Principal Communications Advisor, Centre For Digital Modernisation

Principal Communications Advisor

• Work from your local Health NZ office – stay connected to your community while helping drive nationwide digital health transformation
• Be part of our Digital Services team – shaping the future of digital healthcare for all New Zealanders
• Secondment role until 15 December 2026

Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora is the country's largest employer, delivering universal public healthcare to over five million people.

We provide essential hospital, specialist, and community health services across Aotearoa — from major urban centres to small 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 the Principal Communications Advisor, you will shape how the Centre communicates its purpose, progress, and impact across key stakeholders. You'll develop and lead the delivery of clear, consistent, and timely communications across Centre and programme activity, working closely with programme teams, senior leaders, and Health NZ communications functions.

The role reports to National Communications, while your day‑to‑day work for the Centre is guided by the Head of Centre Operations to ensure alignment with operational priorities and delivery activity. Please note that responsibility for Digital Services communications sits within the Business Services team, and this role will work collaboratively with that team to ensure coherence and consistency across all communications streams.

You'll drive strategic planning, coordinate Centre-wide messaging, produce high quality content, and support key milestones, change activity, and continuous improvement. This is a high impact, hands-on role suited to a senior practitioner who can translate strategy into action — someone who can produce at pace, navigate complex issues, and deliver end-to-end outcomes in a fastmoving, collaborative environment.

About the Team/Service/Location

The Centre for Digital Modernisation of Health (the Centre) represents an unprecedented opportunity to transform healthcare delivery across New Zealand. Established to deliver the Health Digital Investment Plan (HDIP), the Centre will manage large multibillion programme in investment over the next 10 years to modernise Health NZ's digital capabilities and infrastructure.

This is a unique, once-in-a-generation opportunity to work at a scale rarely seen in New Zealand—leading digital transformation that will deliver tangible benefits for clinicians, patients, and communities across the motu. The Centre provides the strategic leadership and specialist capability needed to develop and deliver new digital services that will fundamentally improve healthcare delivery.

The Centre operates as a distinct entity within Health New Zealand, purposefully designed to function differently from business-as-usual operations. With its own dedicated Board responsible for HDIP delivery and Centre performance, it brings together a core team of senior specialists in investment, technology, design, and delivery, supported by world-class technology and implementation partners.

This role offers a rare chance to be part of establish the Centre while also contributing to the delivery of New Zealand's most ambitious health digital modernisation programme.

About You

You are an experienced communications professional with a background in digital transformation or complex programme environments. You bring sound judgement, strong relationship-building skills, and a strategic mindset, with the ability to produce high-quality communications at pace. You are not only a trusted advisor — you are a delivery specialist turns insight into action, rolls up your sleeves, and gets work over the line. You bring courage, clarity, and a proactive approach to navigating complexity.

You will bring:

• a relevant qualification in communications, public relations, journalism or similar

• extensive experience developing and implementing communications strategies in complex organisations for digital transformation and technology enabled change

• Excellent stakeholder engagement skills and the ability to build trusted relationships across diverse audiences

• experience in programme or portfolio level‑ communications

• proven ability to produce high quality‑ content across channels

• experience supporting organisational change and navigating sensitive or emerging issues

Desired:

• postgraduate qualification in communications, public relations, or a related discipline

• experience in health sector communications or working with government agencies

• understanding of public sector communications protocols and issues management

• knowledge of digital delivery methodologies and portfolio management approaches

• experience in crisis communications, digital content management, or social media strategy

Please note: this role is open only to current Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora employees. As Health New Zealand continues to undergo change, affected employees will be given preference and priority for this position.

Working for 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 on Wednesday, 25 March 2026. If you have any questions about the role, please contact Ash Mohan at Ash.Mohan@tewhatuora.govt.nz