Intelligence Operationalisation & Adoption Specialist

Southern Cross is guided by purpose, powered by people and technology. We exist to help our members live well for longer. 

We serve almost one million members across Aotearoa New Zealand - which means the work we do carries real scale, real responsibility, and a genuine opportunity to improve health outcomes for our nation. 

As we grow to be about assurance as well as insurance - a more proactive partner in our members' health - we're building a new Data & AI function from the ground up. This role sits inside a small flying squad that moves across the organisation and scopes, builds and delivers that change end to end, with your focus on the scoping, embedding and adoption side of it. 

This is a role for someone who wants to be involved in AI and automation work end to end - helping scope it up front, embedding it into how teams work day-to-day, and making sure it keeps delivering value long after the initial build is finished. 

About the role 

Most AI initiatives stall somewhere between a promising demo and something the business actually uses. This role is involved across that whole journey - running discovery sessions to understand existing processes and ways of working, scoping the change together with the rest of the flying squad, embedding the solution into how people work day-to-day, and tracking whether it's delivering the value it was meant to. 

This isn't an engineering role, but you'll need enough technical fluency to work side by side with the Intelligence & Automation Engineer at pace, rather than one after the other - so you can follow what they're building, shape how it fits into operational workflows, and coach teams through using it well. 

You’ll need to be as comfortable in early ambiguity as you are tracking adoption and value months down the track. 

What you'll do 

• Work with the Intelligence Adoption Lead, Intelligence & Automation Engineer and business stakeholders from early scoping through to rollout, translating solutions into operational workflows 

• Run discovery sessions to understand existing processes, workflows and ways of working 

• Map current-state and future-state processes to find friction, duplication and inefficiency 

• Facilitate workshops to redesign workflows around new intelligent capability and automation 

• Coach teams through new ways of working, including AI- and analytics-supported decision-making 

• Identify and remove the organisational, behavioural or process blockers standing in the way of adoption 

• Lead change planning, communication and rollout of new operating models 

• Track adoption and operational performance so solutions keep delivering the value they were built for 

• Partner with leaders to define ownership, accountability and sustainability once a solution goes live 

What you'll bring 

Execution and follow-through matter here as much as analysis. We're looking for someone who can take a solution that's technically done and make sure it's actually used. 

• Strong capability in workflow and operational redesign, with a focus on simplification and impact 

• An eye for how process, people and technology actually interact once something's live, not just on paper 

• Experience in organisational change, adoption and embedding new ways of working 

• Excellent communication and stakeholder engagement across technical and non-technical audiences 

• A practical, execution-focused mindset - you care whether a solution actually works in production, not just whether it was designed well 

• Ability to translate technical or analytical solutions into practical operational execution 

• Facilitation and coaching skills to guide teams through change and capability uplift 

• Strong operational analysis skills, so you can spot inefficiencies and improvement opportunities 

Why join us 

We're investing - in people, in technology, and in the mission. At a time when the market is hesitant, we're continuing to invest in strengthening our foundations and building our capabilities. You'll work closely with the Intelligence Adoption Lead, the Intelligence & Automation Engineer, and business leaders, with real ownership over how adoption plays out day to day. 

We're building something worth joining. Our teams are growing, our employer brand is gaining real traction in market, and the way we show up for our members and each other is being noticed. This momentum has also been reflected externally - in 2026, Southern Cross placed 8th in the Kantar Corporate Reputation Index and 5th in New Zealand for Trust. 

Who we are 

Ngākau nui. Āhurutanga. Tikanga. 

Join a proud, diverse team that's always there, always real, always true. If you thrive in a caring, honest and open culture, we think you'll love working with us. 

We know our team's culture and wellbeing drive us forward. That's why we prioritise not only professional development but opportunities to thrive personally. We offer exceptional work/life balance, and our people are encouraged — and rewarded — for living well. 

Southern Cross employee benefits include: 

• Five days of wellbeing leave per year 

• Health insurance for you and your immediate whānau 

• Life insurance cover and discounts on pet and travel insurance 

• Extra parental leave benefits and financial wellbeing support 

• Participation in our workplace wellbeing programme 

• The option to purchase flexi leave for study, volunteering, or supporting your whānau 

• An annual volunteer day to contribute to a cause with your team 

This role is Auckland based. While we appreciate interest from candidates in other locations, we're not able to consider remote options at this stage. If this sounds like the kind of work you want to help shape, we'd love to hear from you.

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