Purpose Of Position

Tend is reimagining healthcare for New Zealanders. Our purpose is to help New Zealanders be the healthiest people in the world, delivered through a scaled, Kiwi-owned primary care network that combines physical clinics with digital services, with the ambition to build a 100-year healthcare business for future generations. As Tend grows through partnership and acquisition, Te Waipounamu, spanning Tend’s existing wholly and partially owned clinics together with The Doctors clinics, is a large and critical part of Tend’s clinic network.

The Head of Operations, Te Waipounamu owns the operational and financial performance of the region. Reporting to the Chief Service Delivery Officer, the role leads leaders, with a regional management team of 8 to 12 Medical Centre Managers across a large regional footprint reporting directly to them. Working closely with Clinical Directors, PHOs, governance boards and the national head office team, the Head of Operations translates company strategy into a clear regional plan delivered consistently through clinic teams, leads due diligence and integration for new clinic acquisitions in support of Tend’s strategy to execute M&A and integration well, and builds the regional culture that connects local teams to the wider Tend network.

Key Responsibilities

Regional Leadership and Team Management

• Act as line manager for all Medical Centre Managers within Te Waipounamu (8 to 12 direct reports).
• Lead the hiring, growth, development and performance management of the regional management team.
• Build a high performing regional leadership team through coaching, structured performance management and succession planning.
• Foster collaboration, consistency of practice and shared standards across all Medical Centre Managers in the region.
• Ensure every Medical Centre Manager has clear goals, development plans and regular, constructive feedback.

Financial Performance

• Own the financial performance of the region, including profit and loss accountability.
• Monitor practice level financial performance and hold Medical Centre Managers accountable for budgets, revenue and cost targets.
• Identify and lead initiatives to improve financial performance and cost effectiveness across the region.
• Report regularly on regional financial performance to the Chief Service Delivery Officer and wider leadership team.

Strategic Delivery and Model of Care

• Partner with Clinical Directors in the region and the head office team to deliver organisational priorities, including changes to the model of care and performance improvement initiatives.
• Translate company strategy into a clear regional plan, with objectives cascaded through Medical Centre Managers and their teams.
• Lead the regional implementation of new services, systems and ways of working.
• Monitor delivery against the regional plan, and identify and address barriers to progress.

Due Diligence and Integration

• Lead due diligence and onboarding for new clinic acquisitions in the region.
• Support the integration programme to bring The Doctors and newly acquired clinics onto the Tend platform.
• Partner with the national integration team to plan and sequence onboarding, minimising disruption to patients and staff.
• Identify integration risks and issues early, and put mitigation plans in place.

Governance

• Sit on and attend governance boards for clinics in the region that Tend and BHL do not wholly own, representing Tend’s interests.
• Build strong, trusted relationships with practice owners, boards and shareholders across the region.
• Ensure appropriate governance oversight and reporting is in place across all ownership structures in the region.
• Escalate governance risks or concerns to the Chief Service Delivery Officer in a timely way.

PHO and External Representation

• Represent Arataki and CCL PHOs in the region at meetings and forums as required.
• Build and maintain effective relationships with PHOs, Health NZ Te Whatu Ora, and other external stakeholders and agencies.
• Act as an escalation and resolution point for PHO related matters affecting practices in the region.
• Collaborate with the national PHO team on planning, funding and contract matters relevant to the region.

Regional Culture and Engagement

• Build regional culture and engagement across the network, ensuring collaboration between clinics.
• Connect local and regional teams to national initiatives, priorities and ways of working.
• Plan and host regional events that build relationships, culture and engagement across the team.
• Build strong working relationships between clinic teams, the regional leadership team and head office.

Health, Safety and Wellbeing

• Actively implement health and safety processes and take reasonable care for own and others’ safety in accordance with the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015.
• Comply with current NZ legislation and best industry standards.

Equity & Te Tiriti o Waitangi

• Demonstrate understanding of Te Tiriti o Waitangi and application of its principles across clinical practice, service design and workplace culture.
• Champion culturally safe, inclusive practice, applying an equity and population health lens to improvement in access, quality and outcomes, particularly for Māori, Pacific peoples and other underserved populations.
• Drive continuous improvement in clinical care to achieve equitable health outcomes inclusive of ethnicity, culture, gender identity, sexual orientation and disability.