Digital Health and Information Systems Advisor

Job description

Te Whāinga | Our Purpose is

Te Hono Tangata - Te Huringa Ora. 

Ka hono a Te Tūao Tāwāhi i ngā tūao pūkenga ki ngā whakahaere me ngā hapori i te Moana-nui-a-Kiwa me tua atu, hei tautoko i ngā wawata kua tautuhia ā-rohe, ā, kia tutuki ai te panoni toitū.

Connecting People – Transforming Lives. 

Volunteer Service Abroad connects skilled volunteers with organisations and communities in the Pacific and beyond to support locally identified aspirations and achieve sustainable change.  

Mō tēnei tūranga mahi | About the role

This is your opportunity to become a VSA Volunteer to share your experience, skills and knowledge to serve and build capacity in Papua New Guinea. Work alongside our local partner organisation to plan and create a brighter future for all.

We are looking for an experienced Digital Health and Information Systems Advisor or someone with the right level of transferrable skills, who understands and shares the spirit of volunteering, with a keen interest in building capability in the Pacific (while embracing a new cultural experience).

The length of this assignment in the Papua New Guinea will be 6 months.

VSA will support you by funding and organizing your flights, visas, insurances, accommodation, living allowance and utilities while you are on assignment.

Ngā tino Pūkenga/Wheako – Essential skills/experiences for the role

If you are interested in this opportunity, below are some of the key skills and experiences that we’re looking for.

• A relevant tertiary qualification in Information Technology, Health Informatics, Public Health, or a related field 
• Demonstrated experience working with digital tools (spreadsheets, databases, document systems) to improve workflows and data management 
• Experience in training, mentoring, or supporting staff to build practical digital skills 
• Strong problem-solving skills, including the ability to assess workflows and implement simple, practical system improvements 
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to work effectively with clinical and administrative staff
• Ability to work in resource-constrained or cross-cultural environments 

Important note

: Due to our VSA funding requirements, our volunteers must be a NZ citizen or NZ Permanent Resident to progress further in our recruitment process.

Our Partner Organisation – St Mary's Vunapope Kokopo District Hospital

The Assignment 

St Mary’s Hospital provides essential clinical services to a large and growing population, addressing a wide range of health needs including communicable diseases, maternal and child health, and an increasing burden of non-communicable diseases. As demand continues to rise, there is a growing

need to strengthen the efficiency, reliability, and coordination of systems that support clinical care.

The hospital has an existing foundation of digital capability, with access to computers, internet connectivity, and the routine use of email and office applications to support communication and administrative tasks. However, many core processes remain fragmented, inconsistently applied, or reliant on manual and paper-based systems. This creates challenges in patient record management, reporting, data consistency, communication, and inventory control, limiting the effectiveness of existing tools.

In partnership with VSA, St Mary’s Hospital is seeking a Digital Health and Information Systems Advisor to work alongside hospital staff to strengthen and optimise the use of existing digital tools and information systems. The advisor will focus on improving the structure, consistency, and reliability of workflows, while introducing targeted, low-cost solutions where gaps exist.

This will involve working closely with staff to standardise data collection and documentation processes, improve the use of tools such as spreadsheets and shared documents, and reduce duplication and inefficiencies in current workflows. The advisor will support the transition from informal or ad hoc use of digital tools – such as reliance on email for information storage and coordination – towards more structured, secure, and sustainable systems that better support clinical and operational needs.

A strong emphasis will be placed on practical, on-the-job support, mentoring, and skills transfer. The advisor will build staff capability in applied digital skills, including data management, system use, troubleshooting, and the effective use of digital tools to support patient registration, record keeping, reporting, and basic inventory tracking.

In addition, the advisor will support improvements in data management and communication within the hospital and with surrounding health centres and aid posts. This will include strengthening the use of existing communication tools, including email, to support more reliable reporting, coordination, and continuity of care, while ensuring that critical information is managed through appropriate systems rather than informal channels.

Through a focus on optimisation, standardisation, and sustainable capacity building, this assignment will contribute to more efficient systems, improved data quality, strengthened staff capability, and better support for clinical service delivery.

The Country – Papua New Guinea

Most people living in Papua New Guinea (PNG) are Melanesian, but some are Micronesian or Polynesian. PNG has over 800 known languages although there are three official languages: Tok Pisin, English, and Hiri Motu. Numerous indigenous languages are still used by people from a society that ranges from traditional village-based life to modern urban living.

Underlying the Papua New Guinean culture is the wantok system. Wantok, or ‘one talk’, refers to the people who speak your language or your extended family/clan; a Papua New Guinean’s primary loyalty will be to their wantok.

The country is predominately Christian, with indigenous faith and spirituality still important to many locals.

The people of Papua New Guinea are famously warm and hospitable and the isolated mountain ranges are often home to unique fauna and flora found nowhere else in the world.

Me pēhea te tuku tono | How to apply: Apply for this opportunity through our website.

For more information or if you have any questions on this assignment, email volunteer@vsa.org.nz.

To review the full assignment description please copy and paste the below link into your browser:

Due to our VSA funding requirements, our volunteers must be NZ citizend or hold permanent residency to progress further in our recruitment process.