Technical Lead at Te Whatu Ora, All Locations

Mō tēnei tūranga mahi | About this role

• Work from your local Health NZ office
• Full-time, 12 months fixed-term role
• Be part of our Digital Services team – shaping the future of digital healthcare for all New Zealanders

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 more than 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

Are you ready to lead the technical future of AI-enabled healthcare? In this fixed-term role as a Technical Lead, you'll play a critical role in ensuring Ambient AI technologies are successfully integrated into Health New Zealand's digital ecosystem.

As Health NZ continues to expand the use of Ambient AI technologies, dedicated technical leadership is essential to ensure new solutions align with enterprise architecture standards, data strategies, and long-term digital health objectives. This role will provide the technical oversight needed to assess opportunities across existing applications and products, guide integration decisions, and develop a scalable roadmap that enables the safe and effective adoption of AI technologies across the organisation.

Working closely with architects, product teams, vendors, and stakeholders, you will:

• Provide technical leadership and oversight for the integration of Ambient AI technologies across Health NZ systems and applications.
• Ensure solutions align with enterprise architecture standards, interoperability requirements, cybersecurity frameworks, and organisational data strategies.
• Assess opportunities across existing digital applications and product portfolios to maximise value, scalability, and reusability.
• Develop and maintain a coherent technical roadmap that supports the ongoing evolution of Ambient AI services.
• Collaborate with solution architects, product teams, vendors, and delivery teams to design and implement robust technical solutions.
• Provide expert advice on integration patterns, cloud technologies, APIs, data flows, and modern application architectures.
• Identify and mitigate technical risks while supporting governance, compliance, and continuous improvement activities.
• Support the evaluation and adoption of emerging technologies that improve healthcare delivery and workforce productivity.
• Mentor and guide technical teams, promoting best practice, innovation, and technical excellence.

By providing dedicated technical leadership, you'll help ensure Ambient AI initiatives are delivered efficiently and sustainably, reducing the risk of delays and enabling Health NZ to realise the full benefits of these technologies for clinicians and patients. Your contribution will help create a scalable and future-focused digital health environment that supports better healthcare outcomes across Aotearoa.

This is an opportunity to make a real impact by influencing the technical direction of nationally significant digital health initiatives and helping shape the future of healthcare technology in New Zealand.

You may also be required to support critical incidents, project go-lives, and key implementation activities outside normal business hours as required.

About the team

Our Digital Applications & Products function, part of Digital Services, sits at the heart of keeping Health NZ's applications and products connected, secure, and running smoothly.

We focus on making applications simpler, more reliable, and better aligned to the needs of our people and patients. With dedicated teams structured around the applications and products they support, we deliver stability, faster improvements, and real value to clinicians, operational leaders, and end users nationwide.

By working closely with our Digital Delivery function, we ensure our digital services are not only fit-for-purpose but truly enable better healthcare outcomes across Aotearoa.

About you

You're a strategic technical leader who enjoys solving complex challenges and turning emerging technologies into practical solutions. You can balance innovation with governance, influence stakeholders at all levels, and provide the technical direction needed to deliver successful outcomes in large and complex environments.

You'll also bring:

• Minimum 7–10 years' experience in software development, systems integration, architecture, or related technology disciplines.
• At least 3–5 years' experience in a Technical Lead, Senior Developer, Solution Architect, or similar leadership role.
• Proven experience designing and implementing complex enterprise technology solutions.
• Strong knowledge of integration technologies, APIs, cloud platforms, application architecture, and interoperability frameworks.
• Experience developing technical roadmaps and aligning technology solutions with organisational strategy.
• Demonstrated ability to lead, mentor, and influence technical teams and stakeholders.
• Experience working within Agile delivery environments.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and decision-making skills.
• Relevant tertiary qualification in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Information Technology, or a related discipline.

Desirable skills include:

• Experience with healthcare systems and digital health technologies.
• Knowledge of New Zealand health sector standards and data privacy requirements.
• Experience with cloud platforms and DevOps practices, including CI/CD pipelines and containerisation.
• Knowledge of software architecture patterns and enterprise integration frameworks.
• Experience working with vendors and managing technical delivery across multiple stakeholders.
• Familiarity with AI, machine learning, or Ambient AI technologies.

You will also demonstrate an understanding of Te Tiriti o Waitangi and how to apply its principles in a meaningful way within your role, contributing to equitable outcomes for all New Zealanders.

A commitment to continuous learning, leadership development, innovation, and the highest standards of integrity and professional conduct will be essential for success in this role.

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 serve our communities.

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 on 21 July.

For any questions about the role, please contact Ash Mohan at ash.mohan@tewhatuora.govt.nz.

Whilst Health New Zealand is undergoing change, affected employees will be given preference and priority where applicable.