Patient Services Area Manager

JobSpace; Auckland; On-site; NZD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Awanui Labs is seeking an Area Manager to lead 80+ staff across 19 collection centres within an Auckland District Health region. You will drive performance, ensure accurate, timely, and efficient services to patients, and foster accountability, collaboration and continuous improvement.

You'll lead with professionalism and integrity, while maintaining strong focus on quality patient care, high ethical standards and confidentiality.

Qualifications

• 3+ years of supervisory or people management experience.
• Strong customer and patient focus with professional, high-quality service.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
• Strong organisational and time-management abilities.
• Confidence to make decisions, solve problems and escalate when needed.
• Experience coaching and developing staff.
• Good computer literacy and use of operational systems.
• Registration with the Medical Science Council of NZ would be advantageous.

Responsibilities

• Lead and oversee day-to-day running of collection centres across the area.
• Deliver excellent patient and customer experience and address feedback.
• Develop and support Team Leaders, manage performance and recruitment.
• Maintain quality, compliance, budgets, resources and safety standards.

Skills

Team leadership

Customer focus

Communication

Organisational skills

Decision making

Coaching

Computer literacy

Healthcare experience

Education

Relevant qualifications

NZ Medical Science Council registration (advantage)

Job description

Awanui Labs is a part of Awanui Group, the largest network of human and veterinary pathology laboratories in New Zealand. At Awanui, we're proud to be a national network of 25 laboratories, 150 collection centres, and employers of over 2,200 people throughout Aotearoa. Our team of specialist pathologists, scientists, technicians, phlebotomists, couriers, and shared services personnel deliver a world-class service that together collects, analyses, and reports over 7 million patient results annually.

Our Area Managers lead teams of 80+ people across 19 Collection Centres within an Auckland District Health region. As Area Manager, you will have overall responsibility for the performance of your area, ensuring the consistent delivery of accurate, timely, and efficient services to our patients. At the heart of this role is people leadership. You will build strong relationships, empower and develop your team, and create an environment where people can thrive—encouraging accountability, collaboration and continuous improvement. You'll lead with professionalism and integrity, while maintaining a strong focus on quality patient care, high ethical standards and confidentiality.

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead, manage and oversee the day-to-day running of collection centres, ensuring appropriate staffing, efficient workflows, timely service delivery, and strong productivity across the area, using operational data to monitor performance, plan ahead and proactively address emerging risks and issues.
• Deliver an excellent patient and customer experience – ensure professional, responsive and high-quality service, proactively address feedback and complaints, and identify opportunities to improve services.
• Lead, develop and support your people – provide clear direction and accountability to Team Leaders, manage performance and development, support recruitment and employee matters, and ensure staff are appropriately trained and competent.
• Maintain quality, compliance and operational performance – ensure services meet quality and accreditation requirements, support continuous improvement, manage budgets and resources effectively, and uphold health and safety standards

To be successful in this role you need to have:

• At least 3 years' supervisory or people management experience, with a proven ability to lead, motivate and develop others.
• A strong customer and patient focus, with a commitment to delivering professional, high-quality service.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to build effective relationships across teams and with healthcare professionals.
• Strong organisational and time-management skills, with the ability to prioritise, meet deadlines and manage a busy operational environment.
• Confidence to make decisions, solve problems and use initiative, while knowing when to collaborate or elevate.
• Experience coaching and developing staff, including supporting training, competency and performance.
• A good level of computer literacy and the ability to work effectively with operational systems and information.
• Relevant qualifications and/or experience appropriate to the role; registration with the Medical Science Council of NZ with an annual practicing certificate would be an advantage.

Our three core values guide us in creating an inclusive and respected workplace where everyone can thrive and make a meaningful difference:

• Manaakitanga - We Care for each other and the people we serve
• Whakapakari - We Improve and adapt to create opportunities for success
• Hiranga - We Deliver the highest quality medical and scientific expertise

We offer excellent opportunities to enhance your skills with our in-house Learning & Development team, supporting your professional competency and career growth.