Build your ICU experience in one of New Zealand’s leading teaching hospitals – with lifestyle to match.
Head Medical is seeking motivated Doctors with a minimum of 12 months’ clinical experience post-foundation training, including exposure to Anaesthetics and/or ICU, to join the Critical Care Unit at Waikato Hospital in Hamilton.
This is an excellent opportunity to gain hands-on ICU experience in a high-acuity, well-supported environment, while enjoying city living with easy access to beaches, lakes, mountains, and ski fields.
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Tertiary referral centre and large teaching hospital (600+ beds)
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High-acuity ICU experience with structured teaching and supervision
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12-month contract with April or July/August start dates
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Salary $106,672 – $121,920 NZD (depending on experience)
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Live in a vibrant city just 90 minutes south of Auckland
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May and August 2026 commencement - minimum 12 month contract
The Role
Waikato Hospital is one of New Zealand’s largest teaching hospitals, providing secondary services to a population of 200,000 and tertiary services to over 700,000 people across the Waikato and wider Te Manawa Taki region.
The Critical Care Unit manages a wide range of complex cases including major trauma, neurosurgical, cardiac, and general adult ICU patients. The unit comprises 16 ICU and 12 HDU beds and offers a supportive, multidisciplinary environment with:
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Consultant-led teaching and supervision
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Bedside training and structured education
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Echocardiography training opportunities
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Exposure to inter-hospital retrievals via helicopter, plane, and road
This role is ideal for doctors looking to consolidate and develop their critical care skills in a busy, well-resourced unit.
The Location
Located on the banks of the Waikato River, Hamilton is New Zealand’s fourth-largest city and continues to grow thanks to its affordability, central location, and excellent quality of life.
From Hamilton, you’ll enjoy easy access to:
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Auckland – just 90 minutes north
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Tauranga & Mount Maunganui – just over an hour away
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Surf beaches such as Raglan, Waihi Beach, and the Coromandel Peninsula
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Rotorua’s lakes and geothermal attractions
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Ski fields at Whakapapa and Tūroa during winter
Hamilton itself offers great cafés and restaurants, arts and culture, major sporting events, and a relaxed, family-friendly lifestyle.
What Head Medical can do for you
Arranging a position overseas is very exciting, but we understand that it can also be daunting and time consuming. We’re the UK’s specialist in international medical recruitment and we’ve helped many Doctors relocate since we first started out in 2008 (you can read what people have said about working with us on our testimonials page). We know it’s important to balance career opportunities with lifestyle and we’ll talk through your plans and will get to know you to make sure we find the right role in the right location. Once we have secured a job for you, we’ll manage the Medical Registration and Visa application process, and support you (and your family) with the relocation itself