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Specialists (SMO)

Calling all Senior Medical Officers - take your career to new heights! 

Aotearoa, New Zealand offers a broad range of opportunities for Senior Medical Officers (SMOs), Medical Specialists, Consultants and Fellows in a range of environments from fast-paced metropolitan centres to community-focused healthcare in urban, rural, and remote settings. 

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About the role - Senior Medical Officer

Senior Medical Officers (SMOs), often referred to as Specialists or Consultants.

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

Register now

Specialists

We’re looking for talented Senior Medical Officers, Medical Specialists, Consultants and Fellows across 36 vocational scopes of practice. 


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Scopes of practice

Get registered and work as a Specialist in Aotearoa, New Zealand!

  • Anaesthesia
  • Cardiothoracic surgery
  • Clinical genetics
  • Dermatology
  • Diagnostic and interventional radiology
  • Emergency medicine
  • Family planning and reproductive health
  • General practice
  • General surgery
  • Intensive care medicine
  • Internal medicine
  • Medical administration
  • Musculoskeletal medicine
  • Neurosurgery
  • Obstetrics and gynaecology
  • Occupational medicine
  • Ophthalmology
  • Oral and maxillofacial surgery
  • Orthopaedic surgery
  • Otolaryngology, head and neck surgery
  • Paediatric surgery
  • Paediatrics
  • Pain medicine
  • Palliative medicine
  • Pathology
  • Plastic and reconstructive surgery
  • Psychiatry
  • Public health medicine
  • Radiation oncology
  • Rehabilitation medicine
  • Rural hospital medicine
  • Sexual health medicine
  • Sport and exercise medicine
  • Urgent care medicine
  • Urology
  • Vascular surgery

 

Read more about the vocational types here.

We'd love to hear from you today! 

Check out some of our most in need specialist roles below, all are on the Straight to Residency visa pathway.

Explore Aotearoa

Whether you like the big city, the beach, the mountains, or all of the above - we have a broad range of places to call home.

Find out more information about what part of our beautiful country is the best fit for you.

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Te Tai Tokerau Northland

Population: 194,600
Northland is a beautiful and diverse region of Aotearoa, New Zealand with plenty to offer visitors. Whether you're interested in water sports, historic sites, natural beauty or ancient Kauri trees—Northland has it all!

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Waitematā

Population: 650,000
Waitematā is the largest and one of the most rapidly growing districts serving the largest population of all Te Whatu Ora - Health New Zealand's districts. Waitematā offers a balanced lifestyle that combines the convenience of city living with the natural beauty and community spirit of suburban life.

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Te Toka Tumai Auckland

Population: 500,000
Auckland the "City of Sails" is Aotearoa, New Zealand’s largest city and commercial hub. It’s where metropolitan sophistication meets breath taking natural beauty. Auckland is filled with a variety of warm and welcoming communities, packed with new places to explore.

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Counties Manukau

Population: 500,000
Te Whatu Ora - Counties Manukau serves as a major source of employment within the Counties Manukau area, with over 8,000 individuals being employed across the region.

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Hauora a Toi Bay of Plenty

Population: 255,110
The Bay of Plenty is a place of beautiful harbours, long surf beaches and an easy-going lifestyle. We showcase the perfect place to explore a wide range of nature-based pursuits – this gives the people of the Bay of Plenty the chance for a better work-life balance. 

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Waikato

Population: 425,000
The Waikato region is known for its natural beauty, rich Māori culture, and agricultural heritage with something to offer visitors of all interests.

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Tairāwhiti Gisborne

Population: 48,000
In family-friendly Tairāwhiti you will experience an easier pace to life that allows you to pause and reflect, and enjoy a true work life balance. Gisborne’s relative isolation is its charm, surrounded by beaches & nature - don't worry though! Larger cities are only a quick flight away.

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Lakes

Population: 110,000
The Lakes District is well known for its geothermal activity and natural hot springs. The area is located in the central North Island and is home to many geothermal attractions, such as geysers, hot mud pools, and steam vents. Visitors can also relax in the region's natural hot springs, which are believed to have healing properties. 

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Taranaki

Population: 130,000
Taranaki is a magical place with a majestic mountain at its heart, including the rugged coastline that's world-renowned for its surf. Its residents' love of art and culture, cafes and outdoor living mean it's also fantastic to work—and play!

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Te Matau a Māui Hawke's Bay

Population: 165,000
The Hawke's Bay region is home to many world-class wineries and vineyards, and is also famous for its beautiful landscapes, stunning beaches, and art deco architecture. Additionally, Hawke's Bay is a popular destination for food and wine tourism, outdoor activities such as hiking and cycling, and cultural events such as the annual Art Deco Weekend festival.

Whanganui

Population: 65,000
Whanganui has something for everyone. Our centrally located region offers access to outdoor activities such as kayaking, skiing, surfing, tramping, cycling, fishing and hunting. Nestled between two snow-capped mountains, on the banks of Whanganui River there is always plenty to do and explore.

