Allied Health Unit Manager at Health New Zealand - Te Whatu Ora Southern, Southland

Mō tēnei tūranga mahi | About this role

Allied Health Unit Manager|

Southland Hospital | Permanent Fulltime (1.0 FTE, 40 hours per week)

• Lead a large Allied Health Therapies service to deliver timely, high-quality care
• $126,634–$130,913 (designated role) + discounted health insurance + free on-site parking

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

As the Allied Health Unit Manager, you will provide day-to-day operational leadership across a large multidisciplinary service, ensuring care is safe, effective, and responsive to demand.

You will be accountable for service delivery, workforce management, and performance within allocated resources. This includes leading teams through operational pressures, actively managing demand and capacity, and ensuring timely access to care across inpatient and outpatient settings.

Working closely with Allied Health Professional Leaders, Clinical Coordinators, and wider hospital and community teams, you will support integrated models of care and continuous service improvement.

This is a leadership role where sound judgement, a proactive and solutions-focused approach, and the ability to operate under pressure are critical.

About the Team

The Allied Health service in Southland spans inpatient and outpatient care across a range of disciplines, supporting patients across the continuum of care and into the community.

The role leads a multidisciplinary team of approximately 60-65 staff, including Physiotherapy, Occupational Therapy, Social Work, Dietetics, Speech and Language Therapy, and Allied Health Assistants

Based in Invercargill, you'll be part of a close-knit leadership team working collaboratively to deliver high-quality care to the Southland population. This role sits within the Community and Rehabilitation Service and works closely with the community, rehabilitation, and district nursing teams.

About you

To be successful in this role, you will need to be an experienced health leader who is comfortable leading services in a complex and dynamic environment.

You will bring:

• New Zealand registration as an Allied Health Professional with a current practising certificate
• Proven experience leading teams and delivering services in a complex health setting
• The ability to manage competing priorities and make sound decisions under operational pressure
• Experience in workforce management, including recruitment and performance management
• Strong operational leadership, including planning, prioritisation, and delivery
• The ability to use data and information to inform decisions and service improvement
• Confidence building relationships across professional and organisational boundaries
• A proactive, solutions-focused approach, with ownership and follow-through

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 Sunday 28 June 2026. If you have any questions about the role, please contact: james.boyd@tewhatuora.govt.nz

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