Regional Health & Safety Manager, Northern

• Permanent, full-time leadership role with significant regional scope, providing strategic health and safety leadership across a complex, multi-site organisation.
• High-impact senior position partnering with executive leaders to shape health and safety strategy, culture, governance and performance across the region.

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. 

The Northern Region

Northern employs over 35,000 highly skilled clinical and non-clinical professionals. As the largest region in Health New Zealand comprising four districts: Te Tai Tokerau | Northland, Waitemata, Te Toka Tumai | Auckland, and Counties Manukau it provides and funds health services for a population of approximately two million people or 40% of the NZ population.

What makes the region, and the work you will be involved in, interesting is its diversity. It includes NZ's largest city as well as a significant rural population and is the most ethnically diverse region.  Some areas report among the highest life expectancy in the country, while others face persistent socioeconomic and health challenges. These include high rate of potentially preventable conditions, unmet health needs, and stark differences in service access.

About the Role 

We are seeking an experienced and strategic Regional Health and Safety Manager to lead the delivery of health and safety services across the Region.

Reporting to the Executive Regional Director, with a dotted reporting line to the Group Manager, Health and Safety, this key leadership role provides expert advice and strategic partnership to regional leaders to support their obligations under the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015. You will lead the regional health and safety function, ensuring consistent, high-quality health and safety practices, governance, assurance, and operational delivery across multiple districts, services, and sites.

You will drive regional health and safety priorities, build organisational capability, strengthen worker engagement, and foster a culture where health and safety is owned by everyone. This role also plays an important part in shaping and implementing national health and safety strategies, programmes, systems, and initiatives.

About the Service

As part of the Health and Safety function within People and Culture, you will lead a team of District Health and Safety Delivery Managers and work in close partnership with Executive Regional Directors, Occupational Health leaders, Infrastructure and Investment Group leaders, and national Health and Safety teams. You will also engage with key external stakeholders including WorkSafe, ACC, professional bodies, and union partners.

About you 

You are a seasoned health and safety leader with significant experience operating in large, complex environments. You bring a strategic mindset, strong leadership capability, and the ability to influence at senior levels while building highly effective relationships across diverse stakeholder groups.

You will bring:

• A tertiary qualification in Health and Safety or a related discipline, supported by relevant graduate and postgraduate qualifications
• 10+ years' experience in senior health and safety leadership roles within large, complex, public-facing organisations
• Proven success leading diverse teams and delivering measurable improvements in health and safety performance
• Strong knowledge of health and safety legislation, governance, assurance, risk management, and contractor management systems
• Exceptional stakeholder engagement, communication, influencing, and relationship-building skills
• Experience working within the public sector and/or healthcare environments is highly desirable

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. 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 by Sunday, 20 September. If you have any questions about the role, please contact Matt Kelly at matt.kelly@tewhatuora.govt.nz