New Zealand is currently operating under a traffic light system - the country is operating under the red setting. New Zealand’s borders are closed to almost all travellers. Citizens, permanent residents, and some visa holders are allowed to return but depending on where they arrive from, must quarantine for ten days on arrival. Two-way quarantine-free flights (also known as green flights) between New Zealand and Australia are suspended. Travel within New Zealand is easy. You can travel between areas freely, provided you have a valid vaccine passport. Use of the Covid-19 scanner app or singing in at businesses is mandatory. Face masks are mandatory on public transport and must be worn when visiting essential services. They are encouraged at other times outside of your home. If you’re an international doctor considering work in New Zealand, you can still apply. Moving here takes six months to one year, so it’s best to plan ahead. See our International page for more information.

1 Surgery jobs found

SMO/MOSSSurgery jobs in New Zealand

Q: Where is the work in New Zealand?

There are roles available right across New Zealand. Many (though certainly not all) locum roles are in rural locations and lots of doctors we work with love using this as an opportunity to explore new places. Where the work is also depends on the type of work you’d like to do and what your specialty and experience is. You can search for current roles on our job search page.

Q: What paperwork will I need to apply for roles?

Your registration number, a current CV and three references are the essentials of any job application. Other paperwork that's commonly required is: Evidence of vaccinations, Evidence of your degree/fellowship, Annual Practicing Certificates, Indemnity, A certified copy of your passport and/or driver’s licence, Police vetting form. What you'll need can vary slightly between Australian states and New Zealand. Some states/locations also require you to complete an online training course (eMedical Courses). We're here to help guide you through the requirements, and we'll give you a checklist detailing everything you need.

Q: What is an SMO in Australia?

A Senior Resident Medical Officer (SRMO or SMO) is a Senior Medical Officer in their fifth or sixth post-graduate year ( PGY - 3/4) of clinical training.

Q: How much does an SMO earn in Australia?

A Senior Resident Medical Officer (SRMO or SMO) has a salary range of $150,000 - $300,000 in Australia. As a locum doctor they can earn $2000 –$3900 per day

Explore SMO/MOSS opportunities in New Zealand at leading hospitals. Stay updated daily on locum, and permanent positions to enhance your career.

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1 SMO/MOSS job found

Permanent

SMO/MOSS - Surgery

Nelson, South Island NZ

Available from 15 Feb 2027

Posted a month ago

Permanent General Surgeon with Upper GI & Colonoscopy Capability 0.8FTE (64 hours a fortnight) Be part of something special: supportive colleagues in one of Aotearoa New Zealand's most sought-after regions.

About the Role As a key member of our General Surgery team, you will play an essential role in delivering high-quality care.

Working in a collaborative and well-respected team, you will contribute to both planned care and acute services, ensuring safe and effective patient outcomes.

$180,000 ~ $280,000Base salary

Similar results to SMO/MOSS - Surgery:

Locum

Specialist Consultant - Surgery

Whanganui, North Island NZ

05 Oct 2026 ~ 12 Oct 2026

Posted a month ago

Locum cover is required from 5 - 12 October 2026.

Benefits: Travel and accommodation is included.

$2,000 per dayBase salary

Locum

Specialist Consultant - Surgery

Whanganui, North Island NZ

14 Sep 2026 ~ 30 Sep 2026

Posted 2 months ago

Locum cover is required ASAP - September 2027.

Benefits: Travel and accommodation provided.

$2,000 per dayBase salary

Locum

Registrar - Surgery

Tauranga, North Island NZ

14 Sep 2026 ~ 31 Jan 2027

Posted 8 months ago

Locum cover is required ASAP - 31 January 2027.

Position Details: Shift times: Day cover (duty / clinic / theatre) + on calls Benefits: Travel and accommodation provided.

$90 per hourBase salary

Locum

Registrar - Surgery

Christchurch, South Island NZ

14 Sep 2026 ~ 18 Oct 2026

Posted 3 days ago

Locum cover is required from 14 September - 18 October 2026.

Benefits: Travel and accommodation is included.

