Commercial Procurement Lead

About Southern Cross Health Insurance

Southern Cross Health Insurance strives to promote a healthier New Zealand by enabling its members to enjoy longer, healthier lives. As a member-owned organisation, Southern Cross is dedicated to delivering excellent healthcare access, inspiring healthy lifestyles, driving positive health system changes, and fostering a thriving workplace culture with exceptional value for members.

Role Overview

This senior leadership role will lead the commercial procurement function at Southern Cross, managing supplier sourcing, partnerships, and contractual agreements to ensure long-term sustainable benefits for members. You will be responsible for guiding procurement strategies, strengthening governance frameworks, negotiating complex high-value contracts, and building a skilled, high-performing team that provides trusted commercial insights across the organisation.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead and nurture a high-achieving commercial procurement team, encouraging growth, accountability, and ongoing improvement.
• Direct complex commercial negotiations and supplier relationships, considering value, risk, service standards, and sustainable outcomes.
• Collaborate with organisational leaders to influence sourcing strategies and commercial agreements.
• Monitor top supplier and contract performance to ensure accountability and value realization.
• Deliver expert commercial guidance and uphold governance over procurement, contracting, and third-party partnerships.
• Enhance procurement policies, governance, and commercial rigor organisation-wide.
• Optimize spending on vendors and contingent workforce arrangements, driving measurable benefits from third-party relationships.
• Modernize procurement processes and systems by simplifying and introducing automation where beneficial.
• Ensure procurement decisions align with fairness to members and compliance with policies, standards, and regulations.

Candidate Requirements

• Proven leadership experience in managing successful commercial or procurement teams.
• Extensive expertise in commercial sourcing, procurement, supplier management, negotiation, and contract oversight.
• Ability to manage complex commercial decisions that balance financial, operational, customer, and strategic priorities.
• Strong grasp of contractual terms, liability issues, risk controls, and confident decision-making under pressure.
• Flexible approach involving both hands-on management of details and strategic procurement planning.
• Excellent stakeholder management and influencing skills to build trusted internal and external relationships.
• Demonstrated commercial courage and strategic thinking with emphasis on critical third-party partnerships.

Why Work With Us

Southern Cross is committed to ongoing investment in its people and technology to strengthen its foundations, even in uncertain markets. This role offers genuine influence to shape procurement practices and contribute meaningfully to organisational success. The company culture is inclusive, nurturing, and values wellbeing, offering excellent work-life balance and professional development. Recognized recently in reputation and trust rankings, Southern Cross supports its employees with benefits like wellbeing leave, health and life insurance for employees and families, extra parental benefits, financial wellness support, and opportunities for voluntary community engagement.

Additional Information

The position is located in Auckland, and candidates outside this area are not considered for remote work options. The organisation fosters diversity and actively supports inclusion initiatives across various cultural and identity groups.