Senior Portfolio Manager, Maternity, Child & Youth at Te Whatu Ora, All Locations

Mō tēnei tūranga mahi | About this role

• Permanent full- time role based in the Northern region.
• Do you want to contribute to initiatives that improve equity, access, quality and outcomes for tamariki, rangatahi and whānau?
• Build influential partnerships working alongside providers, clinicians, consumers, Māori and Pacific partners, and government agencies to create better models of care.

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

The Senior Portfolio Manager provides strategic oversight and technical expertise across a portfolio of services, contracts and programmes.

You will lead and contribute to commissioning, planning, service design and improvement initiatives, while supporting investment decisions, contract management, performance monitoring and high-quality advice for senior leaders.

Working across organisational and sector boundaries, you will partner with providers, clinicians, consumers, Māori partners, Pacific health colleagues, other government agencies and internal teams to support integrated, equitable and sustainable models of care.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead commissioning, planning, service design and system improvement activities across the maternity, child and youth portfolio.
• Provide strategic advice and analysis to support evidence-informed decision-making.
• Manage and monitor contracts, programmes, performance, quality and reporting requirements.
• Support investment and commissioning decisions aligned to organisational priorities.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with providers, clinicians, consumers, whānau, Māori partners, Pacific health colleagues and other government agencies including the Ministry of Education.
• Identify opportunities to improve equity, quality, access and sustainability across services.
• Contribute to a collaborative and high-performing team culture.

About you

You will be an experienced professional with strong planning, funding, commissioning, service design or programme management experience, preferably within the health or public sector.

You will bring:

• Experience leading or contributing to complex service improvement or system transformation initiatives.
• Strong strategic thinking, analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Excellent relationship management and stakeholder engagement skills and the ability to work collaboratively with a range of agencies.
• Proven ability to provide high-quality advice to senior leaders and governance groups.
• An understanding of commissioning, contract management and public sector accountability.
• A commitment to Te Tiriti o Waitangi, equity and improving outcomes for Māori, Pacific peoples and priority populations.
• The ability to manage competing priorities and deliver results in a complex environment.
• A tertiary qualification in health, public policy, business, management or a related discipline, or equivalent relevant experience would be desirable.

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 by 11:59PM Sunday 12 September 2026. For further information, please contact Lynda Francis on Lynda.Francis@TeWhatuOra.govt.nz

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