Manager, Intervention Design and Planning

INSIDE Recruitment; Christchurch; Hybrid; NZD 152,000 - 186,000; Full time

Job summary

WorkSafe New Zealand is seeking a Manager, Intervention Design and Planning to lead the creation of integrated regulatory interventions across a national health and safety system. You will translate priorities into practical, coordinated delivery strategies and work with diverse teams, partners and stakeholders to implement targeted interventions.

You will guide evidence-led design, sequencing and delivery readiness, ensuring interventions are credible, actionable and aligned with regulatory

Qualifications

• Experience designing and planning interventions in regulatory/public sector contexts.
• Strong systems thinking and judgement balancing strategic with operational needs.
• Relevant qualification in intervention design, policy or regulatory practice.

Responsibilities

• Lead the design and planning of integrated regulatory interventions.
• Translate priorities into practical intervention approaches.
• Combine regulatory, non-regulatory and partnership levers.
• Integrate evidence, research and operational insight into designs.
• Define sequencing, dependencies, roles and delivery requirements.
• Collaborate across technical, stakeholder and delivery functions.
• Ensure interventions are credible, actionable and ready for delivery.
• Lead and develop a high-performing intervention design team.

Skills

Intervention design

Leadership

Systems thinking

Stakeholder collaboration

Delivery planning

Public sector experience

Education

Relevant qualification in intervention design

Job description

Manager, Intervention Design and Planning

INSIDE Recruitment – Christchurch, South Island

• Design interventions that address complex health and safety challenges
• Turn regulatory priorities into practical, coordinated action
• Permanent opportunity | Flexible location across Aotearoa

WorkSafe New Zealand | Mahi Haumaru Aotearoa is the primary workplace health and safety regulator. Our vision is that everyone who goes to mahi comes home healthy and safe. We live by our values:

• Whakakotahi – we are united in a strong purpose
• Tiakina mai – we are entrusted with a duty of care

• Design interventions that address complex health and safety challenges
• Turn regulatory priorities into practical, coordinated action
• Permanent opportunity | Flexible location across Aotearoa

About Us

He aha te mea nui o tēnei ao? He tangata, he tangata, he tangata.

Hello, Kia ora, Noa’ia, Talofa lava, Mauri, Mālō e lelei, Tālofa, Ni Sa Bula Vinaka, Fakaalofa lahi atu, Mālō ni, Kia orana, nǐ hǎo, Kamusta.

WorkSafe New Zealand | Mahi Haumaru Aotearoa is the primary workplace health and safety regulator. Our vision is that everyone who goes to mahi comes home healthy and safe. We live by our values:

• Whakakotahi – we are united in a strong purpose
• Kōrero mai – we engage meaningfully
• Tiakina mai – we are entrusted with a duty of care

About your team / Ko te tīma

Intervention Design and Planning sits within the Strategic Interventions function in WorkSafe’s new Regulatory Effectiveness group.

The team turns assessed regulatory priorities into coherent and deliverable intervention approaches. It brings together evidence, operational insight and system expertise to design coordinated responses using regulatory, non-regulatory and partnership levers.

You will lead six direct reports and work closely with Strategic Assessment and Prioritisation, Research and Evaluation, alongside technical experts, stakeholder partnering and delivery teams. Together, these functions will create a more disciplined and connected approach to identifying regulatory problems, designing effective responses and learning from their impact.

About the role / Ō te tūranga

As Manager, Intervention Design and Planning, you will lead the design and planning of interventions, translating assessed priorities and strategic intent into practical approaches that can be implemented effectively across WorkSafe and the wider health and safety system.

You will lead the team that develops integrated intervention designs that combine regulatory, non-regulatory and partnership levers into clear intervention logic. This could include inspector activity, guidance, communications, education or other coordinated initiatives designed to influence behaviour and reduce harm.

Working across teams, you will ensure interventions reflect evidence and real-world context, with clear sequencing, dependencies, roles and delivery requirements. You will involve delivery teams from the outset, ensuring interventions are credible, actionable and ready for implementation rather than being designed in isolation and handed over later.

This is an opportunity to build a developing capability and help WorkSafe move towards a more deliberate, disciplined and evidence-informed approach to regulatory intervention.

What You’ll Do / Ko tōu ake mahi

• Lead the design and planning of integrated regulatory interventions
• Translate assessed priorities into practical intervention approaches
• Combine regulatory, non-regulatory and partnership levers
• Integrate evidence, research and operational insight into designs
• Define sequencing, dependencies, roles and delivery requirements
• Collaborate across technical, stakeholder and delivery functions
• Ensure interventions are credible, actionable and ready for delivery
• Lead and develop a high-performing intervention design team

What You’ll Bring / Ko ngā pukenga ōu

• Experience leading intervention design and planning in complex environments
• Strong systems thinking and structured problem-solving capability
• Experience turning strategic priorities into practical delivery plans
• Ability to integrate evidence, expertise and stakeholder perspectives
• Strong cross-functional influencing and collaboration skills
• Proven people leadership, coaching and capability-building experience

  You will bring experience designing and planning interventions in complex regulatory, public sector or system-focused environments. With strong systems thinking and sound judgement, you'll be able to balance strategic ambition with operational realities, integrating evidence, expertise and stakeholder perspectives into practical, deliverable interventions. A relevant qualification in intervention design, policy, regulatory practice, systems design, or equivalent experience, will be highly regarded.

  Nāu te rourou, nāku te rourou, ka ora ai te iwi.

  Salary range / Awhe utu

  The expected appointment base salary for this role is $168,932 KiwiSaver or SSRSS employer contributions are additional.

  From 1 April 2026, our KiwiSaver employer contribution increased to 3.5%.

  We offer a range of benefits including:

  • Free life insurance for the duration of your employment
  • Health insurance and eyecare discounts
  • $400 home workstation contribution
  • Five weeks’ annual leave
  • 15 days’ sick leave
  • A Reward and Recognition Framework that celebrates the impact our kaimahi make
  • Professional development opportunities
  • Employee-led networks supporting our diverse communities

  Location

  This role may be based at any WorkSafe Mahi Haumaru location. The successful candidate will need to build strong relationships across locations and lead a nationally connected function.

  WorkSafe Mahi Haumaru is an equal opportunity employer. We value diversity and actively welcome applicants from all backgrounds, including people with disabilities and those who are neurodivergent. We believe different perspectives strengthen our mahi and help create an inclusive environment where everyone can thrive.

  If you encounter accessibility barriers in completing the application or require adjustments or support to ensure the recruitment process is accessible to you, contact ********@inside.co.nz for a confidential kōrero.

  This vacancy has been established as part of changes to WorkSafe's organisational structure after a review of WorkSafe's operating model identified opportunities to improve role clarity, ways of working and organisational effectiveness. As part of these changes, WorkSafe has established a number of new roles to ensure we are well placed to meet expectations now and in the future.

  Applications close: 5pm, 17th September, 2026.