Director of Mental Health
Ministry of Health | Manatū Hauora
CANDIDATE INFORMATION PACK
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Executive Summary
- Provide independent statutory, clinical, and regulatory leadership for mental health and addiction services across Aotearoa New Zealand
- Shape long‑term system direction, steward major reform programmes, and uphold safe, lawful, and humane compulsory care
- Lead at national level to strengthen quality, equity, Te Tiriti o Waitangi commitments, and lived‑experience‑informed system design
THE OPPORTUNITY
The Ministry of Health | Manatū Hauora seeks an exceptional clinical and system leader to serve as the Director of Mental Health and Addiction. This is a nationally significant statutory position, responsible for ensuring the safe, effective, and rights‑based operation of compulsory mental health and addiction treatment across New Zealand.
Reporting to the Deputy Director ‑ General – Regulatory Services, the Director provides authoritative advice to the Minister of Health and Director‑General, exercising statutory powers under the Mental Health (Compulsory Assessment and Treatment) Act 1992 and the Substance Addiction (Compulsory Assessment and Treatment) Act 2017.
The role spans oversight of national system performance, leadership of complex and high‑risk clinical matters, and stewardship of long‑term strategic reform. With a mandate to influence system settings, legislation, quality, safety, and equity, the Director plays a pivotal part in strengthening public trust and shaping the future of mental health and addiction in New Zealand.
THE ROLE
This role provides national statutory, clinical, and regulatory leadership for mental health and addiction services across Aotearoa New Zealand. As the Director, you will exercise independent powers under the Mental Health Act and Substance Addiction Act, ensuring compulsory care is delivered lawfully, safely, and humanely. You will lead strategic system‑wide programmes that shape long‑term service direction, strengthen quality and performance, and enhance national consistency.
The position requires providing authoritative advice to Ministers and senior officials, guiding responses to complex and high‑risk clinical matters, and stewarding major reform in a politically sensitive environment. Operating as a visible national leader, you will foster strong partnerships across the health system, champion Te Tiriti o Waitangi and equity, and embed lived‑experience perspectives to improve outcomes for all communities.
THE CANDIDATE
You are a highly respected psychiatrist with deep clinical and statutory expertise, capable of navigating complexity with independence, courage, and sound judgement. You bring national credibility, strong regulatory acumen, and proven senior leadership experience within large, complex health or public sector environments.
You excel in managing political, clinical, legal, and system tensions, and you are skilled at influencing across government, professional bodies, and the wider sector. Collaborative, strategic, and unwavering in upholding rights and safety, you bring the confidence, resilience, and integrity required of New Zealand’s most senior mental health and addiction statutory leader.
For a confidential discussion, please get in touch with:
Pete Carter
Principal Search Consultant
M. +61 (0)448 729 077 | M. +64 (0)27 287 5937
E. pcarter@hardygroupintl.com
Ministry of Health | Manatū Hauora
About Us
The Ministry of Health is the lead advisor to the Government on health and is responsible for ensuring the health system meets the current and future needs of all New Zealanders.
We fulfil this role through three key functions:
Policy: We support the Government to set health system prioritites and develop policies. We collect evidence to understand the system and to get the best health outcomes for New Zealanders.
Regulation: We design rules and regulations for health services, products, and pharmaceuticals to protect public health and safety. We ensure health regulations are proportionate, effective and safe.
Monitoring: We monitor the performance of the health system by collecting data, checking performance and reporting to the Government. If issues arise, we work with others to address them. We assess both health outcomes and financial efficiency.
Our Vision
Our vision for the health system is to improve health outcomes for all New Zealanders.
The Government Policy Statement on Health sets out the plan for how this vision will be achieved.
Our Role
The Ministry of Health is the lead advisor to the government on health and makes sure the health system is delivering to meet the current and future needs of New Zealanders.
We do this in 3 ways: policy, regulation and monitoring.
Our Functions
The Ministry of Health has 3 core functions.
Policy
We support the Government to set clear priorities for the health system and develop policy options to help achieve them.
We collect evidence and insights to understand what’s happening in the health system and how to get the best health outcomes for New Zealanders.
Regulation
The Ministry of Health has responsibilities under the Public Service Act 2020 for the legislation we administer. We are responsible for ensuring public safety and quality through our regulatory functions and activities. This includes ensuring the safe provision of health services to the public, monitoring the safety of medicines, and enabling innovation for the uptake of new ways of working to improve health outcomes.DocumentRegulatory Strategy 2025-2027 ( pdf, 535.81 KB )
Monitoring
We monitor the performance of the health system - this includes the performance of the health Crown entities and organisations such as Health New Zealand.
We monitor by collecting data, checking performance, and reporting to the Government on progress. If things are not going as planned, we work with others to get back on track.
We assess whether the health system is effective in improving health outcomes for New Zealanders.
We check whether money is being used effectively, and we monitor the financial health of our entities.
