Service Manager Clinical Support

Te Whatu Ora; Nelson; On-site; NZD 150,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora is seeking a Service Manager Clinical Support at Nelson Hospital, leading a diverse portfolio across Nelson Marlborough. Based in Nelson, you will provide strategic and operational leadership for diagnostic, clinical and operational support services, guiding workforce development, quality improvement and financial performance.

You will collaborate with Clinical Directors, Heads of Department and operational colleagues to drive service integration, equity of

Qualifications

• Significant experience in operational, service, or healthcare management.
• Proven success leading managers and multidisciplinary teams within complex organisations.
• Strong financial management including budgeting, forecasting and resource management.
• Experience leading organisational change, service redesign and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Highly developed relationship management and stakeholder engagement skills.
• Strong analytical, strategic thinking and problem-solving capability.
• Excellent communication, influencing and leadership skills.
• A commitment to equity, Te Tiriti o Waitangi principles and patient-centred care.
• The ability to balance strategic objectives with day-to-day operational delivery.

Responsibilities

• Providing strategic and operational leadership across the Clinical Support portfolio.
• Leading, coaching, and developing managers, team leaders, and multidisciplinary teams to achieve high levels of engagement and performance.
• Driving continuous service improvement and supporting innovation across services.
• Ensuring effective workforce planning, recruitment, succession planning, and staff development.
• Leading service and business planning activities to ensure sustainable delivery models.
• Managing operational performance, quality outcomes, service activity, and financial resources.
• Identifying opportunities to improve service integration, efficiency, and patient experience.
• Building strong relationships with clinical leaders and stakeholders to support collaborative decision-making.
• Ensuring services meet relevant professional, regulatory, quality and organisational standards.

Job description

• Permanent, full-time (1.0 FTE, 80 hours per fortnight)
• Based at Nelson Hospital with district-wide responsibility across Nelson Marlborough
• Make a difference where it matters most

Are you an experienced healthcare leader who thrives in complex environments, enjoys building high-performing teams, and is passionate about improving services for patients and whānau?

This is an outstanding opportunity to join Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora as Service Manager Clinical Support, leading a diverse portfolio of clinical and operational services that are critical to the delivery of safe, effective and patient-centred healthcare across Nelson Marlborough.

You will have the opportunity to influence service delivery across multiple hospital and community-based functions, work alongside senior clinical leaders, and drive improvements that directly support better health outcomes for our population.

Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora is firmly grounded in the principles of Te Tiriti o Waitangi and is committed to building a health system that serves all New Zealanders.

About the Role

Reporting to the General Manager Medical, you will provide strategic and operational leadership across a broad and diverse portfolio of clinical support services.

This is a senior leadership position responsible for ensuring services are integrated, sustainable, responsive to clinical demand, and aligned with district and national priorities.

Working in partnership with Clinical Directors, Heads of Department, Charge Nurse Managers, clinical leaders and operational colleagues, you will lead service planning, workforce development, quality improvement, financial performance, and operational excellence across the portfolio.

You will play a key role in supporting service transformation, improving access and equity, and ensuring our services continue to meet the evolving needs of patients, whānau, and clinical teams across Nelson Marlborough.

Key responsibilities include:

• Providing strategic and operational leadership across the Clinical Support portfolio.
• Leading, coaching, and developing managers, team leaders, and multidisciplinary teams to achieve high levels of engagement and performance.
• Driving continuous service improvement and supporting innovation across services.
• Ensuring effective workforce planning, recruitment, succession planning, and staff development.
• Leading service and business planning activities to ensure sustainable delivery models.
• Managing operational performance, quality outcomes, service activity, and financial resources.
• Identifying opportunities to improve service integration, efficiency, and patient experience.
• Building strong relationships with clinical leaders and stakeholders to support collaborative decision-making.
• Ensuring services meet relevant professional, regulatory, quality and organisational standards.

About the Service

The Clinical Support portfolio encompasses a broad range of diagnostic, clinical and operational support services that are fundamental to the delivery of healthcare across Nelson Marlborough.

Your portfolio will include:

• Radiology
• Cardiology
• Physiology
• Echocardiography
• Laboratory Services
• Mortuary Services
• Clinical Administration Services
• Patient and Staff Travel Services
• Medical Records
• Household Services
• Orderly Services
• Security Services
• Telephone Operators
• Transport and Fleet Services

Collectively, these services deliver or provide critical support to clinical care delivery and play an essential role in ensuring patients receive timely diagnosis, treatment, and ongoing care.

You will work within the Medical Directorate, partnering closely with Clinical Directors, Heads of Department, professional leaders, and operational managers to deliver high-quality, integrated services across the Nelson Marlborough district.

About You

You are an experienced and credible health service leader who understands the challenges and opportunities of delivering healthcare within a complex environment.

You bring strong operational and financial management skills, a collaborative leadership style, and a passion for continuous improvement.

Most importantly, you are someone who can bring people together, navigate complexity, and deliver meaningful outcomes for both patients and staff.

To be successful in this role you will demonstrate:

• Significant experience in operational, service, or healthcare management.
• Proven success leading managers and multidisciplinary teams within complex organisations.
• Strong financial management capability, including budgeting, forecasting and resource management.
• Experience leading organisational change, service redesign and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Highly developed relationship management and stakeholder engagement skills.
• Strong analytical, strategic thinking and problem-solving capability.
• Excellent communication, influencing and leadership skills.
• A commitment to equity, Te Tiriti o Waitangi principles and patient-centred care.
• The ability to balance strategic objectives with day-to-day operational delivery.

Previous leadership experience within the New Zealand health sector or another large, complex organisation will be highly regarded.

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.

Nelson Marlborough offers an exceptional lifestyle, combining a vibrant professional environment with world-class outdoor recreation, short commutes and access to some of New Zealand's most stunning natural landscapes.

Job details

Job Reference:

Job Reference: R1N26-333

Location:

South Island - Nelson / Marlborough - Nelson