Senior Project Manager

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

This is a senior specialist role leading design delivery across major health infrastructure investments in Te Waipounamu. You will translate service strategy, models of care and investment objectives into coordinated, safe, compliant and patient-centred design outcomes.

Working across the full project lifecycle, you will lead design from early scoping and clinical health planning through briefing, option development, design assurance, Fixtures, Fittings and Equipment procurement, construction readiness and operational transition. In strategic partnership with the Delivery Project Manager, you will ensure clinical, operational, technical, commercial and construction requirements remain integrated.

You will be the senior point of accountability and escalation for design delivery. This includes leading design governance and assurance, managing clinical design change and risk, directing multidisciplinary consultants, facilitating complex decisions and maintaining design intent through procurement and construction.

A core part of the role is leading the development of Project Scoping Reports, Functional Design Briefs and Schedules of Accommodation, together with technical assessments and design option analysis. Your advice will support robust investment, executive and governance decisions.

About the Team/Service/Location

The Infrastructure and Investment Group delivers and assures high-impact infrastructure investment that supports the transformation of New Zealand's health system.

Within Te Waipounamu, Design Delivery connects clinical and service planning with infrastructure delivery. The team works alongside clinical, operational, asset, technical, commercial and construction partners to develop facilities that are safe, compliant, fit for purpose and capable of supporting contemporary models of care over their whole life.

About you

You are an experienced design delivery leader who can move confidently between strategic intent and detailed clinical design decisions. You bring strong clinical health planning and infrastructure experience, sound professional judgement and the ability to provide direction in complex environments where requirements, risks and priorities continue to evolve.

You can build alignment across senior clinical, operational, technical, commercial and delivery stakeholders, while keeping patient outcomes, equity, cultural responsiveness, affordability and constructability in view. You are comfortable leading multidisciplinary consultants, challenging assumptions, resolving design issues and presenting clear recommendations to executive and governance forums.

You will bring

• A relevant tertiary qualification in health, project management or a related discipline, or equivalent extensive experience demonstrating advanced design delivery capability.

• Extensive experience, typically 10+ years, leading design delivery across major capital programmes or portfolios.

• Significant experience in clinical health planning and healthcare infrastructure design, including applying the Australasian Health Facility Guidelines (AusHFG).

• Proven ability to translate service strategy and models of care into coordinated design briefs, Schedules of Accommodation and deliverable design solutions.

• Experience leading design governance, assurance, risk, change control and option evaluation across complex, regulated projects.

• Demonstrated ability to integrate design with business case, commercial, procurement, construction and operational transition requirements, while maintaining design intent.

• Strong leadership of multidisciplinary design teams, consultants, clinical co-design processes and complex stakeholder forums.

• The credibility and communication skills to influence senior leaders, executives and governance groups and support evidence-based decisions.

• An applied understanding of Te Tiriti o Waitangi, with the ability to embed equity, cultural responsiveness, value for money and whole-of-life outcomes in design delivery.

Working for 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.

How to Apply

To apply please click “apply now.”  All applications must be submitted through our online careers' portal by 6th November 2026. If you have any questions about the role, please contact Shannon Elder at shannon.elder@TeWhatuOra.govt.nz

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