Role Specification
The Director of Mental Health and Addiction is a statutory, clinically qualified leadership role providing independent clinical, regulatory, and system stewardship across New Zealand’s mental health and addiction services. The role exercises statutory functions under the Mental Health (Compulsory Assessment and Treatment) Act 1992 and performs the statutory duties of the Director of Addiction Services under the Substance Addiction (Compulsory Assessment and Treatment) Act 2017, with responsibilities to the Minister of Health and the Director-General of Health.
The Director provides authoritative clinical and policy advice, leads national responses to complex and high-risk mental health and addiction issues, and ensures the lawful, safe, and humane operation of compulsory assessment and treatment services. The role shapes the long-term direction of the system, oversees major reform and assurance programmes, and upholds public confidence through strong governance, equity, Te Tiriti o Waitangi commitments, and lived-experience leadership
Statutory, clinical, and regulatory leadership
- Exercise the statutory functions of the Director of Mental Health under the Mental Health (Compulsory Assessment and Treatment) Act 1992 and associated legislation, and perform the duties of the Director of Addiction Services under the Substance Addiction (Compulsory Assessment and Treatment) Act 2017, exercising delegated powers on behalf of the Minister and Director-General of Health
- Provide independent, expert clinical and policy advice to the Minister of Health, Director-General, and senior Ministry leaders on mental health and addiction legislation, regulation, standards, and system performance
- Provide national clinical leadership on complex, high-risk matters, including compulsory care, rights, safety, quality, and the lawful, humane operation of assessment and treatment services
- Exercise all regulatory functions and powers related to the position, including inspection, monitoring, and assurance activities; undertaking visits to treatment services; accessing facilities and patients as required; addressing issues of quality, safety, and compliance; and, where necessary, contributing to or initiating a Commission of Inquiry.
System stewardship and performance assurance
- Lead delivery of Government priorities across the mental health and addiction portfolios, ensuring alignment with legislative obligations, Ministry strategy, and sector capability
- Shape and drive the long-term strategic direction of the system in partnership with the Senior Leadership Team, translating priorities into clear strategies, programmes, and implementation plans
- Lead and oversee complex, multi-year programmes of work, applying sound clinical judgement, evidence, and risk management
- Establish robust performance, assurance, evaluation, and reporting frameworks to demonstrate impact and system improvement
Senior leadership and people leadership
- Provide senior leadership to multidisciplinary clinical, policy, and advisory teams, fostering a culture of clinical excellence, accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement
- Lead, mentor, and develop senior clinical and professional leaders, strengthening capability across the Ministry and the wider system
- Ensure consistently high standards of advice and delivery in complex, ambiguous, and politically sensitive environments
Sector, stakeholder, and public leadership
- Act as a senior representative and spokesperson for the Ministry on mental health and addiction matters, including media engagement where appropriate
- Oversee and make decisions on leave arrangements, and provide recommendations regarding changes to the legal or care status of special (forensic) patients
- Build and sustain trusted relationships across government, the health and disability sector, professional colleges, consumer and whānau organisations, and communities
- Appoint or recommend the appointment of Directors of Area Mental Health and Addiction Services, District Inspectors and designate and oversee approved providers, ensuring consistent, lawful application of legislation across regions
- Represent the Ministry at inter-agency forums and national and international engagements, influencing outcomes and advancing Government priorities
Te Tiriti o Waitangi, equity, and lived experience
- Uphold Te Tiriti o Waitangi obligations by embedding partnership, equity, and cultural responsiveness across policy, regulation, and service delivery
- Champion lived-experience perspectives in legislation, policy development, and system design
- Ensure strategies and services address inequities and improve outcomes for Māori, Pacific peoples, and other priority populations
This position description is intended as an insight to the main tasks and responsibilities required in the role and may be subject to change in consultation with the job holder.
Clinical and professional credibility
- Vocational qualification and registration in psychiatry, with national standing as a mental health specialist
- Deep clinical expertise across compulsory care, risk management, service quality, and patient and whānau rights
- Strong knowledge of New Zealand’s mental health legislative and regulatory framework, with awareness of international practice
Statutory judgement and regulatory leadership
- Proven ability to exercise independent statutory judgement, including making and defending complex clinical, regulatory, and medical-legal decisions in high-risk and high-profile contexts
- Demonstrated capability to interpret and apply legislation, including the Mental Health (Compulsory Assessment and Treatment) Act and the New Zealand Bill of Rights Act, to real-world system decisions
- Confidence and resilience to stand by decisions under scrutiny, challenge, or judicial review
- Strong understanding of regulatory systems, governance, and accountability, with the ability to bridge clinical practice and regulation
Senior executive, strategic, and people leadership
- Proven experience operating at a senior executive level within large, complex health or public sector organisations
- Highly developed strategic and analytical capability, with the judgement to balance clinical, legal, political, and system considerations
- Ability to lead through influence, set clear boundaries, and operate effectively in politically sensitive environments
- Significant experience leading and developing senior clinical, professional, and multidisciplinary teams, and influencing across government, the health sector, and professional bodies
Leadership Success Profile – Angitūtanga
The Te Kawa Mataaho Leadership Success Profile (LSP) describes what effective leadership looks like across the New Zealand public sector. All roles at the Ministry are assigned to one of four leadership categories. Each category draws on selected capabilities, which combine both leadership competencies and character traits from the LSP, to reflect different types of leadership.