$90 per hourBase salary

Locum

Specialist Consultant - Surgery

Tauranga, North Island NZ

NOW ~ 31 Dec 2026

Posted 8 months ago

Locum cover is required ASAP - ongoing.

Position Details: Any locum availability considered.

Benefits: Travel and accommodation provided.

$2,000 per dayBase salary

Locum

Specialist Consultant - Surgery

Invercargill, South Island NZ

14 Sep 2026 ~ 14 Dec 2026

Posted 4 days ago

Locum cover is required ASAP.

Position Details: Covering clinic and theatres (no call requirements).

Benefits: Travel and accommodation provided.

$2,000 per dayBase salary

Locum

Specialist Consultant - Surgery

Invercargill, South Island NZ

14 Sep 2026 ~ 14 Dec 2026

Posted 4 days ago

Locum cover is required ASAP - ongoing.

Position Details: Any dates or periods of work considered.

Benefits: Travel and accommodation provided.

$2,000 per dayBase salary

Locum

Specialist Consultant - Surgery

Invercargill, South Island NZ

29 Sep 2026 ~ 01 Oct 2026

Posted 5 months ago

Locum cover is required from 0800 Tuesday 29 September – 0800 Friday 01 October 2026.

Benefits: Travel and accommodation is included.

$2,000 per dayBase salary

Locum

Specialist Consultant - Surgery

Invercargill, South Island NZ

14 Sep 2026 ~ 14 Dec 2026

Posted 4 days ago

Locum cover is required ASAP - ongoing.

Position Details: Any dates or periods of work considered.

Benefits: Travel and accommodation provided.

$2,000 per dayBase salary

Locum

Specialist Consultant - Surgery

Nelson, South Island NZ

25 Sep 2026 ~ 27 Sep 2026

Posted 4 days ago

Locum cover is required from 25 - 27 September 2026.

Benefits: Travel and accommodation is included.

$2,000 per dayBase salary

Locum

Registrar - Surgery

Tauranga, North Island NZ

NOW ~ 31 Jan 2027

Posted 2 months ago

Locum cover is required from 09 September 2026 - 31 January 2027.

Position Details: Ideally permanent staff, but will look at all options.

Benefits: Travel and accommodation provided.

$90 per hourBase salary

Locum

Specialist Consultant - Surgery

Camberley, Hastings, North Island NZ

NOW ~ 30 Nov 2026

Posted 5 months ago

Locum cover is required ASAP - November 2026.

Benefits: Travel and accommodation is included.

$2,000 per dayBase salary

Locum

Specialist Consultant - Surgery

Timaru, South Island NZ

28 Sep 2026 ~ 29 Sep 2026

Posted 5 months ago

Locum cover is required from 28 - 29 September 2026.

Benefits: Travel and accommodation provided.

$2,000 per dayBase salary

Locum

Resident Medical Officer - Surgery

Tauranga, North Island NZ

NOW ~ 13 Oct 2026

Posted 3 months ago

Locum cover is required for: ASAP - 20 September 2026 8 October 2026 - ongoing Position Details: Surgery ENT Senior House Officer Benefits: Travel and accommodation is included.

$75 per hourBase salary

Locum

Specialist Consultant - Surgery

Gisborne, North Island NZ

NOW ~ 31 Dec 2026

Posted 11 days ago

Locum cover is required ASAP - ongoing.

Position Details: To provide additional ENT specialist capacity to address a significant backlog of overdue outpatient follow-up patients.

Benefits: Travel and accommodation provided.

$2,000 per dayBase salary

Locum

Registrar - Surgery

Hamilton, North Island NZ

12 Oct 2026 ~ 23 Oct 2026

Posted 11 days ago

Locum cover is required from 12 - 23 October 2026.

Benefits: Travel and accommodation is included.

$90 per hourBase salary

Permanent

Specialist Consultant - Surgery

Palmerston North, North Island NZ

Available from 08 Feb 2027

Posted 11 days ago

About the Role This position is based at a 350 bed hospital in the Lower North Island of New Zealand.The Hospital is a secondary hospital and offers most medical and surgical specialities with the exception of Cardiothoracic, Plastic and Neurosurgery.

