_{21st October, 2026}

Director of Programme Development and Quality | Auckland

Ronald McDonald House New Zealand

For over three decades, Ronald McDonald House New Zealand has provided a ‘home-away-from-home’ for Kiwi families when their child is hospitalised. Through our House and Family Room programmes, we provide free accommodation and practical support, allowing whānau to focus on what matters most: each other.

This newly created executive role provides an opportunity to shape the future development and quality of our programmes. As the needs of whānau and the wider health and social-service environment continue to evolve, this role will ensure our Model of Care, programmes and future service models remain contemporary, culturally responsive and grounded in evidence and whānau insight.

About the role | Mō te tūranga

As Director of Programme Development and Quality, you will lead the development and ongoing evolution of Ronald McDonald House New Zealand’s Model of Care, programme model, quality frameworks, programme standards and future service approaches.

Reporting to the Chief Executive Officer and contributing as a member of the Executive Leadership Team, you will bring together programme development, evidence and evaluation, whānau insight, equity, cultural responsiveness and quality assurance. You will help our organisation understand what whānau need today, anticipate what they may need in the future, and translate that understanding into practical programme improvements.

Working closely with the Director of Service and Whānau Experience, you will ensure programme frameworks and standards are practical, relevant and capable of being translated into consistent, high-quality frontline delivery. Service performance, frontline experience and whānau feedback will provide an important feedback loop for the ongoing development of programmes and the Model of Care.

This is a strategic executive leadership position in a national organisation that continues to evolve. You will also play an important external leadership role, contributing to relationships across government agencies, hospital partners and the wider child health and community sectors. Success will require a leader who can set future direction, navigate complexity, build influential relationships and translate evidence and ideas into practical approaches that work for frontline teams and whānau.

Key focus areas | Ngā aronga matua

• Lead the ongoing development and evolution of Ronald McDonald House New Zealand’s Model of Care, programmes and future service models.
• Establish national programme standards, quality frameworks and assurance approaches that support consistent, high-quality delivery.
• Lead the development of programme standards, practice frameworks and quality assurance approaches that support safe, consistent and high-quality delivery.
• Use evidence, evaluation, whānau insight and service performance data to drive programme improvement and innovation.
• Ensure equity, inclusion and cultural responsiveness are embedded across programme design, quality and future service development.
• Build strategic relationships across the health, community and government sectors while contributing as a member of the Executive Leadership Team.

About you | Mōu

To succeed in this role, you will be an experienced executive or senior leader with a strong background in programme development, service design, quality, health, community services or a related field.

You will be strategic and future-focused, while remaining pragmatic about the realities of frontline service delivery. You will be comfortable working across both strategy and implementation, ensuring programme ideas and frameworks translate into practical approaches that work for whānau and frontline teams.

You will bring the credibility, judgement and relationship capability to influence across complex organisational, health, government and community environments.

Key requirements

• Significant senior leadership experience in programme development, service design, quality, health, community services or a related field.
• Proven experience developing programme models, frameworks or services that respond to changing needs and improve outcomes.
• Strong understanding of Models of Care, quality systems, evaluation, assurance and continuous improvement.
• Experience developing programme frameworks, standards, service models or similar organisational approaches.
• Exceptional stakeholder engagement and influencing capability, including the ability to work across complex organisational and sector environments.
• A collaborative, values-led leadership style with a demonstrated commitment to equity, inclusion and culturally responsive practice.

Experience within health, child and family services, community services or the not-for-profit sector would be advantageous, as would experience working with Health New Zealand, government agencies, hospital partners, Pacific communities, iwi or Māori organisations.

Why this role? | He aha tēnei tūranga?

At Ronald McDonald House New Zealand, we're continually evolving how we support whānau, working alongside health and community partners to ensure families receive a connected, whānau-centred experience throughout their journey.

This role offers an opportunity for a senior leader who is passionate about improving outcomes for whānau and motivated by purpose, evidence and practical impact.

Your leadership will help connect whānau voice, evidence and frontline experience with the future design and continuous improvement of Ronald McDonald House New Zealand’s programmes and services across Aotearoa.

How to apply | Me pēhea te tono

Applications close on Friday 6 November 2026.

For a confidential kōrero or to request a copy of the position description, please contact Carl Church at Niche Recruitment:
E: carl.church@nicherecruitment.co.nz
M: 021 166 6441

Applicants must hold the right to work in New Zealand and be currently residing in New Zealand.
  

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