Application Portfolio Manager

Shape the future of a national digital application portfolio that supports healthcare outcomes across AotearoaStrategic role within Digital Services, connecting clinical needs, technology and business prioritiesLocation flexible within New Zealand | Permanent, full-time roleHealth New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora is the country's largest employer, delivering universal public healthcare to more than five million New Zealanders.We provide essential hospital, specialist, and community health services across 80+ locations - from large urban centres to rural towns and remote communities.Our goal is to improve health outcomes for all New Zealanders by delivering equitable, accessible, and innovative care.About the RoleAs Application Portfolio Manager, you'll provide strategic and operational leadership across a significant portfolio of digital applications, helping shape where the portfolio is heading and how it continues to deliver value for Health New Zealand.Within Health New Zealand, this role is known as a Product Manager. However, this is broader than a traditional Product Manager role focused on a single product. You'll take a whole-of-portfolio view, owning the strategic direction, prioritisation, performance and ongoing evolution of the applications across your domain.You'll be someone who enjoys connecting the dots. You'll work with clinical leaders and champions, business stakeholders, Product Owners, Application Managers, Delivery teams, Digital Services and key suppliers to understand what people need, identify where things could work better and turn those insights into clear priorities and action.A big part of the role is making sure strategy doesn't sit on a shelf. You'll connect strategic thinking with delivery and day-to-day operations, working across the full application lifecycle - from strategy and discovery through to delivery, implementation, operation, performance and continuous improvement.You'll also have an important role in our supplier relationships and commercial arrangements. You'll work with key vendors to make sure contracts, services and expectations are aligned with Health NZ's priorities and that we're getting the value and outcomes we need from our technology partnerships.This is a highly connected role in a matrix environment. You won't always have direct authority over the people you need to work with, so how you build relationships, influence decisions and bring people together will matter just as much as what you know technically.In this role, you will:Develop and maintain strategic roadmaps aligned to organisational and domain prioritiesShape the vision and future direction of the application portfolioLead strategic prioritisation and make clear recommendations about where effort and investment should be focusedWork closely with clinical leaders and champions to understand needs, challenges and opportunitiesTurn stakeholder insights, data and performance information into practical priorities and actionsLead structured engagement across clinical, business and Digital teamsWork closely with Product Owners, Application Managers and Delivery teams to connect strategy with deliveryMonitor portfolio performance, risks, dependencies and opportunities, taking action where requiredDevelop and manage key supplier relationships, contracts and commercial outcomesContribute to investment cases and strategic decisions about the future application landscapeBalance innovation and improvement with operational requirements, security, privacy and riskIdentify opportunities to simplify, improve and make better use of technology across the domainFrom time to time, you may be required to travel and work outside normal hours to support key initiatives, project go-lives, incidents, or operational priorities.About the Team / Service / LocationThe Digital Applications & Products group sits within Digital Services and plays a critical role in enabling healthcare delivery through secure, reliable and user-focused digital applications and products.Our teams work closely with clinicians, operational leaders, technology teams and external partners to ensure the applications supporting Health NZ continue to meet the needs of our people and the communities we serve.You'll be part of a broader Digital environment where collaboration is key. Teams take responsibility for the applications and products within their domains, working together across strategy, delivery, operations and continuous improvement.This role is all about connection. You'll build relationships across clinical and operational teams, Digital Services and our supplier network, bringing different perspectives together and helping people make decisions that move things forward.It's a broad landscape, and no two days will necessarily look the same. One day you might be working with a clinical leader to understand a problem; the next, challenging priorities with a delivery team or working with a supplier on performance and commercial outcomes.About YouYou're an experienced technology, application or product leader who enjoys making connections, solving problems and turning ideas into action.You're naturally curious. You want to understand how things work, why they work that way and, importantly, whether they could work better.You're a self-starter who is comfortable walking into a complex environment without having every answer handed to you. You can work out what needs to happen, bring the right people together and keep things moving. You take ownership rather than waiting for someone else to tell you what to do next.You're also comfortable zooming in and out. You can have a strategic conversation with a senior leader about the future direction of a portfolio, then get into the detail with a Product Owner, Application Manager or supplier to work through what needs to happen next.You'll enjoy working with clinical leaders and healthcare professionals, taking the time to understand their world and the challenges they face. You can translate between clinical, business and technology perspectives and find common ground.You bring strong commercial awareness and are comfortable having the conversations that matter with suppliers - whether that's about performance, contracts, expectations, value or finding a better way forward.You build credibility, listen well, ask good questions, bring people together and create momentum. You're comfortable leading through influence in a matrix environment and taking people with you.You will bring:Significant experience in product management, application management, application portfolio management or a similar senior technology leadership roleProven experience managing complex applications, digital products or portfolios across their lifecycleStrong strategic planning, roadmap development and prioritisation experienceThe ability to turn complex information and competing needs into clear priorities and decisionsDemonstrated experience working with senior business stakeholders and, ideally, clinical stakeholders or professionals in similarly complex environmentsExperience working closely with clinicians, healthcare professionals or other complex professional groupsStrong vendor, supplier and contract management experienceCommercial acumen and experience managing supplier performance and outcomesStrong stakeholder engagement, influencing, negotiation and relationship management skillsProven ability to work effectively within a matrix organisationThe ability to lead through influence, collaboration and credibility rather than relying on formal authorityA curious, outcomes-focused and proactive approach to problem solvingProven ability to take personal responsibility, work independently and create momentum in complex environmentsExperience using performance measures, insights and feedback to inform decisions and continuous improvementStrong understanding of application lifecycle management, technology delivery and operational performanceExperience balancing strategic priorities with operational performance, risk, security and privacyExperience working in Agile or similarly collaborative delivery environmentsA demonstrated understanding of Te Tiriti o Waitangi and a commitment to equitable health outcomesWorking for Health New ZealandHealth New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora is committed to delivering excellent healthcare for all New Zealanders. We embrace diversity and inclusion so that our workforce reflects the communities we serve. We welcome applications from our diverse Māori, Pacific, disabled, and rainbow communities.How to ApplyTo apply, please click Apply now.All applications must be submitted through our online careers portal by 11:59PM 19 October 2026.If you have any questions about the role, please contact Ash Mohan at [email protected].

Significant experience in product/application management or similar senior technology leadership; proven lifecycle management, strategic planning, vendor and contract management; stakeholder engagement in matrix environments; Agile experience; understanding of Te Tiriti o Waitangi.

Key Responsibilities

• managing application portfolio
• developing strategic roadmaps
• leading stakeholder engagement

Job Details

• Category: Information Technology
• Seniority: Senior Level
• Commitment: Full Time
• Workplace: Remote — New Zealand
• Languages: English

About Te Whatu Ora

New Zealand's largest employer delivering universal public healthcare across the country. — Industry: Healthcare

Apply Now →