Product Innovation Manager

To tatou tikanga | Our Culture

Our kaimahi (employees) are passionate people, each driven to contribute to better health outcomes, with a focus on people experiencing inequity. We are focused on hiring kaimahi who live and work in the communities they serve. Whakarongorau Aotearoa (Whakarongorau) is committed to understanding and improving mana taurite (equal status) starts with the understanding of self and how we, as health professionals, think and behave each minute of each day to serve the health needs for Aotearoa. We are committed to ensuring our workforce reflects the community we support.

Ko wai mātou | About us

Whakarongorau, a social enterprise, is a virtual health and social services organisation with a proven record of connecting people seamlessly with care when they need it. Whakarongorau aims to be there when face to face health and social services cannot, providing consistent, clinically supported access to services for those in need or when people are unable to access other options due to location, time of day, financial or cultural barriers.

Mō tēnei tūranga | About the role

We're looking for a Product Innovation Manager to lead the development of new products and services that create value for our communities, strengthen our organisation, and support sustainable growth.

Reporting to the Chief Commercial Officer, you'll establish and lead a structured product innovation and commercialisation capability, taking ideas from concept through to pilot, launch, and scale. Working closely with teams across Clinical, Operations, Technology, Data & Insights, and Commercial, you'll identify new opportunities, develop customer-led solutions, and ensure they are evidence-based, operationally viable, and commercially sustainable.

This is a unique opportunity for someone who enjoys combining strategic thinking with hands-on delivery, balancing innovation, customer insight, and commercial outcomes to bring meaningful new services to life.

Ngā haepapa matua | Key responsibilities

• Lead the development of new products and services from concept through to pilot, launch, and scale.
• Build and manage a pipeline of innovation opportunities aligned with organisational and commercial priorities.
• Develop business cases, commercial models, pricing strategies, and recommendations to support investment decisions.
• Partner with customers, stakeholders, and internal teams to design solutions that are evidence-based, customer-led, and commercially viable.
• Deliver pilot programmes and validate product concepts through testing, market feedback, and performance insights.
• Build strong relationships with partners and stakeholders to support commercialisation and growth opportunities.
• Monitor product performance, identify opportunities for improvement, and drive continuous innovation.
• Ensure new products and services are operationally sustainable, scalable, and aligned with Whakarongorau's commitment to equity and Te Tiriti o Waitangi.

Ngā hua mōu | What's in it for you

• Enjoy a hybrid working environment with regular work-from-home days each week
• Be part of a collaborative team working towards better health outcomes for all of Aotearoa
• Benefit from birthday leave and additional leave
• Wellbeing support including EAP and a half-day off every month
• Access exclusive discounts with Boost and Samsung

Mōu ake | About you

Ōu wheako ōu mātauranga hoki | Qualifications and Experience

• Proven experience in product management, innovation, commercial, or strategy roles
• Demonstrated experience taking products or services from concept through to market
• Strong commercial capability including pricing, financial modelling, and business case development
• Experience working in complex, multi-stakeholder environments
• Experience within health, digital health, or social services sectors is desirable
• Desirable: Bachelor’s degree in Business, Health or a related field

Ōu āheitanga ōu pūkenga hoki | Skills and Competence

• Commercially astute, with the ability to understand drivers of value and scalability
• Strong analytical capability with an evidence-based approach to decision making
• Ability to translate strategy into actionable product initiatives
• Strong stakeholder engagement and relationship management capability
• Ability to operate effectively in ambiguous and evolving environments
• Collaborative leader with cross-functional delivery capability
• Ability to balance innovation, delivery discipline, and commercial outcomes
• A commitment to tikanga and culturally safe practice
• A commitment to the diverse cultures of our service users and the needs of populations experiencing in equity in Aotearoa
• A strong awareness, understanding and application of Te Tiriti O Waitangi

Ō mātou uara | Our values

E kimi ana mātou i ētahi tangata e kaha whakanui i ēnei uara - We are looking for people who align naturally with these values and will champion them

• Mahia te mea tika / Do the right thing
• Hihiri e te kounga / Motivated by quality
• Ngākau nui ki te pai ake / Passion for better
• Pokohiwi ki Pokohiwi / Shoulder to shoulder