This role is assigned to the ‘Senior Leader’ category, and the following capabilities outline what is required to be successful in this category:
1. Demonstrated statutory, clinical and regulatory leadership within Mental Health & Addiction Services
Evidence of senior specialist leadership (minimum 5 years at SMO or equivalent senior clinical level) with responsibility for exercising statutory powers, overseeing compulsory care, and ensuring the lawful, safe, and humane delivery of mental health and addiction services under the Mental Health Act and Substance Addiction Act. Demonstrated capability to provide authoritative clinical and policy advice in high‑risk, complex, or politically sensitive contexts.
2. Proven ability to apply independent judgement, manage regulatory risk and uphold legal obligations
Proven experience interpreting and applying complex legislation, exercising independent statutory judgement, and making defensible decisions under public, legal or media scrutiny. Demonstrated understanding of regulatory systems, governance, and the intersection of clinical risk, patient rights, and state authority.
3. Commitment to equity, Te Tiriti o Waitangi, and culturally grounded system stewardship
A track record of embedding Te Tiriti o Waitangi principles in clinical practice, policy, and regulatory decision‑making. Demonstrated capability partnering with Māori leaders and communities, championing equity and culturally safe care, and addressing inequities for Māori, Pacific peoples, and other priority populations within mental health and addiction settings.
4. Senior executive and system leadership across complex, multidisciplinary environments
Experience contributing at senior or executive level within a large, complex health or public sector organisation. Proven capability to lead multidisciplinary clinical, policy and regulatory teams; design system‑level strategies; lead multi‑year programmes of reform; and balance clinical, legal, political and operational considerations in high‑stakes environments.
5. Exceptional communication, influence and national‑level stakeholder leadership
Demonstrated ability to communicate complex clinical, legal and policy issues with clarity and authority to Ministers, senior officials, clinicians, the public and media. Proven experience building trusted relationships across government, professional bodies, NGOs, lived‑experience organisations, and diverse communities, and representing the system at national and international levels.
Please speak to our HG Principal Consultant.
Service Location: Wellington, New Zealand
The closing date for applications is Tuesday, 19 May 2026
The reference number to include in your application is H26_5418.
Note: Please use the online platform to submit your application. It will not be accepted via email.
If you require assistance in submitting your application online, please get in touch with Executive Search Coordinator, Aldie Zuñiga: M: +61 494 101 082 / E: azuniga@hardygroupintl.com
Your application must include:
- 1.Cover letter addressed to the Principal Consultant;
- 2.A written response addressing the key selection criteria; and
- 3.An up to date copy of your Curriculum Vitae.
It Is standard practice for HardyGroup to acknowledge receipt of your application no later than the next business day. We request that if you do not receive the acknowledgement, you contact the search coordinator listed above as soon as possible after the 24-hour business period and arrange to resend your application if necessary.
For a confidential discussion, please contact:
Pete Carter
HG Principal Consultant
M. +61 (0)448 729 077 | M. +64 (0)27 287 5937
E. pcarter@hardygroupintl.com
LIVING AND WORKING IN WELLINGTON
Wellington: New Zealand’s Creative Capital
Nestled between rolling hills and a rugged coastline, Wellington is a city that thrives on creativity, culture, and character. Often referred to as the coolest little capital in the world, Wellington may be small in size, but it’s big on personality. With a vibrant arts scene, a thriving café culture, and a strong sense of community, Wellington offers a dynamic lifestyle for professionals and creatives alike.
Living in Wellington
Wellington is a city where nature and urban life blend seamlessly. You can hike through native bush in the morning and enjoy world-class coffee or craft beer by the waterfront in the afternoon. The city is compact and walkable, making it easy to explore its eclectic neighborhoods, each with its own unique charm.
Climate
Wellington has a temperate maritime climate, with mild summers and cool, wet winters. Known for its wind – it’s not called “Windy Wellington” for nothing – the city still enjoys a generous amount of sunshine, averaging around 2,000 hours per year. The weather adds to the city's dramatic coastal beauty and invigorating atmosphere.
Diversity
Wellington is a melting pot of cultures, with a strong Māori presence and a growing international community. The city celebrates its diversity through festivals, food, and inclusive public spaces. Whether you're new to New Zealand or a long-time resident, Wellington offers a welcoming environment where different cultures are embraced.
Working in Wellington: As the political and cultural heart of New Zealand, Wellington is home to government agencies, embassies, and a thriving creative sector. The city is a hub for film, digital media, and design, with world-renowned companies like Weta Workshop and Weta Digital calling it home. Tech, education, and public service are also strong employment sectors, making Wellington an attractive destination for professionals across a wide range of industries.
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