Start Team Lead

New Zealand Government; Taranaki; On-site; NZD 110,000 - 140,000; Full time

Job summary

Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora in New Zealand seeks a dynamic leader to head the START program, an early supported discharge service enabling older adults to return home after acute illness or hospitalisation, continuing recovery with rehabilitation and enablement in their own environment.

As START Team Lead you will provide clinical and operational leadership to a multidisciplinary team, build a high performing culture, partner with hospital and community services, and drive innovations to

Qualifications

• Proven experience leading clinical teams in hospital or rehab settings.
• Strong background in early discharge or rehabilitation is preferred.
• Excellent communication with patients, whānau, and staff.
• Ability to foster collaboration across services.
• Knowledge of tikanga Māori, te Tiriti o Waitangi is desirable.

Responsibilities

• Lead the START implementation and delivery as Team Lead.
• Provide clinical and operational leadership to a multidisciplinary team.
• Collaborate with hospital and community services to ensure smooth hospital-to-home transitions.
• Drive quality improvement and safe, evidence-based care.
• Build a high-performing team culture and manage change.

Job description

Taranaki Base Hospital New PlymouthFull-time Positon 40 hours per week 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

Are you a dynamic leader with vision, drive, and a passion for delivering exceptional patient care? We are seeking an experienced Registered Health Professional (Registered Nurse or Allied Health Professional) to lead the implementation and delivery of START (Supported Transfer and Accelerated Rehabilitation Team). START is an early supported discharge service that enables predominantly older adults to return home following an acute illness, injury, or hospital admission, where they can continue their recovery, rehabilitation, and regain independence in their own environment. Care is delivered by skilled Rehabilitation Assistants working under professional delegation and supervision. By supporting timely and safe discharge from hospital, START plays a key role in improving patient flow and ensuring hospital capacity is available for those with the greatest need. As the START Team Lead, you will play a pivotal role in establishing and shaping this new service, providing clinical and operational leadership to a skilled multidisciplinary team. Working in partnership with hospital and community services, you will support seamless transitions from hospital to home while ensuring high-quality, person-centred rehabilitation and enablement support is delivered safely and effectively. You will be responsible for building a high-performing team culture, driving innovation and continuous improvement, and embedding best-practice care. This is a unique opportunity to shape a new service that improves patient outcomes, promotes independence, and supports the wider health system through more efficient use of hospital resources. Please click here to view the position description.

About the Team / Service / Location

START aims to reduce the risk of readmission to hospital through :

• Improving functional resiliency / independence
• Ensuring seamless re‑integration back to primary care
• Managing issues related to medication, nutrition
• Managing carer stress
• Identifying deterioration in conditions
• Supervising, managing care packages

For more information on living and working in Taranaki click here

About you

You are a confident and compassionate leader who thrives in dynamic environments and is committed to person‑centred care. You bring clinical expertise, operational insight, and a passion for innovation.

Key Attributes

• Proven experience as a team leader e.g. Nurse Coordinator / CNM, Allied Health Leader, or Manager
• Must have a strong background in at least two of these areas : early supported discharge, rehabilitation, older peoples health, and working with people in their own home.
• Exceptional communication skills to support patients, whānau , and staff
• Ability to build and maintain effective relationships across teams and services
• Commitment to fostering team growth and collaboration
• Passion for developing others and creating a cohesive, high‑performing team
• Focus on operational safety and evidence‑based care
• Experience in change management and service development (preferred)
• Solid understanding of business ethics and leadership principles
• Knowledge of Tikanga Māori, Te Tiriti o Waitangi, and Kaupapa Māori principles

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.