Nursing Director – Daily Operations, Hillmorton Hospital

• Nursing Director – Daily Operations
• Specialist Mental Health Service (SMHS), Hillmorton Hospital, Christchurch
• Permanent, Full-time senior nursing leadership opportunity
• Lead operational excellence across Specialist Mental Health Services

Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora is firmly grounded in the principles of Te Tiriti o Waitangi and is committed to building a health system that serves all New Zealanders.

About the Service

Specialist Mental Health Services (SMHS) is seeking an experienced and dynamic nursing leader to establish and lead a newly created Nursing Director – Daily Operations role.

This is a significant leadership opportunity to shape and modernise operational nursing leadership across one of New Zealand’s largest and most complex mental health services.

SMHS provides services across the age continuum and includes:

With approximately 1200 FTE across the Division — two-thirds of whom are nursing staff — this role is pivotal in strengthening operational coordination, workforce management, patient flow, and service integration across the Division.

About the Role

This role has been established in recognition of the increasing complexity, growth, and operational demands across SMHS, including expanded inpatient capacity and ongoing service redevelopment.

As Nursing Director – Daily Operations, you will provide dedicated operational and strategic leadership across SMHS inpatient and divisional nursing services.

Working closely with the Director of Nursing, Operations Manager, and senior clinical leaders (inpatient and community), you will plan, develop, coordinate, implement and report on nursing services and lead and coordinate daily nursing operations across the Division, ensuring safe, efficient, culturally responsive, and patient-centred care.

You will: 

• Lead daily operational nursing coordination across SMHS
• Provide oversight of after-hours nursing leadership
• Support the Director of Nursing with leading Safe Staffing systems including CCDM/TrendCare, VRM, and workforce allocation
• Support hospital flow and inter-service coordination
• Oversee divisional services including the nursing pool, ECT nursing services, Clinical Services Unit, and rostering operations
• Support emergency operational responses and escalation management
• Lead reviews and improvement programmes for after-hours services and the Clinical Services Unit
• Strengthen integration between inpatient, emergency, and community mental health services

For more information on living and working in Christchurch please click here.

About you

You will be a highly credible senior nursing leader with strong operational management experience and the ability to work effectively in complex, fast-paced environments.

You will bring:

• Extensive senior nursing leadership experience within mental health services
• Strong operational and workforce management capability
• Experience leading multidisciplinary teams and services
• Knowledge of Safe Staffing/CCDM systems and workforce planning
• Excellent communication skills
• A commitment to tangata whaiora and whānau-centred care
• The ability to lead service improvement and system-wide change
• Strategic thinking alongside strong day-to-day operational leadership
• Minimum of post graduate diploma in a relevant field 

Please ensure you include a covering letter to highlight your relevant skillset and experience.

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 Tuesday, 14th July. If you have any questions about the role, please contact Recruitment Partner Lisa Gray lisa.gray2@tewhatuora.govt.nz

We will review applications as received and may proceed with the recruitment process before the closing date of this advert. 

Position description Apply now

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