Quality Improvement Advisor - Northern Region

• Permanent full-time role based anywhere in the Northern Region
• Bring your expertise to the table to shape quality, commissioning and service improvement across the Northern region
• If you like working in a collaborative team and want to turn quality improvement opportunities into meaningful change - we want to hear from you

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 Quality Improvement Advisor, you'll play a key role in strengthening the quality of services delivered across our funded Mental Health & Addictions portfolio. You'll work alongside providers, clinicians, consumers, whānau and sector partners to identify opportunities for improvement, provide quality assurance and help turn insights into practical changes that improve outcomes for people and communities.

This is a role where your experience, relationships and ability to bring people together will really make a difference. You'll have the opportunity to influence service quality and patient safety while contributing to wider commissioning, planning, service design and system improvement.

You'll bring your quality improvement expertise to a varied portfolio, with responsibilities including:

• Leading quality improvement - identify quality and safety issues, assess opportunities and develop practical improvement plans across funded services.
• Providing quality assurance - oversee provider audits, monitor corrective actions and ensure identified risks and issues are followed through to resolution.
• Building strong relationships - work collaboratively with providers, clinicians, consumers, whānau and sector partners, ensuring consumer voices are reflected in service improvement.
• Turning data into insight - work with analytical teams to understand quality indicators, risks and trends, and report on improvement activity and outcomes.
• Influencing system improvement - ensure quality improvement findings and methodology help shape commissioning, planning, service design and broader system development.

About you

You're an experienced quality or health professional who enjoys working collaboratively and making a tangible difference.

You'll bring:

• A relevant tertiary or professional qualification, with a clinical qualification preferred.
• 5-10 years' experience in quality assurance, quality improvement or health services.
• Experience working within a regulated health environment and a strong understanding of quality and safety.
• Proven experience developing and delivering quality improvement strategies and initiatives.
• Strong relationship-building and stakeholder engagement skills, including the ability to work effectively with Māori and Pacific communities.
• A practical, solutions-focused approach and the confidence to work across a range of stakeholders and perspectives.
• Experience in Mental Health & Addictions services would be an advantage.

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 30 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.