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Capital, Coast and Hutt Valley

Population: 445,000
Wellington, the capital city of Aotearoa New Zealand, is a bustling and diverse hub of culture and cosmopolitanism, renowned for its lively cafés, restaurants, and internationally acclaimed sporting and cultural events, all set against the stunning backdrop of a natural harbour. To the north of Wellington lie the regions of Porirua, Kapiti, and Hutt Valley.

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Te Pae Hauora o Ruahine o Tararua MidCentral

Population: 190,000
Get the best of both worlds - the perfect blend of rural and city living with the mountains, city and sea at your fingertips. 

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Wairarapa

Population: 48,000
Located in Masterton in the Wellington Region, Te Whatu Ora Wairarapa is one of the smaller hospitals in the country with 89 inpatient beds providing comprehensive health services throughout the Wairarapa District.

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Nelson Marlborough

Population: 150,000
Nelson Marlborough has been dubbed the artistic capital with a thriving urban centre and one of New Zealand's sunniest regions.

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Te Tai o Poutini West Coast

Population: 32,000
Te Tai o Poutini/West Coast has views of both the mountain ranges and the ocean! It is an untamed natural wilderness of beautiful rivers and rainforests, glaciers and geological treasures.  

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Waitaha Canterbury

Population: 600,000
The Canterbury region is a great place to live and work due to its natural beauty, vibrant economy, cultural diversity, strong community, and high quality of life.

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South Canterbury

Population: 62,000
The South Canterbury district is an area of stunning beauty with great lifestyle opportunities, a safe and welcoming family-friendly environment, affordable living, excellent educational opportunities and a wide range of cultural and sporting facilities.

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Southern

Population: 350,000
Well known for its beautiful natural scenery, which includes towering mountains, stunning fjords, majestic glaciers, and crystal-clear lakes. The region is also famous for its friendly communities, charming towns, and vibrant cities such as Dunedin and Invercargill. 

SMO internationally qualified

Registration pathways

The Medical Council of New Zealand has three scopes of registration: Vocational, General and Special Purpose.

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Getting registered

To practise medicine in Aotearoa New Zealand you must be registered and have a practising certificate.

Benefits and salary range

  • Senior Medical Officers usually earn between $165,000 and $245,000 a year
  • Most of our workforce receive a minimum of six (6) weeks annual leave and the salary is based on working 40 hours a week
  • Other benefits include:
     
    • Maternity leave for one year with six weeks full pay
    • Long Service Leave
    • Onerous Duties Leave
    • Ongoing Professional Development and Education
    • Research and Publications

Required qualifications and experience

To work in Aotearoa, New Zealand you will require an appropriate registration.

SMOs will need to complete a vocational training programme, after which the Medical Council of New Zealand (Medical Council) may register them to practise within a defined scope of practice in a particular branch of medicine.

You will also need to have a current Annual Practising Certificate

Other helpful links
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Our Application Process

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Step 1: Application

Complete & submit your application form for review

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Step 2: Review

Your application is reviewed by Kiwi Health Jobs

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Step 3: Referral

Your profile is referred to your chosen District & employers

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Step 4: Contact

You will be contacted by District recruitment teams

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Step 5: Handover

Application moves through employers' hiring processes

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How Kiwi Health Jobs works for you!

When you submit an application, you will be redirected to Kiwi Health Jobs, our centralised recruitment portal. The Kiwi Health Jobs team are here to simplify the recruitment process by providing guidance, answering queries and connecting you to the right people in the Districts that you are most interested to work in.

Kiwi Health Jobs also advertises a wide range of vacancies across Health Sector, that includes vacancies at public, not-for-profit and private employers. 

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Connecting you to locations across NZ that match your lifestyle

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A choice of relocation packages to help you with the move

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Recruitment expertise to assess your career aspirations

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Our Candidate Kaitiaki (guides) ensure the best outcomes for you

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Settlement support when you arrive at your new home in New Zealand

"The opportunities we've had in our careers have surpassed our expectations."

Wendy, an ICU educator at Dunedin Hospital talks about her move from Liverpool in the UK to Dunedin, New Zealand and the positive effect it has had on her career and family.

"You can ski and surf on the same day!"

Brad is a Consultant Emergency Physician who moved from Kansas, USA to Taranaki. Find out what made him fall in love with Aotearoa New Zealand.

Join our webinars

Te Whatu Ora’s Health Immigration Service, Kiwi Health Jobs, Immigration NZ and the Medical Council of New Zealand have run joint webinars to take you through the different steps towards starting a new adventure in Aotearoa, New Zealand.

Learn more about moving to our beautiful country, directly from the people who process your applications.

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Register your interest

If you're a Senior Medical Officer looking to continue your career and a fresh start, why not make the move to Aotearoa New Zealand? Send us a message below if you have any questions about any stage of the process.