Charge Nurse Manager - Day Procedure Unit - Establishment at Health New Zealand - Te Whatu Ora Southern, Otago

Mō tēnei tūranga mahi | About this role

• New Dunedin Hospital reporting to the Nurse Manager Perioperative and Outpatients
• Fixed-term, full-time role (1.0 FTE, 40 hours per week), February - November 2026
• Salary band - $126,000 - $138,000 p.a and KiwiSaver

Health New Zealand - Te Whatu Ora is firmly grounded in the principles of Te Tiriti o Waitangi and is committed to building a health system that serves all New Zealanders.

About the role

The New Dunedin Hospital Outpatient Building is scheduled to open in October 2026. This facility will include a state-of-the-art DPU featuring four operating theatres and four procedure rooms.

The Charge Nurse Manager - Day Procedure Unit (DPU) Establishment provides clinical leadership and operational oversight to ensure readiness for day one opening, commissioning, and accreditation. The role ensures safe, efficient, patient-centred care aligned with Health New Zealand - Te Whatu Ora standards.

Key responsibilities include the following:

• Provide clinical leadership and governance for the DPU
• Recruit, orientate and build a nursing team ready to hit the ground running
• Ensure day one readiness including equipment and consumables
• Implement model-of-care improvements and new workflows
• Develop and align protocols, pathways, and policies
• Coordinate digital solution implementation and staff training
• Support commissioning, accreditation processes, change initiatives and stakeholder engagement
• Oversee financial and resource planning for operational readiness
• Enhance patient experience through feedback mechanisms with the Consumer Health Council
• Collaborate closely with nurse managers from Perioperative and Outpatients

View position description.

About us

Health New Zealand - Te Whatu Ora - Southern has the largest geographical coverage of all the New Zealand regions, providing services to 350,000 people in diverse communities. We take pride in all the services we provide, and our aim is to improve, promote and protect the health of our region. We believe that our dedicated and passionate staff are a significant driving force behind the achievement of these standards, and we need more like-minded people to help us continue providing for our community.

About you:

• Hold a current NZ APC, and relevant post-graduate nursing experience
• PDRP Level 4, and be looking to develop advanced nursing and leadership skills
• Extensive perioperative nursing experience
• Experience in a leadership position
• Previous experience managing projects would be advantageous

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.

Salary range

This role is covered by the terms and conditions of the expired NZNO CEA and the salary will be in accordance with the DSN Pay Scale Grade 4, between $126,124 and $138,057 p.a dependent on relevant experience.

How to apply

To apply please click 'apply now'. All applications must be submitted through our online careers portal by Sunday, 14 December 2025. If you have any questions about the role, please contact Ben Kingsbury ben.kingsbury@tewhatuora.govt.nz

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

We only accept online applications. Please apply via our website.