Pou Manukura Pouhāpai Lead

Health New Zealand - Te Whatu Ora Taranaki; Taranaki; On-site; NZD 120,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora Taranaki is seeking a Pou Manukura | Pou Hāpai Service Lead to drive the day‑to‑day delivery of Pou Hāpai services across Taranaki, including collaboration with clinical teams, community services and Māori health providers to help whānau navigate care.

You will coach and develop your team, coordinate rostering and after‑hours support, and bring whānau feedback into practical improvements.

Qualifications

• Experience leading and developing teams in health services.
• Ability to coach direct reports and manage rostering and after‑hours support.
• Proven cross‑cultural engagement with Māori, Pasifika and whānau.

Responsibilities

• Lead day‑to‑day delivery of Pou Hāpai services across Taranaki.
• Coordinate care navigation with clinical teams, community services and Māori providers.
• Coach and develop staff, oversee rostering and after‑hours arrangements.
• Incorporate whānau feedback and service data into improvements.
• Support cultural capability and oversee Whaiora short stay accommodation safety.

Skills

People leadership

Care navigation

Cross-cultural engagement

Stakeholder management

Coaching and development

Job description

Pou Manukura | Pou Hāpai Service Lead Taranaki | Taranaki Base and Hāwera hospital services Full-time | 1.0 FTE, 40 hours per week

Lead people. Remove barriers. Improve care. As Pou Hāpai Service Lead, you will support your team to deliver responsive care navigation for whānau Māori, whānau Pasifika and turn what your team hears into better ways of working.

At Te Pā Harakeke, our vision is Together we ensure our MOKOPUNA inherit a better tomorrow. We put those words into practice by listening to whānau, acting on what matters and improving how services work together.

This is hands‑on leadership with a clear purpose. A safe handover, a concern addressed, a team member supported, or a referral pathway improved all make a difference. You will help your team deliver quality support today while strengthening the service for tomorrow.

Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora is grounded in Te Tiriti o Waitangi and committed to a health system that works for all.

About the role

You will lead the day‑to‑day delivery of Pou Hāpai services across Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora Taranaki. Working with clinical teams, community services and Māori health providers, you will help whānau navigate care, coordinate appropriate support and strengthen safe transitions between services. You will coach and develop your direct reports, coordinate safe rostering and after‑hours support arrangements, and bring whānau feedback and service data into practical improvement work. You will contribute to cultural capability across the organisation and oversee the safe operation of Whaiora whānau short stay accommodation. Your focus is clear: a capable team, responsive services and better experiences and outcomes for whānau Māori.

About the team, service, and location

You will join Te Pā Harakeke, the Māori Health and Equity Directorate. Pou Hāpai works alongside the directorates Māori health and equity and whānau experience functions. The team supports whānau directly and helps services identify where practice and systems need to improve.

The role operates across Taranaki services, including Taranaki Base Hospital and Hāwera Hospital. You will work with people across hospital, primary care and community settings, building relationships that help whānau access the right support.

About you

• Experience leading and developing people, coordinating services and building a positive, accountable team culture.
• Ability to build trust with whānau, clinical teams, iwi and Māori health providers, including across complex care pathways.
• Sound judgement, strong communication, practical problem‑solving and the ability to respond calmly to sensitive or urgent situations.
• Experience with rostering, reporting and service improvement, and the ability to support cultural capability in the workplace.
• A current New Zealand driver licence and commitment to ongoing professional development.

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 serve our communities.

We welcome applications from our diverse Māori, Pacific, disabled and rainbow communities.

Applications close Monday 23 November 2026.

For questions about the role, contact Tamati Neho, Chief Māori Health and Equity Officer, at [e-mail]

Applications will be reviewed as they are received, and recruitment may progress before the closing date.