The hospital serves a local population of 186,000 but is the base for a regional head and neck oncology service which has responsibility for a population of 550,000.

The collegial relationships between departments are strong and consultation with other specialists is easy, either formally with multidisciplinary meetings or informally as required.

$180,000 ~ $280,000Base salary

Permanent

Registrar - Surgery

Rotorua, North Island NZ

Available from 07 Dec 2026

Posted 11 days ago

About the Role Join our clients Orthopaedic Department, as a training or non-training registrar.

The employee will provide in-patient, day patient and out-patient care for Orthopaedic patients assigned to them and as directed by the consultants involved.

Enjoy the benefits of working in a smaller hospital, experience general and acute medicine, with a supportive team of consultants, house officers, medical students and nursing staff.

$90,000 ~ $140,000Base salary

Locum

Specialist Consultant - Surgery

Tauranga, North Island NZ

02 Nov 2026 ~ 26 Nov 2026

Posted 12 days ago

Locum cover is required from 2 - 26 November 2026.

Benefits: Travel and accommodation is included.

$1,500 per dayBase salary

Locum

SMO/MOSS - Rural Hospital Medicine

Balclutha, South Island NZ

NOW ~ 24 Nov 2026

Posted a month ago

Locum cover is required for: 11 - 13 August 2026 19 - 21 August 2026 24 August 2026 Position Details: Rural MOSS Benefits: Travel and accommodation provided.

$180 per hourBase salary

Locum

Specialist Consultant - Medicine

Masterton, North Island NZ

12 Oct 2026 ~ 11 Jan 2027

Posted a month ago

Locum cover is required for: 12 - 16 October 2026 27 - 30 October 2026 2 - 6 November 2026 8 November 2026 | on call 0800 - 0800 Monday and post take to 1200 9 - 13 November 2026 16 - 22 November 2026 | Friday and Saturday on call and post take to 1200 on Sunday.

22 November 2026 | on call 0800 - 0800 Monday and post take to 1200 23 - 27 November 2026 21 December 2026 - 11 January 2027 Position Details: Masterton would prefer consistency so Monday to Friday 0800-1700 with one 24hr on call each week, and the possibility of picking up a weekend from time to time but not a requirement.

If you are available for only a day or two each week they are still happy to consider this.

$1,500 per dayBase salary

Locum

Registrar - Anaesthetics

Invercargill, South Island NZ

NOW ~ 18 Dec 2026

Posted 24 days ago

Locum cover is required for: 11 - 14 September 2026 | 2000 - 2230 onsite + 2230 - 0800 on call 17 September 2026 | 0800 - 2000 9 - 12 October 2026 | 2000 - 2230 onsite + 2230 - 0800 on call 20 October 2026 | 1700 - 2000 onsite + 2000 - 0800 on call 21 - 22 October 2026 | 2000 - 0800 on call 31 October - 1 November 2026 | 0800 - 2000 3 - 5 November 2026 | 2000 - 2230 onsite + 2230 - 0800 on call 23 November 2026 | 0800 - 1700 24 - 25 November 2026 | 0800 - 1700 and 0800 - 2000 15 - 17 December 2026 | 2000 - 2230 onsite + 2230 - 0800 on call Benefits: Travel and accommodation is included.

$90 per hourBase salary

Locum

Specialist Consultant - Paediatrics

Masterton, North Island NZ

19 Oct 2026 ~ 27 Nov 2026

Posted 2 days ago

Locum cover is required for: 19 - 23 October 2026 9 - 13 November 2026 16 - 27 November 2026 Position Details: 1 or 2 24hr on call days/nights Benefits: Travel and accommodation is included.

$1,500 per dayBase salary

Locum

Specialist Consultant - Rural Hospital Medicine

Taumarunui, North Island NZ

05 Oct 2026 ~ 05 Oct 2026

Posted 2 days ago

Locum cover is required for 5 October 2026.

