Senior Auditor, Financial at Te Whatu Ora, Canterbury

Mō tēnei tūranga mahi | About this role

• Permanent, full-time position based in Christchurch. 
• Help strengthen accountability across New Zealand's health system.

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

Our Audit and Assurance team plays a critical role in ensuring transparency, accountability, and effective stewardship of public funds across the health system. We are looking for an experienced Senior Auditor to join our Financial Audit Team based in Christchurch.

If you're a qualified auditor who enjoys leading complex audits, working with diverse stakeholders, and delivering meaningful recommendations that improve organisational performance, we'd love to hear from you.

As a Senior Auditor, you will lead and deliver complex financial audit engagements across Health New Zealand and contracted healthcare providers throughout Aotearoa New Zealand.

You will manage audits from planning through to reporting and follow-up, providing assurance that controls, governance processes, and financial management practices support the effective use of public resources.

Key responsibilities include:

• Leading audit planning, fieldwork, reporting, and follow-up activities.
• Identifying risks, control weaknesses, and opportunities for improvement.
• Reviewing audit findings and preparing clear, evidence-based reports.
• Building strong relationships with internal and external stakeholders.
• Mentoring and supporting junior audit staff.
• Contributing to continuous improvement of audit methodologies and practices.
• Providing expert advice on risk management, compliance, governance, and financial controls.

Occasional travel throughout New Zealand will be required, with trips of up to three days at a time.

About You

To be successful in this role, you will bring:

• Demonstrated ability to work independently, exercise sound judgement, adapt to changing priorities, and consistently deliver high-quality outcomes within demanding timeframes.
• A relevant tertiary qualification in Accounting, Finance, Commerce, Auditing, or a related discipline.
• A professional accounting qualification such as CAANZ, CPA, or equivalent.
• At least four years' experience in audit, assurance, compliance, risk, or related fields.
• Strong knowledge of internal controls, governance, compliance, and risk management frameworks.
• Experience leading end-to-end audit engagements.
• Advanced analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Excellent report writing and communication skills.
• Proven ability to build trusted stakeholder relationships and influence positive outcomes.
• Understanding of Te Tiriti o Waitangi and its application in practice.
• A current, clean driver's licence.

Desirable

• Experience in the New Zealand health sector.
• Knowledge of health funding arrangements, contracts, and public sector environments.
• Professional certifications such as CIA, CFE, or CISA.
• Experience using audit technologies, data analytics tools, and reporting systems.

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 11:59PM Tuesday 15 September 2026. For further information, please contact Nicole Rickard on Nicole.Rickard@TeWhatuOra.Govt.NZ.

The full position description is available on the Health New Zealand Careers site.

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