Operations Manager, Medical and Surgical Services
- Gisborne Hospital
- Full time – 1.0FTE (Monday-Friday)
- Fixed Term – 1 October 2026 with potential extension
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
We are seeking expressions of interest from motivated and experienced staff who are passionate about operational leadership, service improvement, and achieving equitable health outcomes for our community.
An exciting fixed-term opportunity has arisen for an Operations Manager, Medical and Surgical Services.
This senior leadership position provides day-to-day operational leadership across Medical and Surgical Services and is a key member of the Medical and Surgical Leadership Team. The role works in close partnership with clinical and operational leaders to ensure high-quality, safe, efficient, and patient-centred services are delivered across the district.
As the successful applicant will provide leadership and operational oversight for a range of services and programmes including:
- Medical and Surgical Services operational delivery
- National Planned Care Programme
- National Bowel Screening Programme and Age Extension Programme
- District Transcription Services – Clinical Secretaries
- Surgical Clinical Nurse Specialist Team
- Community Care Coordinators
The role also has responsibility for supporting workforce planning, service development, financial management, quality improvement initiatives, patient flow, performance monitoring, and delivery against national health targets.
Position Description: Operations Manager
About the Team/Service/ Location
The successful applicant will provide leadership and operational oversight for a range of services and programes including:
- Medical and Surgical Services operational delivery
- National Planned Care Programme
- National Bowel Screening Programme and Age Extension Programme
- District Transcription Services – Clinical Secretaries
- Surgical Clinical Nurse Specialist Team
- Community Care Coordinators
The role also has responsibility for supporting workforce planning, service development, financial management, quality improvement initiatives, patient flow, performance monitoring, and delivery against national health targets.
For more information on living and working in Gisborne click here
About you
We are looking for someone who demonstrates:
Leadership
- Strong people leadership and management capability
- Ability to motivate, coach and develop high-performing teams
- Experience leading through change and service improvement initiatives
- A commitment to creating psychologically safe and inclusive workplaces
Operational Excellence
- Proven ability to manage complex services and competing priorities
- Understanding of healthcare systems, performance frameworks, and quality improvement methodologies
- Experience with service planning, business case development, and performance reporting
- Ability to respond effectively to operational challenges and emerging issues
Relationship Management
- Excellent communication and stakeholder engagement skills
- Ability to build strong working relationships across clinical and non-clinical teams
- Collaborative and solutions-focused approach
Equity and Cultural Leadership
- Demonstrated commitment to Te Tiriti o Waitangi principles
- Understanding of health inequities and a desire to improve outcomes for Māori and whānau
- Ability to incorporate tikanga Māori and equity-focused approaches into service delivery and planning
Applicants should demonstrate:
- Bachelor-level qualification in Health or Healthcare Management (or equivalent relevant experience)
- Minimum five years' experience in the healthcare sector
- At least three years in a senior operational or leadership role
- Experience in strategic and operational planning
- Strong project and programme management capability
- Experience managing performance, workforce, and budgets
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills
- Knowledge of Te Tiriti o Waitangi and commitment to improving health equity outcomes
- Proven ability to analyse information and use data to support decision-making
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.
How to Apply
To apply please click “apply now.” All applications must be submitted through our online careers’ portal. If you have any questions about the role, please contact Inger.Schierning@tdh.org.nz
We will review applications as received and may proceed with the recruitment process, before the closing date of this advert.
