Job Description

On behalf of the Minister of Health, Hon Simeon Brown, the Ministry of Health (the Ministry) is seeking candidates for appointment to the Health New Zealand Board. 

We are seeking candidates for Chair, Deputy Chair and member roles of the board.

About Health New Zealand 

Health New Zealand is responsible for commissioning community and primary care services as well as the delivery of hospital and specialist health services. Whilst nationally governed and led, Health New Zealand has district offices throughout the country to ensure it responds to the needs of all New Zealanders. 

Health New Zealand is the largest Crown entity in the public sector, with approximately 83,774 staff working across New Zealand's public hospitals, community and primary care services, and the wider public health and disability system. In 2024/25 Health New Zealand's total annual operating budget is around $28 billion. Further information about Health New Zealand can be found on its website: Health New Zealand. 

Health New Zealand was established under the Pae Ora (Healthy Futures) Act 2022 and is a Crown agent under schedule 1 of the Crown Entities Act 2004.

About the role 

The role of the board is to ensure Health New Zealand:  

• puts patients and their families at the heart of decisions about care planning and provision
• gives effect to the objectives for health set by the Government, including achievement of health targets
• operates in a financially responsible manner and within its allocated funding
• continues to lift its operational performance and deliver timely and quality health care for New Zealanders
• has a strong clinical voice in decision-making
• operates as part of a system in co-operation and co-ordination with the Ministry of Health and other Crown entities and agencies
• has effective accountability and governance, consistent with the Pae Ora (Healthy Futures) Act 2022 and the Crown Entities Act 2004. 

The Crown Entities Act provides a framework for Crown entity governance and accountability, including responsibilities of board members, disclosure of interests, and the role of Ministers. It is available at: Crown Entities Act 2004. 

Board members are expected to act in good faith, exercising reasonable care, diligence and skill, and to demonstrate honesty and integrity in their duties. Members are appointed based on their knowledge and expertise, rather than as representatives of professional organisations or groups. Their primary responsibility is to advance the health, not to promote the interests of other groups with which they may be affiliated. 

The board is accountable to the Minister of Health, Hon Simeon Brown, and appointments to the board are made by the Minister. Members of the board will be appointed for a term of up to three years. For more details on the roles and responsibilities for each board position, please refer to the provided documentation attached to this advertisement.

About you 

The board is critical for ensuring successful governance of Health New Zealand. Members, and the Chair in particular, need to be able to appropriately respond to government and minister expectations and represent the wider organisation in line with these expectations. All candidates should have a strong track record of delivery. 

Specific skills and attributes relevant to the Chair position include: 

• board leadership experience in steering complex organisations in a turnaround context
• experience in the private sector to bring a diverse perspective on fiscal responsibility and operational efficiencies
• demonstrated expertise in business transformation, innovation and change at scale. 

Specific skills and attributes relevant to the Deputy Chair position include: 

• expertise in financial oversight, ideally with experience managing large budgets or complex financial environments, enabling effective scrutiny of financial decisions
• governance experience on the board of a complex organisation
• ability to adopt a system perspective to performance. 

Specific skills and attributes relevant to member roles include: 

• health sector expertise, particularly clinical governance
• knowledge and experience in quality and safety and putting the patient/consumer at the centre
• experience in public sector governance
• demonstrated infrastructure governance experience, especially in relation to prioritisation and risk assessment.

 How to apply 

Applications must be made using the Ministry's online Career Centre by close of business on 11 April 2025 and include:

• a completed declaration form (attached), and
• a covering letter, and
• a current CV. 

Please be specific about which role you are applying for (Chair, Deputy Chair or member) and confirm in your covering letter your understanding of the role requirements and that you are ready and able to become a member of the Health New Zealand Board. 

Extensive due diligence checks will be undertaken for shortlisted applicants. Your personal information will be handled in accordance with the Privacy Act 2020. The Ministry may also request that the New Zealand Security Intelligence Service conduct national security screening of you as part of the appointment process.

 The outcome of the recruitment process will be confirmed after it has been considered by Cabinet. 

Who are we 

See the Ministry of Health Board appointments webpage for more information. If you would like to obtain further information or clarification, or if your circumstances change or should you wish to withdraw your application, please contact the Statutory Appointments and Integrity Services team by emailing: appointments@health.govt.nz 

The Ministry recognises that members with a range of experiences and backgrounds enable our boards and councils to be high-performing and welcome applications that reflect all of New Zealand's population, including across genders, ethnicities, disability, age and geographic location. The Ministry encourages people from all backgrounds to apply for these roles.