Principal Portfolio Lead, Hauora Māori Standards - Te Waipounamu - Hauora Māori Service at Te Whatu Ora, Te Waipounamu

Mō tēnei tūranga mahi | About this role

• Full-time, permanent position
• Based in Te Waipounamu | Southern Region

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

The Principal Portfolio Lead, Hauora Māori Standards is a system-wide kaupapa leadership role with responsibility for the stewardship, assurance, and continuous strengthening of Hauora Māori Standards across Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora. The role provides authoritative leadership to ensure standards are consistently developed, governed, and embedded in ways that give effect to Te Tiriti o Waitangi and achieve equitable outcomes for Māori.

Key responsibilities:

• Provide system-wide leadership for the development, governance, and implementation of Hauora Māori Standards
• Ensure standards give effect to Te Tiriti o Waitangi and deliver equitable outcomes for Māori
• Act as a trusted regional and national advisor on Hauora Māori Standards
• Integrate mātauranga Māori, iwi, and regional insights into standards development
• Assure consistency, integrity, and accountability across implementation
• Support the Regional Group Manager to drive system change
• Provide senior leadership and portfolio-level expertise within the Hauora Māori Standards team

About the Team/Service/ Location

As the Hauora Māori Service of Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora (Health NZ) our core role is to ensure New Zealanders have better and more timely access to health care.  The devolution of resources and decision making to the regions ensures those closest to service users and whānau are involved in decisions on how healthcare is delivered. We are committed to ensuring our operating model is responsive to the needs of Māori. 

About You 

You are an experienced programme or policy advisor with strong kaupapa Māori leadership, recognised for embedding Te Tiriti o Waitangi principles into strategy, standards, policy, and system-level practice. You have a proven track record of leading complex portfolios or programmes from concept through to implementation and evaluation. You combine cultural authority, strategic leadership, and demonstrated system impact, with the ability to translate kaupapa Māori aspirations into practical, measurable outcomes for whānau Māori.

You will bring:

• A relevant tertiary qualification in Hauora Māori, public health, health system leadership, policy, Māori development, or a closely aligned discipline
• Fluency in Te Reo Māori and Tikanga Māori, with demonstrated application in professional practice
• 5–10+ years' senior experience in Māori health, public health, or health system roles directly relevant to the portfolio
• Proven application of Mātauranga Māori and Kaupapa Māori frameworks in system, policy, or programme settings
• Credibility in building and sustaining meaningful partnerships with iwi, hapū, Māori providers, and senior system leaders
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to produce high-quality briefings, assurance reports, and governance papers

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 22 May 2026.  We may begin interviewing suitable candidates while recruitment is ongoing. If you have any questions about the role, please contact Zerissa Ong on zerissa.ong@TeWhatuOra.govt.nz. 

Whilst Health New Zealand is undergoing change affected kaimahi (staff) will be given preference and priority for this position.

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