Position Details: Shift times: 0800 - 2000

$344 per hourBase salary

Locum

Specialist Consultant - Rural Hospital Medicine

Tokoroa, North Island NZ

14 Sep 2026 ~ 20 Oct 2026

Posted 2 days ago

Locum cover is required for: 14 September 2026 | 1400 - 2230 19 September 2026 | 1200 - 2230 3 October 2026 | 2200 - 0830 4 October 2026 | 1200 - 2230 7 - 8 October 2026 | 1400 - 2230 9 October 2026 | 0800 - 1800 10 - 11 October 2026 | 1200 - 2230 19 - 20 October 2026 | 0800 - 1800 Position Details: Rates as below: Rate til 30 Sept $375 p/h for all hours Daytime rate 0800-1900 Monday to Friday - $343.75 per hour Night (1900-0800), weekend, and Public Holiday rate - $375 per hour

$344 per hourBase salary

Locum

Specialist Consultant - Radiology

Dunedin, South Island NZ

05 Oct 2026 ~ 16 Oct 2026

Posted 2 days ago

Locum cover is required for the weeks of 5 and 12 October 2026.

Position Details: IR Radiologist Benefits: Travel and accommodation provided.

$1,800 per dayBase salary

Locum

Registrar - Paediatrics

Tauranga, North Island NZ

14 Sep 2026 ~ 31 Jan 2027

Posted a month ago

Locum cover is required ASAP - 31 January 2027.

Benefits: Travel and accommodation is included.

$90 per hourBase salary

Locum

Resident Medical Officer - Emergency Medicine (ED)

Tauranga, North Island NZ

14 Sep 2026 ~ 31 Dec 2026

Posted a month ago

Locum cover is required ASAP - ongoing.

Position Details: Senior House Officer or Registrars Benefits: Travel and accommodation is included.

$75 per hourBase salary

Locum

Specialist Consultant - Paediatrics

Tauranga, North Island NZ

14 Sep 2026 ~ 31 Dec 2026

Posted 3 months ago

Locum cover is required ASAP - ongoing.

Benefits: Travel and accommodation is included.

$1,500 per dayBase salary

Permanent

Registrar - Medicine

Tauranga, North Island NZ

Available from 14 Sep 2026

Posted 6 months ago

Our client is advertising an opportunity for a General Medicine Registrar to permanently join their team at a public hospital in North Island of New Zealand.

The ideal start date for this position is ASAP.

Position Details: Ideally PGY4 or above.

Available on applicationBase salary

Locum

Specialist Consultant - Rural Hospital Medicine

Hawera, South Island NZ

01 Dec 2026 ~ 28 Feb 2027

Posted 3 days ago

Locum cover is required from December 2026 - ongoing.

Position Details: Start date and cover period are flexible.

ED-specific role with a rural focus Permanent night shifts would be preferred, but open to a rotating roster.

$260 per hourBase salary

Locum

Specialist Consultant - Rural Hospital Medicine

Thames, North Island NZ

NOW ~ 20 Nov 2026

Posted 3 days ago

Locum cover is required for: 11 - 12 September 2026 22 September 2026 26 - 27 September 2026 29 - 30 September 2026 3 - 5 October 2026 9 - 10 October 2026 19 - 20 October 2026 23 October 2026 25 - 27 October 2026 4 - 5 November 2026 20 November 2026 Position Details: Shift times: A mix of days, afternoons, evenings, and nights ED Shifts Benefits: Travel and accommodation provided.

$260 per hourBase salary

Locum

Specialist Consultant - Rural Hospital Medicine

Oamaru, South Island NZ

NOW ~ 02 Nov 2026

Posted 2 months ago

Locum cover is required for: 13 September 2026 21 - 28 September 2026 5 - 6 October 2026 9 - 14 October 2026 17 - 18 October 2026 21 October 2026 30 October - 1 November 2026 Position Details: Shift times: A mix of days, nights, and on-call ED shifts Benefits: Travel and accommodation provided.

$260 per hourBase salary

Locum

Specialist Consultant - Radiology

Tauranga, North Island NZ

NOW ~ 31 Dec 2026

Posted 8 months ago

Locum cover is required ASAP - ongoing.

Position Details: Any availability considered.

Benefits: Travel and accommodation provided.

