microsite: https://www.ontalent.com.au/vsa-general-manager/ or call through to Donna Bliss on [phone].