System Design Manager, Team Lead

Health New Zealand; Auckland; Hybrid; NZD 140,000 - 200,000; Full time

Job summary

Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora is seeking a System Design Manager / Team Lead to provide senior regional leadership for system and service design across the Primary Health portfolio. You'll turn national and regional strategy into practical, integrated models of care that improve equity, access and health outcomes for communities.

This is a highly influential role where you'll lead multi-year system and service design programmes, develop regional roadmaps and investment proposals, and advise

Qualifications

• A relevant tertiary or professional qualification.
• 5–10 years' progressive experience in health commissioning, strategic planning or system design.
• Experience leading and developing teams with performance accountability.

Responsibilities

• Lead system and service design programmes across Primary Health portfolios.
• Develop regional service design roadmaps and investment proposals.
• Provide expert advice shaping commissioning, planning and investment decisions.
• Lead and develop a team of portfolio managers and quality advisors.
• Translate strategy into executable programmes and sustainable outcomes.

Skills

Health system leadership

System design thinking

Portfolio management

Strategic planning

Stakeholder engagement

People leadership

Education

Tertiary qualification in a relevant field

Job description

• Help improve access, equity and outcomes for communities and priority populations.
• Lead a talented team while strengthening your own strategic leadership and system design capability.

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 System Design Manager / Team Lead, you'll provide senior regional leadership for system and service design across the Primary Health portfolio. You'll turn national and regional strategy into practical, integrated models of care that improve equity, access and health outcomes for communities.

This is a highly influential role where you'll lead complex, multi-year system and service design programmes, develop regional service design roadmaps and investment proposals, and provide expert advice that shapes commissioning, planning and investment decisions. Working with a high degree of autonomy, you'll bring together evidence, data, best practice and the voices of communities, whānau, clinicians, providers and iwi to design services that make a real difference.

You'll also lead and develop a team of portfolio managers and quality advisors creating a high-performing, inclusive and psychologically safe environment where people can do their best work. Through both direct and matrix leadership, you'll ensure strategy is translated into executable programmes and sustainable outcomes.

About the Team/Service

You'll be part of Health New Zealand's Primary Health portfolio, working across commissioning, funding, analytics and regional teams to design and implement more integrated, effective and equitable models of care.

The role works across organisational and sector boundaries, partnering with iwi, providers, clinicians, communities, consumers and whānau. You'll help create the strategic roadmap for your portfolio and ensure system and service design is grounded in evidence, lived experience and the needs of priority populations.

About you

You're an experienced health system leader who can move confidently between strategic thinking, service design and delivery.

You'll bring:

• A relevant tertiary or professional qualification.
• 5–10 years' progressive experience in health commissioning, strategic planning, system design or service redesign within a complex healthcare environment.
• Proven experience leading and developing teams, with accountability for performance, capability, wellbeing and delivery.
• Strong expertise in system design, service design thinking and programme or portfolio management.
• A track record of leading complex, multi-year programmes and translating strategy into practical implementation.
• Advanced analytical and conceptual skills, with the ability to turn complex information into clear strategic advice and action.
• Exceptional strategic thinking and the ability to develop and articulate a clear vision for regional health system and service redesign.
• Strong political acumen, negotiation and influencing skills, with confidence navigating complex organisational and inter-agency environments.
• Outstanding communication skills, including the ability to present complex strategic information to senior leaders and diverse audiences.
• Proven ability to build trusted partnerships across organisational, professional and cultural boundaries, particularly with Māori and diverse communities.
• A collaborative and pragmatic leadership style, with the ability to operate effectively in a matrix environment.
• Resilience, flexibility and sound judgement, with the confidence to make decisions and manage ambiguity in a dynamic environment.
• A strong commitment to improving health outcomes, reducing health inequalities and delivering equitable access to care.

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.

We will review applications as received and may proceed with the recruitment process before the closing date of this advert.

Job details

Job Reference:

Job Reference: HNZ/1942636

Location:

North Island - Auckland - North Shore

Job type:

Job type: Permanent Full time

Expertise:

Non-clinical - Planning and Funding - Planning and Funding