Principal Advisor - Planning, Funding And Outcomes

New Zealand Government; Wellington; Hybrid; NZD 140,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora is seeking a Principal Advisor – HSS Funding and National Contracts in Wellington. This permanent full-time role offers a hybrid model with four days in the office, leading national funding allocations and contracting strategies for the health system.

You will work closely with senior leaders to shape planning and funding approaches, bring insights from across the sector, and strengthen programme delivery and organisational capability at a system level.

Qualifications

• 10+ years experience in the health sector, including publicly funded systems
• Deep expertise in planning and funding across secondary/tertiary services
• Proven track record delivering large, complex programmes
• Strong strategic thinking and systems leadership
• Excellent communication for senior leaders and executives
• Exceptional stakeholder engagement and relationship management
• Understanding Te Tiriti o Waitangi and applying Te Tiriti principles

Responsibilities

• Lead and influence funding and contracting strategies at a national level
• Provide strategic leadership and expert advice to senior leaders and executives
• Collaborate across Health NZ and government stakeholders to align priorities
• Champion collaboration, innovation and system-wide thinking across programmes

Skills

Health sector

Strategic leadership

Policy & funding

Stakeholder engagement

Te Tiriti understanding

Job description

Principal Advisor – HSS Funding and National Contracts

Based in Wellington, Permanent Full-time with a hybrid model – 4 days in the office.

• Influence nationally significant health funding and contracting programmes
• Join a highly strategic and collaborative team where your expertise, leadership and systems thinking

Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora is the country's largest employer, delivering universal public healthcare to 5 million New Zealanders. We provide essential hospital, specialist, and community health services across 80+ locations — from large urban centres to rural towns and remote communities. Our goal is to improve health outcomes for all New Zealanders by delivering equitable, accessible and innovative care.

About the Role

As a Principal Advisor – HSS Funding and National Contracts, you will work alongside the Group Manager HSS Funding and National Contracts to provide strategic leadership and expert advice across a complex and high-profile programme of work including regional funding allocations, the planned care programme of work and system level planning. This is an opportunity to operate at system level, helping shape planning, funding and contracting approaches that support sustainable and equitable healthcare delivery across New Zealand.

You will lead the development of integrated, evidence-based advice for senior leaders and executive stakeholders while bringing insights from across the health sector and other jurisdictions to improve outcomes. Working closely with programme leads, regional teams, subject matter experts and senior leadership, you will champion collaboration, innovation and system-wide thinking to strengthen programme delivery and organisational capability.

This role offers the opportunity to influence strategic decision-making, navigate complex challenges, and contribute to nationally important work that supports better health outcomes for all New Zealanders.

About the Team and Location

The HSS Funding and National Contracts team sits within Planning, Funding and Outcomes and plays a critical role in supporting the delivery of effective, equitable and sustainable health services across the motu. The team works collaboratively across Health NZ, including with regional teams, Hauora Māori Services, Pacific Health and wider government stakeholders to ensure funding and contracting approaches align with national priorities and community needs.

You will join a highly experienced and collaborative team environment that values strategic thinking, innovation, partnership and continuous improvement.

About you

You will be a highly experienced health sector professional with deep expertise in planning and funding within publicly funded health systems. You will bring strong strategic capability, systems thinking and the ability to work confidently across complex stakeholder environments while balancing operational realities with long-term outcomes.

• 10+ years' experience within the health sector, including significant experience in publicly funded health systems
• Demonstrated expertise in planning and funding, particularly across secondary and tertiary healthcare services
• Proven experience leading and delivering large, complex programmes of work in dynamic environments
• Strong strategic thinking and systems leadership capability, with the ability to analyse complex issues and develop effective solutions
• Excellent communication skills, including experience preparing high-quality advice for senior leaders and executive stakeholders
• Exceptional stakeholder engagement and relationship management skills, with the ability to influence across diverse groups
• A demonstrated understanding of Te Tiriti o Waitangi and experience applying Te Tiriti principles in practice
• A collaborative and adaptable approach, with strong judgement, integrity and the ability to work effectively across teams and organisations

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.