Policy Director

• Wellington based Full-time Permanent 4 positions

• 4.8 weeks annual leave Wellness allowance after 12 months

• High-impact roles for seasoned policy leaders shaping system-wide direction

Ko tōu ake mahi - What youll do

We are establishing four new Policy Director roles as part of a deliberate strategy to deepen policy expertise and lift policy leadership across the Ministry of Health. These are senior highinfluence roles for experienced policy leaders who bring both depth and breadth of experience and are ready to shape direction at scale. The roles report to a Group Manager and are members of the Groups leadership team.

Policy Director roles in the Strategy and Policy Group

Policy Director Strategy and Funding Policy
This role focuses on strategic advice on the health system investment and funding settings. You will bring deep expertise in Crown financial management valueformoney analysis and economic policy frameworks to support sustainable longterm decisionmaking across the system.

Policy Director Sector Policy
This role leads policy advice across aged care primary and community health maternity and child health disability and social sector interfaces. You will bring extensive experience working across sectors and delivering improved outcomes through a range of policy levers including in environments with mixed public and private service provision.

Policy Director Health Services and Regulatory Systems Policy
This role provides leadership on health system regulation and stewardship workforce strategy medicines policy and funding and the innovation and expansion of health services and treatments including precision health and genomics. You will bring strong experience in regulatory policy design and/or economic policy frameworks within complex systems.

Policy Director role in the Public Health Agency and Mental Health Group

Policy Director Public Health and Mental Health Policy

This role provides strategic policy leadership within the Public Health Agency and Mental Health Group across a wide portfolio spanning communicable and non-communicable disease prevention and protection regulatory stewardship as well as mental health addiction and suicide prevention. You will bring strong experience in health or social policy design with sector knowledge and experience in public health and/or mental health an advantage.

Across all roles you will:

• Partner with Group Managers to drive strategic policy direction and ensure coherence across portfolios teams and work programmes.

• Provide trusted advice and thought leadership to DDGs Group Managers and senior leaders on complex sensitive and highrisk policy issues.

• Strengthen policy stewardship and capability supporting continuous improvement in policy frameworks skills and practice across the Ministry.

• Lead and deliver priority programmes of work applying strategic and tactical leadership to achieve results through highquality policy advice.

• Build influence and strong relationships representing the Ministry across government and external forums while modelling the Ministrys values and Te Tiriti o Waitangi obligations.

Ko ngā pukenga ōu - What Youll Bring

• A relevant tertiary qualification (or equivalent experience) with deep expertise in public policy and strong understanding of legislative regulatory and political environments.

• Extensive senior policy leadership experience in central government advising on complex policy issues setting strategic direction and influencing policy agendas at portfolio and system level.

• Proven ability to operate at the political interface managing risk complexity and sensitive issues with sound judgement and governance discipline.

• Exceptional communication relationshipbuilding and influencing skills with the credibility to represent the Ministry in highlevel forums and across government.

• Strategic innovative and valuesled leadership with a strong commitment to equity Te Tiriti o Waitangi capability development and leading through change.

Ngā hua o tō mātou whare - What we bring

Discover a world of opportunities for personal and professional growth. Were not just a workplace; were a whanau that values your well-being and the importance of work-life balance. At Manatū Hauora we value the authentic you ensuring that every voice is heard and every perspective matters. Your wellness is our priority with comprehensive support and resources to keep you thriving. Join us today and be part of a team dedicated to improving healthcare.

We are committed to fostering an inclusive and respectful environment welcoming applicants from diverse backgrounds. We value the unique perspectives and experiences each individual brings. Please contact us if you require any support to ensure the recruitment process is accessible.

Me pēhea te tono mai - How to apply

Applications close midnight Thursday 19th March 2026. Please specify which position you are applying for in your cover letter.

Click here to view the position description for Strategy & Policy and here to view the position description for Public Health Agency and Mental Health Group. Please follow the online process at our Careers Website to apply. Please ensure you upload a CV and covering letter with all applications. If you have any questions email the recruitment team at .