CLINICAL DIRECTOR, CRITICAL CARE
CANDIDATE INFORMATION PACK
HEALTH NEW ZEALAND | TE WHATU ORA
Executive Summary
- Lead a high-performing ICU team at one of New Zealand’s premier tertiary hospitals
- Join a dynamic, multidisciplinary team dedicated to innovation, quality improvement, and health equity
- Shape critical care strategy and influence service delivery across a major regional health network
THE OPPORTUNITY
Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora is the national organisation responsible for delivering equitable, high-quality care to all New Zealanders. Waikato Hospital is a major tertiary centre and one of the largest hospitals in the country, providing complex care and specialist services to a diverse and regional population of 840,000 across the central North Island. With over 7,000 staff and a strong commitment to collaborative, culturally responsive care, Waikato is leading the way in innovation, clinical excellence, and system-wide transformation. Joining the leadership team here means becoming part of a values-driven organisation shaping the future of health in Aotearoa New Zealand.
THE ROLE
The Clinical Director provides strategic, clinical, and professional leadership to the Critical Care Service within a fast-paced, complex environment. Working in partnership with the Operations Manager and Medical Director, you will drive improvements in clinical governance, workforce culture, service delivery, and innovation. As a clinical leader, you will be accountable for leading and role-modelling a positive team culture that promotes high-quality care and improved outcomes for patients. This includes both providing clinical leadership within the department and managing its medical staff.
Working collaboratively with regional counterparts, Waikato’s Level 1 trauma service, local and regional medical services, as well as Allied Health, Nursing, Midwifery and corporate partners, you will play a central role in the delivery of collective organisational accountabilities. The role also carries a regional leadership portfolio, contributing to service development and integration across the wider health system.
THE CANDIDATE
Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora are seeking a transformational and collaborative clinical leader with a Fellowship of the College of Intensive Care Medicine (CICM) and eligibility for vocational registration in New Zealand. You will bring at least 5 years of clinical leadership experience in critical care, with a strong commitment to health equity, cultural safety, and service innovation. You are passionate about developing multidisciplinary teams, navigating complex systems, and embedding continuous improvement into everyday practice. You will have experience managing complex projects across varied stakeholder groups will further support your success in this pivotal leadership role.
For a confidential discussion, please get in touch with:
Rhodie Miller
HardyGroup Principal Consultant
M. +61 (0)422 816 557
E. rmiller@hardygroupintl.com
Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora
Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora manages all health services, including hospital and specialist services, and primary and community care. Hospital and specialist services are planned nationally and delivered more consistently across the country. Primary health, wellbeing and community-based services are planned and then purchased through four new regional divisions of Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora. Each region works with their local offices to develop and implement plans, based on local needs to improve the health and wellbeing of their local communities.
Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora is responsible for improving services and outcomes across the health system. Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora is developing an interim New Zealand Health Plan – a blueprint for what the health system will deliver over the next two years.
The Health System in Aotearoa is entering a period of transformation as we implement the Pae Ora/Healthy Futures vision of a reformed system where people live longer in good health, have improved quality of life, and there is equity between all groups.
We want to build a healthcare system that works collectively and cohesively around a shared set of values and a culture that enables everyone to bring their best to work and feel proud when they go home to their whānau, friends and community. The reforms are expected to achieve five system shifts. These are:
- 1.The health system will reinforce Te Tiriti principles and obligations
- 2.All people will be able to access a comprehensive range of support in their local communities to help them stay well
- 3.Everyone will have equal access to high-quality emergency and specialist care when they need it
- 4.Digital services will provide more people with the care they need in their homes and communities
- 5.Health and care workers will be valued and well-trained for the future health system.
The Waikato District provides health services to the communities of Waikato with a combined population of over 400,000 people, and tertiary-level services to the midland region, with a population of over 840,000. Waikato Hospital in Hamilton provides the most specialised and complex medical care and is recognised as both a tertiary and accredited training hospital. It is our people that are fundamental to our success. Our diverse workforce of over 7,000 employees provide care and support to more than 100,000 patients per year.
Te Mauri o Rongo | The New Zealand Health Charter
Te Mauri o Rongo provides an overview of the intent of the charter. In order to guide the culture, values, and behaviour expected of the health sector, Health New Zealand Te Mauri o Rongo provides common values, principles and behaviours through four Pou, to guide health entities and their workers, enabling a cultural transformation of the health sector. Te Mauri o Rongo fundamentally upholds a key system shift of the New Zealand health reforms to reinforce and embrace Te Tiriti and our obligations to it.
The pou are a platform and a foundation to empower a culture transformation, every person is guided to align themselves to the pou and enact the values and behaviours that the pou represent. Employers and employees are expected to uphold Te Mauri o Rongo in their work and environments as part of our commitment to achieving Pae Ora (healthy futures) for all.
It is fundamental that the four Pou of Te Mauri o Rongo are upheld by the health entities and their workforce.
Critical Care Team
Our Critical Care team provides specialist care for our critically unwell and injured patients. We are committed to modern collaborative multi-disciplinary healthcare, delivered with compassion and embracing Maori world view and tikanga.
