Allied Health Unit Manager - Ophthalmic

Allied Health Unit Manager - Ophthalmic

Excellent career path for an experienced, highly motivated Allied Health Professional. Great professional growth opportunity. Full-time, fixed term (12 months) position.

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 Role

We have an exciting opportunity for an experienced and highly motivated Allied Health Professional to join the Ophthalmology Service at Te Toka Tumai Auckland in the leadership role of Allied Health Unit Manager (AHUM).

The Ophthalmology Service is based at Greenlane Clinical Centre and Waitākere Satellite Clinic, providing care to more than 90,000 patients each year. The multidisciplinary team includes Optometrists, Ophthalmologists, Orthoptists, Ophthalmic Technicians and Eye Clinic Nurses. This is an opportunity to bring your leadership, clinical expertise and innovative thinking to the operational management and continued development of a high-performing service.

As the AHUM, you will provide operational, professional and strategic leadership to the allied health, scientific and technical workforce, with accountability for clinical governance and evidence-based standards of practice. Working in partnership with the Service Clinical Director, Business Manager and Team Leader, you will be an integral member of the service leadership team.

You will contribute to the ongoing development and improvement of the service by monitoring standards of best practice, anticipating patient flow and service demands, optimising resources and identifying opportunities for innovation and service improvement.

You will be responsible for the operational management and coordination of allied health services and personnel, ensuring the delivery of effective, high-quality and patient-centred care. You will advocate for patients and their whānau, bringing expert clinical knowledge, sound clinical reasoning and professional expertise to support effective team practices and optimal patient outcomes.

You will provide clinical and professional leadership to Optometrists, Orthoptists and Ophthalmic Technicians, with accountability for clinical governance, professional standards and evidence-based practice. You will also be expected to maintain a clinical caseload, including involvement in complex presentations and patients with co-morbidities within Ophthalmology and your area of professional expertise.

For further information about the role, please refer to the Position Description.

About You

We are looking for an experienced Allied Health Professional who can combine strong clinical expertise with effective people leadership, operational management and a commitment to service improvement.

You will have a minimum of 5 years' post-graduate experience, with advanced clinical experience in your area of specialty, together with proven leadership experience, ideally as an Allied Health Lead, Team Leader or in another relevant senior Allied Health role. You will have experience leading and supporting large multidisciplinary teams within a busy and complex healthcare environment, with a strong track record of advanced clinical practice and delivery of high-quality, patient-centred care.

You will demonstrate the ability to lead change, drive service improvement and translate innovative ideas into practice. Strong interpersonal, communication and relationship-management skills are essential, along with the ability to work effectively across professional and organisational boundaries. You will have a sound understanding of financial management, workforce planning, resource management and change management principles, together with a resourceful, solution-focused and strategic approach to operational challenges.

You will be able to draw on clinical expertise, data and service trends to identify opportunities for improvement and support effective decision-making. You will be highly self-motivated, adaptable and resilient, with a strong commitment to collaborative teamwork.

Ideally, you will bring experience working across a range of clinical presentations and demonstrate the ability to balance clinical practice, professional leadership and operational responsibilities. Experience within Ophthalmology or a related specialist clinical environment would be advantageous.

Working at Health New Zealand

We are Te Whatu Ora Te Toka Tumai Auckland. We provide health and disability services to more than half a million people living in central Auckland, regional services for Northland and greater Auckland, and specialist national services for the whole of New Zealand. Our main sites are Auckland City Hospital, Greenlane Clinical Centre and Starship Childrens Hospital, located in central Auckland.

We are part of Te Whatu Ora Health New Zealand, the overarching organisation for New Zealand’s national health service. Te Whatu Ora leads the day-to-day running of the health system, with functions delivered at local, district, regional and national levels.

We are committed to upholding Te Tiriti o Waitangi and providing culturally safe care. We value role modelling manaakitanga as demonstrated by Ngāti Whātua in the gifting of their whenua on which our hospitals stand. We aspire to having a workforce reflective of the communities we serve and achieving equitable outcomes for all.

How to Apply

If this role interests you, we would like to hear from you. For more information, please contact Carlene Perris, Director of Allied Health at CPerris@adhb.govt.nz.

You can submit your application online, outlining your experience and motivation to apply to this role.

If you have any queries about accessibility, or technical issues with the online process, please contact Kavitha John- Recruitment Consultant at Kavitha.John@tewhatuora.govt.nz to discuss how we can best support your application.

We’ll be reviewing applications and conducting interviews as they come in, so the position may close before the listed deadline. If you’re interested, we encourage you to apply as soon as possible.