Regional Planned Care Programme Manager - Te Manawa Taki

North Island - Waikato Hamilton; Gisborne; Hybrid; NZD 100,000 - 140,000; Full time

Job summary

Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora is seeking a Regional Planned Care Programme Manager for the Te Manawa Taki region. You will lead the delivery of the planned care work programme across multiple districts, aligning with national strategies and local priorities to improve access and outcomes.

Working with district hospitals, clinical and operational teams, and national leaders, you will drive capacity planning, waitlist management and service integration, while modelling collaborative,

Responsibilities

• Regional Programme Leadership – Lead the delivery of the Midland | Te Manawa Taki planned care workplan, ensuring alignment with national strategies and health target expectations.
• Capacity and Access Improvement – Develop networked approaches to optimise regional capacity, manage demand and improve equitable access to planned care.
• Outsourcing and Waitlist Management – Provide leadership and oversight of regional outsourcing and waitlist management functions to support timely treatment and effective use of resources.
• Stakeholder and Relationship Management – Build productive relationships with national, regional and district leaders, clinicians and key enabling functions.
• Performance Monitoring and Reporting – Oversee timely, accurate and insightful reporting to support decision-making, risk management and continuous improvement.
• Change and Project Management – Lead service change, quality improvement and programme initiatives in partnership with district planned care leads, clinical leads and GDOs.

Job description

Regional Planned Care Programme Manager - Te Manawa Taki

• Permanent Full Time
• Work from any of the Midland | Te Manawa Taki Districts
• Work alongside planned care clinical and operational teams to improve access to timely and quality care and ensure best use of resources for excellent patient care.

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

Reporting to the Director of Performance and Improvement, the Regional Programme Manager – Planned Care plays a critical role in leading the delivery of the planned care programme of work across the Te Manawa Taki region. Working in collaboration with district hospital and specialist services, planned care clinical and operational teams, and national planned care leaders, you will support the delivery of national planned care health targets and improved outcomes for patients.

This role will lead the development and delivery of regional planned care work programmes, ensuring initiatives are aligned with national strategies and performance expectations as well as regional and district priorities. You will work across district and service boundaries to improve access to planned care, optimise capacity, manage demand and support more consistent and equitable service delivery.

A key focus will be the development of networked ways of working across the region, including the integration of planned care services, reduction of variation in prioritisation and access, and the effective use of regional capacity. The role provides leadership and oversight of regional outsourcing and waitlist management functions, ensuring these activities are strategically aligned and contribute to timely treatment and improved patient access.

You will build strong relationships with national, regional and district stakeholders, including clinical leaders, Group Directors of Operations, planned care managers, commissioning, finance, procurement and Hauora Māori Services. Through effective collaboration, influence and performance monitoring, you will support informed decision-making, identify risks and drive continuous improvement in planned care performance.

The role requires leadership of service change and quality improvement initiatives, supported by structured programme and project management approaches. You will help translate strategic priorities into practical delivery, ensuring regional initiatives are implemented effectively and their impact is monitored.

Success in this role requires a strategic, collaborative and performance-focused leader with significant health sector experience in the planning and delivery of planned care. You will be comfortable working in a complex environment, influencing across organisational boundaries and bringing together clinical, operational and corporate perspectives to achieve shared outcomes.

About the Team & Service

This role will be working alongside members of the Performance and Improvement team in the Midland | Te Manawa Taki Office of the Executive Regional Director. The team provides collegial support and works collaboratively across the region to improve health system performance and patient outcomes.

The role reports to the Director of Performance and Improvement and will establish regular touch points with colleagues across the region. You will work closely with national planned care leaders, district planned care managers, clinical and operational leaders, regional clinical service network programme managers, and other Health Target leads.

The team is committed to collaboration, innovation and continuous improvement, with a strong focus on equity, Te Tiriti o Waitangi and delivering better outcomes for Māori and all communities across Te Manawa Taki.

Key areas of responsibility include:

• Regional Programme Leadership – Lead the delivery of the Midland | Te Manawa Taki planned care workplan, ensuring alignment with national strategies and health target expectations.
• Capacity and Access Improvement – Develop networked approaches to optimise regional capacity, manage demand and improve equitable access to planned care.
• Outsourcing and Waitlist Management – Provide leadership and oversight of regional outsourcing and waitlist management functions to support timely treatment and effective use of resources.
• Stakeholder and Relationship Management – Build productive relationships with national, regional and district leaders, clinicians and key enabling functions.
• Performance Monitoring and Reporting – Oversee timely, accurate and insightful reporting to support decision-making, risk management and continuous improvement.
• Change and Project Management – Lead service change, quality improvement and programme initiatives in partnership with district planned care leads, clinical leads and GDOs.

Working for 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.

Job details

Job Reference:

Job Reference: HNZ/1948314

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