Senior Advisors - Quality and Patient Safety - Clinical Leadership at Te Whatu Ora, All Locations

Mō tēnei tūranga mahi | About this role

• Full time, permanent opportunity
• Location: Flexible

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 Team/Service/ Location

The National Quality and Patient Safety (QPS) Senior Advisor roles will report to the National Quality and Patient Safety Manager and help support implementation of the QPS work plan. The roles will work in collaboration with the National Clinical Governance Manager and the Regional QPS Leads in support of the nationally agreed QPS work programme.

About the Role

As a Senior Advisor, Quality & Patient Safety, you will be responsible for supporting all quality and patient safety systems and processes at national level. You will work with the QPS teams across the motu, to ensure the delivery of safe patient care to achieve Health NZ goals.

The National QPS Senior Advisors will provide high-quality, timely and fit-for-purpose strategic and operational advice, and lead the delivery of complex work programmes, products and processes that support the annual, agreed QPS work plan.

We are currently recruiting two FTE to this position, with current priorities for each role outlined below. Priorities will be confirmed through the work plan and may shift over time in response to organisational and system needs.

Portfolio 1

Lead national complaints (including HDC), Coroners, certification and clinical governance review portfolios, ensuring timely responses, consistent policy implementation, and system-wide improvements in quality, patient safety, equity, and compliance with Ngā Paerewa.

Portfolio 2

Lead the national adverse events programme, including policy, reporting, training, and nationally escalated reviews, while supporting clinical governance reviews and strengthening quality and patient safety capability across districts.

About you                                                                                                       

You are a skilled and organised Senior Advisor with relevant experience in Quality and Patient Safety. You are able to deliver high quality work under pressure, set priorities and manage tight deadlines. You will have excellent interpersonal and communication skills, and the ability to build collaborative and positive working relationships with staff across the wider organisation as well as all key stakeholders, internally and externally.

• A tertiary qualification in a related field
• Experience working in complex healthcare and/or quality and patient safety
• A strong working knowledge of policy and ability to interpret and understand healthcare legislation
• Excellent interpersonal and relationship management skills with the ability to foster good stakeholder relationships.
• Strong attention to detail and a high level of accuracy.
• Well-developed analytical, critical thinking and problem-solving skills.
• Excellent written and verbal communication
• Is approachable with a collegial attitude and desire to work with others to achieve results and share knowledge
• Good knowledge and experience working with standard office software products e.g., Word, Excel and knowledge of working with SharePoint 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, 14 June 2026. If you have any questions about the role, please contact Maria Bennett at maria.bennett1@tewhatuora.govt.nz.

Whilst Health New Zealand is undergoing change affected employees will be given preference and priority for this position.