Calling all Senior Medical Officers - take your career to new heights! New Zealand - Aotearoa offers a broad range of opportunities for Senior Medical Officers (SMOs), Medical Specialists, Consultants and Fellows in a range of environments.

Also known as: Senior Doctors, Specialists or Consultants.

Lead the way for our world-class medical teams

In New Zealand, there are 36 vocational scopes of practice for Senior Medical Officers.

There are a range of additional allowances for:

• on-call,
• call back,
• recruitment and retention,
• and special contribution.

Leave:

6 weeks of paid annual leave.

A minimum of 10 days of sick leave per year.

10 days of paid Continuing Medical Education Leave (CME), plus the ability to use annual leave tacked onto the end of your CME travel.

6-12 months of parental leave depending on the length of service, including 6 weeks of fully paid parental leave.

12 paid public holidays + time in lieu/alternative holiday if rostered on.

Long service leave + sabbatical opportunities.

Benefits & development opportunities

Additional benefits include:

• Reimbursement of registration and practising certificate fees.
• Professional indemnity insurance is covered by Health NZ.
• Paid continuing professional development allowance.
• Annual Continuing Medical Education (CME) allowance of NZD $16,000 (pro-rated for part-time employees).
• If eligible, up to a 6% matching superannuation contribution from Health New Zealand as your employer.

Leadership and career development opportunities:

Senior Medical Officers at Health New Zealand are actively involved in the design, implementation and performance of facilities and technology involved in the delivery of healthcare services to ensure an effective, efficient and safe workplace.

Opportunities can include:

• Support and encouragement for research and publications.
• Regional and National networks allow for subspeciality research and practice.
• Ongoing development and support for career growth with on-the-job coaching and a variety of in-house training programmes.

Required qualifications & registration

Professional registration requirements:

To work as a Senior Medical Officer, you must become registered to practice with the Medical Council of New Zealand and hold an Annual Practising Certificate.

The Medical Council of New Zealand have a self-assessment tool to help you easily determine which registration pathway you should take.

Are you eligible for Medical Council registration fast-track?

From November 1, 2024, overseas doctors with approved specialist qualifications from the UK, Ireland, and Australia can apply for fast-track registration with the Medical Council of New Zealand, under the scopes of General Practice, Psychiatry, Dermatology, Emergency Medicine, Anaesthesia, Internal Medicine and Pathology. Registration applications will be fast-tracked and processed within 20 working days, allowing specialised Senior Medical Officers to start working in New Zealand - Aotearoa much faster.

Our application process

Step 1: Submit

Step 2: Review

Our Candidate Management Team will review your application and check your suitability.

Step 3: Contact

You will be contacted by our Candidate Management Team to discuss career and location options.

Step 4: Referral

We will refer you to a Recruitment Team in your preferred location(s) for further assessment.

Step 5: Progress

Your chosen Recruitment Team(s) will be in touch with you to continue the recruitment process.

Our commitment to you

We are dedicated to building a team that is representative of the communities that we are serving. We are committed to supporting health equity in our communities. Our kaimahi (staff) thrives on the diversity and inclusion of all perspectives and cultures, and we welcome individuals from all backgrounds and lived experiences.

Health New Zealand has programmes and facilities available to both protect and improve our teams’ physical, mental and emotional health and wellbeing. We know that you do your best work when you’re feeling your best, so it’s important to us that this is a priority.

Looking to move to New Zealand to work as a Senior Medical Officer?

Great news! SMOs are on Tier 1 of New Zealand's Green List which means you are eligible for a fast-tracked Straight to Residence Visa. This means you and your family can apply for New Zealand residency before you arrive, provided you have a job offer from an accredited employer, like us!