$1,800 per dayBase salary

Locum

Specialist Consultant - Medicine

Timaru, South Island NZ

18 Sep 2026 ~ 31 Oct 2026

Posted 2 months ago

Locum cover is required for: 18 - 20 September 2026 25 - 26 September 2026 29 September - 4 October 2026 12 - 16 October 2026 19 - 31 October 2026 Position Details: Shift times: A mix of 0800 - 1600 and 0800 - 0800 on call on some shifts.

Benefits: Travel and accommodation is included.

$2,000 per dayBase salary

Locum

Specialist Consultant - Emergency Medicine (ED)

Timaru, South Island NZ

NOW ~ 06 Nov 2026

Posted 25 days ago

Locum cover is required for: 11 September 2026 18 September 2026 21 - 23 September 2026 25 September 2026 29 September 2026 2 October 2026 5 October 2026 8 - 9 October 2026 30 October 2026 4 November 2026 6 November 2026 Position Details: Shift times: A mix of 0800 - 1630 and 1500 - 2330 ED SMO / Consultant Benefits: Travel and accommodation provided.

$200 per hourBase salary

Locum

Specialist Consultant - Paediatrics

Invercargill, South Island NZ

21 Sep 2026 ~ 27 Dec 2026

Posted 4 days ago

Locum cover is required for: 21 - 25 September 2026 28 - 30 September 2026 19 October - 18 November 2026 27 - 29 November 2026 26 - 27 December 2026 Position Details: Shift times: A mix of 0800 - 1600, 1500 - 2300, 0800 - 2030, and 2230 - 0830 Benefits: Travel and accommodation provided.

$1,500 per dayBase salary

Locum

Specialist Consultant - Ophthalmology

Invercargill, South Island NZ

14 Sep 2026 ~ 14 Dec 2026

Posted 4 days ago

Locum cover is required ASAP - ongoing.

Position Details: Any dates or periods of work considered.

Benefits: Travel and accommodation provided.

$2,000 per dayBase salary

Locum

Specialist Consultant - Psychiatry

Invercargill, South Island NZ

11 Jan 2027 ~ 11 Apr 2027

Posted 4 days ago

Locum cover is required from 11 January 2027 - ongoing.

Position Details: Inpatient cover – From 11 January 2027 ongoing until further notice Community / Duty cover – TBD Benefits: Travel and accommodation provided.

$1,500 per dayBase salary

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Surgery SMO/MOSS doctors we've placed across New Zealand — from first locum shift to permanent post.

★★★★★

“Hassle free sign up, excellent recruitment agents, good range of regular work available.”

Charitha Siriwardena

Registrar, Surgery

★★★★★

“Communication by email leading up to the placement was brilliant. Everything was transparent and it was very clear what was expected on each step along the way. ”

Ryan Cha

Registrar, Surgery

★★★★★

“"It’s been a real rejuvenating change moving here, and a fantastic adventure so far.””

Dr Esther O'Sullivan

Moved from Ireland to Rotorua, NZ

★★★★★

“Hassle free sign up, excellent recruitment agents, good range of regular work available.”

Charitha Siriwardena

Registrar, Surgery

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Frequently asked questions about SMO/MOSS Surgery jobs in New Zealand

Common questions from doctors searching for SMO/MOSS Surgery roles in New Zealand.

Talk with a Solutions Specialist

Can I work in New Zealand?

MCNZ (Medical Council of New Zealand) registered doctors have a plethora of opportunities available for them to find both permanent and locum positions. If you are an Australian-trained doctor, you can work in New Zealand by obtaining MCNZ registration, and we are here to support you throughout this process. If you're looking for New Zealand jobs for foreign doctors who obtained their primary medical degree from medical schools overseas, it is beneficial to have at least 12 months of experience in a comparable health system such as the UK or Ireland. Working in New Zealand as an internationally trained doctor involves navigating certain pathways and considering specific restrictions. However, rest assured that we are well-versed in these processes and can guide you accordingly. Our goal is to simplify the process and help you embark on a successful medical career in beautiful New Zealand.

Where is the work in New Zealand?

What paperwork will I need to apply for roles?

New Zealand

What is an SMO in Australia?

How much does an SMO earn in Australia?