Occupational Therapist – Shoalhaven & Illawarra Regions

South Coast Therapy and Support Group; Nowra; Hybrid; AUD 85,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

South Coast Therapy and Support Group invites an Occupational Therapist to join our Nowra clinic, serving Shoalhaven & Illawarra regions with potential telehealth Australia-wide. We offer employee or contractor arrangements with a full caseload from day one and a clear pathway across new graduate to senior levels.

Salaries range from $85,000 to $120,000+ plus 12% super, or contractor rates of $110–$160 per billable hour.

Qualifications

• AHPRA registered OT with eligibility to practice.
• Experience or interest in NDIS, Aged Care, DVA or community settings.
• Ability to develop or be confident in assessment and report writing.
• Ability to adapt to changing NDIS pricing, plan structures and compliance requirements.
• Strong communication to ensure great outcomes for clients.

Responsibilities

• Manage a mixed caseload across Shoalhaven and Illawarra regions.
• Conduct functional capacity, home and living assessments.
• Prepare and review NDIS reports and reviews.
• Provide capacity building, sensory and emotional regulation supports.
• Make environmental recommendations to improve function.
• Collaborate with a multidisciplinary team to support clients.

Skills

Assessment & report writing

Strong communication

Client outcomes focus

Education

AHPRA registered Occupational Therapist

Job description

Occupational Therapist – Shoalhaven & Illawarra Regions

South Coast Therapy and Support Group – Nowra NSW

Occupational Therapist | New Graduate to Senior | Employee or Contractor

Nowra Clinic, Shoalhaven & Illawarra Community, or Telehealth Australia-wide

Salary $85,000 to $120,000+ plus 12% super, or contractor rates of $110 to $160 per billable hour | Full caseload from day one

Is this you?

Maybe you're a new graduate looking for a first role with real supervision, not a sink-or-swim start.

Maybe you have a few years behind you, but you can't see a clear next step, your pay hasn't kept up with your skills, or you're carrying a big caseload with very little support.

Or maybe you're a senior OT who knows exactly how to deliver great outcomes, and you want the freedom to contract without chasing referrals or doing endless admin.

Wherever you are in your career, if you're ready for a change (less traffic, more beach, and rent that doesn't take half your pay), we'd love to talk.

We have the work, and a place for you

Our Nowra clinic is busy. Whether you join as an employee or a contractor, you'll start with a full caseload and make a real difference to local families.

Two ways to join us

Choose the model that suits your experience and lifestyle. You can also start as an employee and move to contracting later as your confidence and caseload grow.

Employee

Suits new graduates through to senior OTs who want stability and structured support.

• Pay: $85,000 to $120,000+ plus 12% super, based on experience
• New graduate (0 to 2 years): $85,000 + super, with a structured graduate program, regular supervision, a gradual caseload ramp-up and a mentor in your first year
• Experienced (3+ years): $110,000 to $120,000 + super, with a full caseload from day one and realistic KPIs set together with you
• Senior: $120,000+ + super, with a complex caseload and opportunities to mentor OTs and supervise allied health assistants
• Where: In-clinic at Nowra, plus community visits
• Hours: Full-time or part-time
• Caseload: Full caseload from day one, built gradually for new grads

Contractor

Suits experienced OTs who want flexibility and clinical autonomy.

• Pay: $110 to $160 per billable hour, based on experience, expertise and clinical capability
• Where: Clinic, community across Shoalhaven and Illawarra, or remote telehealth from anywhere in Australia
• Hours: You choose your schedule and workload
• Caseload: Consistent referral flow, with no business development needed
• Extras: Referrals, administration support, technology and clinical infrastructure provided, so you can focus on therapy
• Autonomy: No micromanagement and no unrealistic KPIs. You stay in control of how you work.

Employee pathway: new graduate to senior

• New graduate (0 to 2 years): $85,000 + super. A structured graduate program with regular supervision, a gradual caseload ramp-up, and a mentor in your first year.
• Experienced (3+ years): $110,000 to $120,000 + super. Full caseload from day one and realistic KPIs set together with you.
• Senior: $120,000+ + super. Complex caseload, plus opportunities to mentor OTs and supervise allied health assistants.

Contractor pathway

We've built a contractor model specifically for experienced OTs. We provide referrals, administration support, technology and clinical infrastructure, so you can focus on therapy while keeping the independence of contracting. No micromanagement and no unrealistic KPIs. You stay in control of how you work.

What everyone gets

• Consistent referrals: NDIS, Aged Care, DVA and private clients, so your caseload stays full and varied.
• Full admin support: client onboarding, scheduling, service agreements, documentation systems and operational support.
• AI-powered systems: tools for clinical notes, report drafting and communication, powered by Splose and 3CX, so you spend less time on paperwork.
• A real team: OTs, speech pathologists and allied health assistants with many years of combined experience. Peer consultation, case discussions and help with complex clients whenever you need it.

Support you can count on

You won't be left on your own, whatever your experience level.

• New graduates: regular supervision, plus clinical support and mentoring from our directors.
• Experienced and senior OTs: regular supervision, case reviews and peer consultation, with clinical and mentoring support from our directors.
• Contractors: access to peer consultation, clinical discussions, multidisciplinary collaboration and support with complex cases, with independence and no isolation.

Clinical supervision and mentoring are provided by our directors, Nathan and Claire.

Room to grow

This role is clinical first. Once you're settled, there are optional opportunities to mentor OTs, supervise allied health assistants, contribute to service and business planning (including caseload and capacity management), and lead clinical quality and service development projects.

Moving to the South Coast? We've got you

Housing: Rentals in Nowra can be tight. We have long-standing connections with local real estate agents and have helped many of our team members find housing. We'll help you too.

Settling in: We can help link you in to local networks, such as the Shoalhaven Business Chamber, so you can grow your support network and meet new people.

The lifestyle: Nowra sits on the Shoalhaven River, close to Jervis Bay and some of the best beaches in NSW, and about two and a half hours from Sydney.

The work

Depending on your interests and experience, your work may include:

• A mixed caseload across a range of ages and needs
• Functional capacity and home and living assessments
• Assistive technology assessments and equipment prescription
• Capacity building and sensory and emotional regulation supports
• Complex NDIS reports and reviews
• Falls prevention and functional independence programs
• Environmental recommendations

New graduates build up to complex assessments and reports with supervision. Senior OTs and contractors can take on the complex work from the start.

About you

• AHPRA registered Occupational Therapist
• Interested in, or experienced with, NDIS, Aged Care, DVA or community settings
• Developing or confident in assessment and report writing
• Able to adapt as NDIS pricing, plan structures and compliance requirements change
• A strong communicator who cares about great outcomes for clients
• For contractors: experienced, self-motivated, holding your own ABN

About South Coast Therapy & Support Group

South Coast Therapy & Support Group is an award-winning allied health organisation based in Nowra. Our awards include Business of the Year, Employer of Choice and Excellence in Innovation, and our director Claire has been recognised with a Business Leader award. We're known for clinical excellence, innovation and client-focused care, and for looking after our people.

Build the career you want. Deliver the outcomes you love.