As a member of the Critical Care team, this role has shared accountability for growing and developing the Critical Care department including:
- Implementation of the Critical Care strategy document
- Maintaining unit credentialing
- Recruitment of new Intensivists
Role Specification
The Clinical Director is a clinical leader and is accountable for leading and role modelling a team positive team culture that influence quality care and outcomes for patients. The clinical director provides both clinical leadership within the department, and management of its medical staff. You will work collaboratively with your regional counterparts, level 1 trauma service, local and regional Medical Services along with Allied Health, Nursing, Midwifery and corporate counterparts to assist in the delivery of collective accountabilities. The role will have a regional lead portfolio.
Key Result Areas for the Clinical Director include:
- Developing and fostering a positive and health organisation culture through:
- Acting as a change agent to build a strong team culture
- Role modelling our organisational values
- Delivering transformational change
- Facilitating a culture of strong collegiality, quality improvement and innovation
- Ensuring a resilient directorate, and organisation through:
- Fostering financial accountability across the department
- Ensuring a positive department brand and reputation
- Assist with the development of service specific markers of quality, monitor, audit and remediate deficiencies
- Oversight of key aspects of medical management such as:
- Recruit and maintain well qualified and respected medical specialists who align with organisational values and demonstrate the ability to work as a team
- Ensure that annual appraisals are conducted, assist in the remediation of deficits, and career development
- Ensure that all specialists are engaged in appropriate continuing professional development activities, and foster the development of local opportunities for CPD
- Ensure credentialing on appointment, and revalidate credentials and scope of practice at annual appraisal.
- Collaborate to produce safe rosters which deliver safe services and manage leave of all types
- Deliver a first class training program within the specialty
- Recruit suitable trainees
- Ensure that the service meets accreditation standards at all times
- Contribute to the postgraduate house officer training program
- Ensure a safe learning environment
- Contribute to the organisation wide house officer training program
- Support research initiatives
- Ensure the delivery of safe services.
- Identify and mitigate risk
- Escalate risk which cannot be satisfactorily mitigated to the Clinical Unit Leader
- Develop standard operating procedures, guidelines and policy that describe the expectations of service delivery
- Ensure an effective morbidity and mortality review system is in place
- Participate in and facilitate appropriate consideration of and response to serious event reviews, complaints, incidents, coronial requests, HDC requests, ACC requests
- Support service planning including engagement with the primary, NGO and community sectors
- Health equity across the specialty
- Engage with the Equity unit and participate actively in initiatives to address service inequities
- Participate in organisation wide clinical governance
- Collaborate with other services within and across directorates
- Support the Clinical Unit Leader and act up in the absence of the Clinical Unit Leader
- Participate in clinical leadership programs within Te Whatu Ora and with approval, externally provided
Standard SMO responsibilities:
- Professional Standards (ACMS MECA)
- Delivery Clinical
- Delivery – Non Clinical Administration
- Performance Assessment
- Legislation
View the full scope of the SMO responsibilities in the Position Description.
The incumbent must have the following:
- Fellowship with College of Intensive Care Medicine of Australia and New Zealand
- Eligibility for Vocational registration in Intensive Care with the Medical Council of New Zealand with scope of practice
- A practising certificate with the Medical Council of New Zealand
- 1.5+ years’ experience in clinical leadership
- 2.Fellowship with College of Intensive Care Medicine of Australia and New
- 3.Professional indemnity insurance
- 4.A satisfactory Vulnerable Children’s Act check
- 5.Experience in building and sustaining collaborative working relationships in a high-pressure environment to enable and deliver effective change management.
- 6.Highly developed communication and interpersonal skills, including the capacity to negotiate, resolve conflict and positively influence and motivate others
- 7.Experience of leading multi-disciplinary teams
- 8.Experience in managing projects across complex stakeholder groups
- 9.Accountability for own work and provide a high quality service, and contributes to quality improvement and risk minimisation activities
Desired:
- Experience in implementing Te Tiriti o Waitangi in action
- Current full driver’s license
- Business Management Qualification
The Clinical Director will directly report operationally to the Operations Manager, Critical Care and will directly report professionally to the Medical Director, Directorate Surgery & Anaesthesia.
External:
- Patients, whānau, caregivers
- General Practitioners
- Community Agencies
- Other health providers
- Tertiary education providers
- Medical Council of New Zealand
- College of Intensive Care Medicine
While this position does not have any direct reports or budget responsibility, it does have up to 17 FTE Intensivists reporting professionally. The role operates in partnership with the Operations Manager who holds the budget responsibility.
The total remuneration package is $450,000
- Relocation allowance: Up to $25K
- The Clinical Director is for an initial term of 3-years (with the option of +2 or potentially 3-yrs), but the person will be appointed permanently as an Intensivist.
- Ensure consistent delivery of high-quality, patient-centred critical care services
- Address persistent workforce shortages and retention difficulties
- Lead cultural transformation within a high-pressure clinical environment
Service Location: Waikato, New Zealand
The closing date for applications is Sunday, 17th August 2025
The reference number to include in your application is H25_5194
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, Natasha Tirado: M: +61 (0)468 301 310 / E: ntirado@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:
Rhodie Miller
HardyGroup Principal Consultant
M. +61 (0)422 816 557
E. rmiller@hardygroupintl.com
ABOUT US
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