General Manager - Surgery, Anaesthesia, and Perioperative Services

• Critical senior leadership role, high impact position with New Zealand’s leading hospital
• Contribute to resetting Health New Zealand and achieving Health Targets
• Permanent full-time based at Middlemore Hospital and covering Manukau Health Park

Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora – Counties Manukau District is one of the largest public hospitals in New Zealand with over 9,500 individuals being employed across the region providing healthcare services to more than half a million people in South Auckland. It is also home to one of the busiest emergency departments in the Southern Hemisphere.

Our Surgical team is the largest division at Counties Manukau and provides expert multidisciplinary inpatient and outpatient care to the greater Auckland region and nationally for specialised services. These include Orthopaedics, Ophthalmology, Otolaryngology and Audiology, Urology, Plastic Surgery, General Surgery, as well as the Auckland Regional Burn Service and National Burn Service.

About the role:

As the General Manager, you will provide visionary leadership to our Surgical, Anaesthesia and Preoperative Services (SAPS) department at Counties Manukau District, driving operational excellence. This is a fast-paced operational role, overseeing the provision of acute and elective surgical services, including theatres and anaesthesia, to our local, regional, super-regional, and national populations. This is the largest department at Counties Manukau District, also responsible for national services such as Burns. 

Our department is known for delivering high-quality and timely care, making a significant impact on the health of the communities we serve. The successful candidate will be responsible for managing the department’s resources efficiently, working within a constrained financial environment, and ensuring that all services strive to meet the health targets.

Your leadership in the General Manager role will be pivotal in managing critical situations, such as the Whakaari White Island natural disaster and the global COVID-19 pandemic, making a tangible impact and providing essential support to our communities.

You will be responsible for participating in resetting Health New Zealand, including providing leadership in the transformation of integrated health system that provide quality, compassionate, affordable healthcare for all New Zealanders at the right time and in the right place. This role will report to the Clinical Director and provide daily operational leadership to the department.

This role is fully based onsite.

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead the Surgical Anaesthesia and Preoperative Services, ensuring efficient, and effective operations.
• Ensuring we are achieving our Health Targets and contributing to resetting Health New Zealand.
• Manage competing resources in a financially constrained environment while maintaining quality patient care.
• Drive transformational change and improvements in processes and systems.
• Lead and mentor dedicated team to foster a collaborative, patient-centred culture and provide strategic direction to the team.
• Work closely with multidisciplinary teams, including regional and national colleagues, to enhance service delivery.
• Advocate for the department’s needs and objectives at all levels of the organisation, ensuring effective communication and engagement.
• Role model the values and ensure a culture of respect exists within the division.

Key Challenges:

• Effectively managing resources and budgets while maintaining high-quality care delivery.
• Leading and implementing change while engaging and motivating staff.
• Navigating the complexities of a large public sector healthcare system.

Ideal Candidate:

We are looking for an experienced General Manager who can demonstrate strong leadership skills, the ability to lead teams, manage systems, and critically evaluate and improve processes. While experience in healthcare is advantageous, we are open to candidates from any large and complex industry. A background in leading people, operations, and resources, in a dynamic environment will be essential.

In this role, you will need the ability to navigate a challenging yet rewarding work environment, building relationships across all levels of the organisation to support positive change and the continued delivery of world-class care to our patients and their whanau.

What We Offer:

• Five weeks of annual holidays to support your work-life balance.
• A range of work-perks benefits to enhance your overall experience.
• A collaborative and supportive work environment that values respect.
• An opportunity to work alongside regional and national colleagues, sharing knowledge and best practices.
• An opportunity to work with a passionate multidisciplinary team dedicated to healthcare excellence and delivering world-class care.
• A workplace that fosters diversity, inclusion, accessibility, and creates opportunities for all.

If you’re a driven, strategic leader with the skills to manage a complex, high-performance department, want to make your mahi count and a passion for making a difference in healthcare, we would love to hear from you!

Apply today and be part of a team that’s committed to providing exceptional care to those who need it most.

Click here for the position description. Click on the link below to submit your application or visit https://careers.countiesmanukau.health.nz/working-here/ and enter job number CMH202515906.

If you need further information about this position, please feel free to contact Santosh Parab, Recruitment and HR Operations Manager at Santosh.Parab@TeWhatuOra@govt.nz .

Applications close: 23 October 2025