Vacancies on Midwifery Council - Te Tatu o Te Whare Kahuat Ministry of Health -
The Ministry of Health
- Manatū Hauora (the Ministry) is seeking candidates who wish to be considered for appointment as health practitioner OR lay members of the Midwifery Council
- Te Tatu o Te Whare Kahu (the Council), a responsible authority under the Health Practitioners Competence Assurance Act 2003 (the HPCA Act).
- Kōrero mō te tūranga Being a member of the Council is rewarding and challenging.
The purpose of the Council is to protect the health and safety of members of the public by ensuring that health practitioners are fit and competent to practice.
You will be committed to improving the health of all New Zealanders, through contributing to the governance of the Council's legislative requirements.The functions of responsible authorities are set out under section 118 of the HPCA Act.
More information about the Council is available in the terms of reference and the Council's Website.
Appointments to the Council are made by the Minister of Health, Hon Simeon Brown, typically for terms of three years.
Members can be reappointed for up to nine consecutive years.
The Ministry recognises that diversity enables our boards and councils to be high-performing and is committed to ensuring they represent the diversity in New Zealand's population, including gender, ethnicity, disability, age, and geographic location.
The Ministry encourages people from all backgrounds, especially those who can reflect the needs, values, and beliefs of Māori, have an understanding of and are committed to meeting the obligations under the Treaty of Waitangi, to apply for these roles.
About you- Kōrero mōu For all applicants, governance and/or regulatory experience is a plus but not required.
It is beneficial if you have the ability to lead strategically, and to balance competing demands.
Preferred skills and attributes for health practitioner and lay member positions include: a genuine commitment to serving the publicstrong governance and regulatory experience, including compliance, accountability, and understanding of professional regulation, focusing on upholding the public interestknowledge of the Council's work and the current midwifery environment, experience in maternity or/and children's health would also be beneficialfamiliarity with relevant legislation and the ability to apply the Treaty of Waitangi principles within health, regulatory, and governance settings Health practitioner applicants must be a registered midwife and have a good understanding of the scope of practice, standards of competence, and the code of conduct.
Under section 5 of the HPCA Act, lay applicants cannot be qualified or registered as health practitioners.Lay members bring a distinctive contribution and diverse expertise adding value to Council deliberations and decision making that serves the community and the public.
Preferred laypeople candidates will: have strong governance experience, including experience in organisational strategy, workforce regulation, finance and risk oversight, employment and compliance mattersbe able to represent broad community, whānau, and consumer interests, ensuring the public voice is included in decisions of the Councilbe familiar with, and have an understanding of, current relevant legislation, and lived experience.
Please note that members of a responsible authority board cannot simultaneously be a member of the Health Practitioners Disciplinary Tribunal (the Tribunal) given the disciplinary function of the Tribunal over health practitioners.
How to apply- Me pēhea te tono Applications must be made using the Ministry of Health online Career Centre by close of business Monday, 16 February 2026 and include: a covering letter, anda current CV.
Due diligence checks will be undertaken for shortlisted applicants.
Your personal information will be handled in accordance with the Privacy Act 2020.The Ministry may also request that the New Zealand Security Intelligence Service conduct national security screening of you as part of the appointment process.
The appointment process can be lengthy, taking up to six months.
Your patience and professionalism as we work through the next steps is appreciated.
The outcome of the recruitment process for the Council will be confirmed after it has been considered by Cabinet's Appointments and Honours Committee.
Who we are- Ko wai mātou See the Ministry of Health Board appointments webpage for more information.
If you would like to obtain further information or clarification, or if your circumstances change or should you wish to withdraw your application, please contact the Statutory Appointments and Integrity Services team by emailing: appointments@health.govt.nz