District Lead - Planning, Funding & Outcomes

• 2 opportunities for a 12-month fixed-term role, one in Hawke's Bay and one in Rotorua/Taupo
• A unique opportunity to lead local readiness and implementation activities for a Lung Screening Mobile Pilot
• Work alongside clinicians, operational leaders, Māori health providers, and national programme teams to improve equitable health outcomes

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

As a District Implementation Lead, you will play a critical role in supporting the successful implementation of the Lung Screening Mobile Pilot within your district. Based in either Hawke's Bay or Lakes District, you will act as the key link between local operational teams and the national pilot implementation team, ensuring effective coordination, communication, and readiness for pilot delivery.

In this role, you will work closely with district leaders, clinicians, community and primary care providers, operational teams, and subject matter experts to support planning and implementation activities across multiple workstreams. You will provide local leadership for activities including site readiness, workforce planning, roster development, operational process design, and the development and implementation of standard operating procedures.

You will also support operational readiness assessments, identify and manage local risks and dependencies, and ensure district perspectives are incorporated into programme planning and decision-making. This is a unique opportunity to contribute to a nationally significant initiative focused on improving equitable access to early lung cancer detection and achieving better health outcomes for communities across Aotearoa.

The pilot is a partnership between Planning, Funding \& Outcomes and National Public Health Services, working closely with Hawkes Bay and Lakes Districts

About the Project

The Lung Screening Mobile Pilot is a nationally significant initiative that will help shape the future of lung cancer screening in Aotearoa New Zealand. Building on the learnings from The Lung Cancer Screening Research Programme. The pilot has been established to test and refine the feasibility, effectiveness, and equity of mobile screening delivery. Operating across the Hawke's Bay and Lakes districts, the programme will bring screening closer to communities, improve access to early detection, and support better health outcomes through the identification of lung cancers at an earlier, more treatable stage.

About you

As an experienced implementation, operational, or project delivery professional in your district, you will bring strong relationship and stakeholder engagement skills and a proven ability to coordinate complex activities across diverse teams and environments.

You will ideally have:

• A tertiary qualification in a relevant area or comparable experience working in health service delivery, programme implementation, operational leadership, project management or change management.
• Experience in implementing Te Tiriti o Waitangi in action.
• Demonstrated experience working within the New Zealand health sector, with a strong understanding of health screening service delivery, operational processes and stakeholder environments.
• Experience supporting implementation, operational change, service development or programme delivery within a complex environment.
• Experience identifying and managing risks, issues and dependencies, and escalating matters appropriately to support successful delivery outcomes.
• Demonstrated ability to facilitate decision-making, problem solving and issue resolution across multiple stakeholder groups.
• Strong written communication skills through the development of clear, accurate and fit-for-purpose project documentation, including SOPs, recruitment plans, implementation plans, reporting and operational guidance materials.
• Proven ability to build effective relationships and influence outcomes across a diverse range of stakeholders, including clinicians, operational leaders, managers and subject matter experts.

Desirable experience includes:

• Experience in the establishment, delivery, coordinating, or managing health screening programmes
• Existing networks and relationships across screening, primary care, community providers, and hospital services within Hawke's Bay or Lakes District

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 11:59PM Wednesday 9 September 2026. For further information, please contact Lynda Francis on [email protected]

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