Skip to main content
Posted 22 August, 2026

Programme Lead - Regional Rural, Primary and Urgent

Canterbury District Health Board
Greymouth, WTC, NZ Full Time
Reference: b76dae71999f65ac

Job Description

Programme Lead – Regional Rural, Primary and Urgent Fulltime permanent position working 40 hours per week Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora is firmly grounded in theprinciples of Te Tiriti o Waitangi and is committed to building a health systemthat serves all New Zealanders. Are you a strategic programme leader with strong health,education and community connections and a passion for strengthening the ruralhealth workforce? Health New Zealand is seeking an experienced Programme Lead– Regional Rural, Primary and Urgent (Te Waipounamu) to lead the regionalimplementation and delivery of nationally supported health workforceprogrammes, projects and plans across rural, primary and urgent care. About the role This is a regional role focused on strengthening the healthsystem workforce across Te Waipounamu, particularly in rural, primary andurgent care settings outside of the Health NZ organisation. A key priority will be establishing the Te WaipounamuRural Training Hub , bringing together local education and health agenciesto co-design a connected community of health education and training. You willwork closely with regional workforce development initiatives and nationalbodies, including the Rural Health National Clinical Network. You will also play a key role in delivering workforceinitiatives such as: Strengthening integrated rural generalist training opportunities across TeWaipounamu Supporting entry into rural practice Increasingrural hospital medicine specialist training and support Developingprimary care pathways for house officers SupportingRMIP and RHIP programmes Expandingrural clinical placements for medical students from new and existingmedical schools Supporting multidisciplinary and interprofessional workforce developmentacross rural communities Supportinginitiatives that attract and retain skilled health professionals in ruralcommunities Working as part of the Workforce Planning and Developmentteam, you will connect regional and national workforce priorities and brings together health, education, MSD, Iwi, local government and community partnersto deliver sustainable workforce solutions. About the role | Leadership and relationships You will provide senior regional leadership across complexprogrammes of work, ensuring initiatives are well planned, effectivelyimplemented and focused on achieving measurable outcomes. You will: Leadand coordinate regional programme implementation across rural, primary andurgent care Buildstrong relationships with Health NZ workforce and clinical leaders,education providers, local government and wider health system partners Establishand maintain effective partnerships to support the Rural Training Hub andwider workforce initiatives Providestrategic and tactical advice, progress reporting and monitoring Identifyand proactively manage risks, issues and implementation challenges Driveinnovative and forward-thinking approaches to regional workforcedevelopment Ensurestrong connections between workforce planning, programme development,funding and implementation Influenceand build consensus across groups with differing priorities andperspectives Contributeto collective leadership within the Workforce Planning and Developmentteam Bringtogether local education providers, health services, iwi, and ruralcommunities to co-design a connected community of health education andtraining. Ensureworkforce initiatives reflect equity, inclusion and our responsibilitiesunder Te Tiriti o Waitangi Rolemodel Health NZ values and contribute to a positive and collaborativeculture About you You will be an experienced programme or project leader whois comfortable operating across complex environments and bringing peopletogether to achieve shared outcomes. You will have: Arelevant tertiary qualification and/or significant health sector planningand delivery experience Extensivelocal and regional relationships across health, education and localgovernment Strongexisting relationships across the West Coast and engagement with the keygroups required to establish and sustain the Rural Training Hub Provenexperience leading and delivering programmes of work in complex andchanging environments Astrong interest in pastoral care, learner support and academic mentoring Theability to build consensus and achieve decisions across groups withdiffering views Excellentinterpersonal and relationship-building skills Astrong understanding of and commitment to ensuring Te Tiriti o Waitangi iscentral to this work It would also be advantageous to have: Soundjudgement, discretion and the ability to work effectively under pressure Excellentwritten and verbal communication skills, with experience engaging seniorstakeholders, agency executives and Ministers Advancedknowledge and experience within the New Zealand health and/or educationsectors This is a unique opportunity to influence the future ofrural, primary and urgent care workforce development across Te Waipounamu. You will be at the centre of bringing health, education andcommunity partners together to create innovative workforce solutions thatsupport rural communities and improve access to quality healthcare. If you are a collaborative and strategic programme leaderwho can build strong partnerships, navigate complexity and turn workforcestrategy into action, we would love to hear from you. Working at Health New Zealand Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora is dedicated to ensuringexcellent healthcare for the people of New Zealand. We embrace a workforce thatis diverse and inclusive so that we are better positioned to understand andservice our community . We welcome applications from our diverseMāori, Pacific, disabled, and rainbow communities. #J-18808-Ljbffr

Sign up for Job Alerts