Head of Contracts & Commercial

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 RoleAs Head of Contracts and Commercial, you will provide strategic leadership and oversight of commercial and contractual activity across the Infrastructure and Investment Group (IIG). Reporting to the National Director of Infrastructure, you will set the national commercial direction, strengthen governance and help ensure Health New Zealand achieves sustainable value from its major health infrastructure investments.As a Senior leader, you will have responsibility for shaping commercial policy, procurement and commercial strategies, contracting frameworks, risk practices, and ensuring agreed project monitoring, protocols and reporting criteria are being met across the full project and programme lifecycle. Providing advice on business cases, investment structures and major commercial decisions, while helping Health New Zealand engage confidently and effectively with contractors, suppliers, government agencies and other delivery partners.Helping to identify opportunities to optimise whole-of-life value, strengthen supplier performance and improve commercial controls and outcomes across the national infrastructure portfolio. You will also set expectations for risk allocation, contract performance, claims management, dispute resolution and commercial assurance, supporting consistent and well-informed decision-making across programmes.A key part of the role will be establishing and growing a high-performing commercial function, shaping the team's structure, building organisational capability and creating an environment where people are supported to contribute, develop and deliver excellent commercial outcomes.About the Team/Service/LocationThe Infrastructure and Investment Group (IIG) is focused on delivering high-impact infrastructure investment that supports the transformation of New Zealand's health system.Providing support, oversight and assurance across projects and programmes, the group recognises that safe, fit-for-purpose health facilities, sites and equipment are essential to a well-functioning health system. This is a national role, working across project, regional and national teams and with a broad range of clinical, operational and technical stakeholders.About youYou have extensive experience working across complex infrastructure programmes or major capital projects,  bringing strong commercial judgement and an understanding of how procurement, contracting, risk allocation, governance and financial considerations come together to support successful delivery and long-term value.You're comfortable operating at executive level, you can interpret complex commercial and project information, identify the issues that matter and translate these into clear, practical advice. You are a confident negotiator and influencer who can build trusted relationships across government, industry, technical disciplines and organisational boundaries.Your leadership style brings clarity, accountability and collaboration. You know how to build capable teams, develop commercial frameworks and can support others to make well-informed decisions.You will bringEssentialA postgraduate qualification in Business Administration, Finance, Law, Engineering, Project Management or related discipline.12 plus years' experience in senior commercial leadership roles supporting major infrastructure programmes.Strong knowledge of NZS 3910, NZS 3916 and other relevant construction contract forms.Demonstrated expertise in procurement strategy, contract law and financial modelling.Proven success delivering strong commercial outcomes across large-scale capital projects.The ability to analyse complex commercial and project data and provide sound strategic advice.Excellent written and verbal communication skills.Proven people leadership capability, including developing teams and fostering high performance.DesirableExperience developing and implementing best-practice commercial systems, frameworks and tools.Specialist expertise and experience in construction contracting law.Experience with collaborative contracting models, including alliances and partnerships.Working for Health New ZealandHealth 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 community.How to ApplyTo apply, please click apply now. All applications must be submitted through our online careers portal by 30th October 2026. If you have any questions about the role, please contact Shannon Elder at shannon.elder@TeWhatuOra.govt.nz.Please note: Te Whatu Ora is partnering with executive search firm Robert Walters to manage the appointment process for the Head of Contracts and Commercial role. By submitting your application, you consent to Te Whatu Ora sharing your details with Robert Walters for the purposes of recruitment and assessment.We will review applications as received and may proceed with the recruitment process before the closing date of this advert.