Occupational Therapist

Health New Zealand - Te Whatu Ora Waitaha Canterbury; Christchurch; On-site; NZD 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora invites applications for a permanent full-time Occupational Therapist based at Christchurch Hospital, with a 12-month rotation at Burwood Hospital. The role supports diverse clinical areas and involves inter-disciplinary collaboration, patient-centred care, and ongoing professional development.

You will contribute to discharge planning, participate in weekend rosters, and work across Trauma, General Medicine, Neurology, ICU, and more, with mentoring and

Qualifications

• Registration with the NZ Occupational Therapy Board and current Annual Practising Certificate.
• Experience with a range of clinical areas and patient-centred goals.
• Willingness to engage in quality improvement mahi and professional development.
• Knowledge of te ao Māori, tikanga and te reo Māori, or commitment to starting your learning journey.

Responsibilities

• Provide comprehensive occupational therapy assessments and therapy to service users.
• Set patient-centred goals and deliver evidence-based interventions.
• Collaborate with whānau and the multidisciplinary team to achieve best outcomes.
• Delegate tasks to Allied Health Assistants as appropriate.
• Contribute to discharge planning and service quality improvements.
• Participate in the weekend roster as part of the team.

Skills

Clinical assessment

Interdisciplinary collaboration

Communication skills

Time management

Discharge planning

Quality improvement

Learning mindset

NZ OT Board registration

Job description

Permanent full-time position 1.0FTE (40 hours per week), based at Christchurch Health Campus Provide Occupational Therapy assessment and therapeutic interventions to service users and improve the health and wellbeing of the Canterbury community! Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora is firmly grounded in the principles of Te Tiriti o Waitangi and is committed to building a health system that serves all New Zealanders.

Aboutthe Role

If you have graduated as an Occupational Therapist within the last 12 months and are ready to take the exciting first steps in your career, we'd love to hear from you! We have an exciting opportunity to join our supportive and experienced Occupational Therapy team at Christchurch Hospital in a full-time, permanent rotational position (40 hours per week).

You will be primarily based at Christchurch Hospital, as well as completing a 12-month rotation at Burwood Hospital (within your first 24 months), giving you even greater exposure to different clinical environments and patient needs. This is a rotational role offering plenty of variety and opportunities to grow and develop your practice.

At Christchurch Hospital, our Occupational Therapists work across a wide range of clinical areas, including:

• Trauma and Orthopaedics
• General Medicine and Surgery
• Neurology and Acute Stroke
• Respiratory and Cardiology
• Paediatrics
• ICU and Emergency Department
• Burns and Plastics
• Oncology
• Hand Therapy
• Home Visit Teams

These are predominantly ward-based positions, giving you the opportunity to develop practical clinical skills while working alongside experienced multidisciplinary teams. Your rotations will be determined by your developing skills and experience, alongside the needs of our service.

Inthis role, you will be responsible for:

• Working to provide comprehensive inter-disciplinary and specific occupational therapy based assessments, patient centred goal setting, therapeutic interventions, and education to whānau and friends and IDT colleagues
• Working with patients from diverse social and cultural backgrounds and working collaboratively with whānau, the wider multidisciplinary team to ensure the best outcomes
• Delegation of clinical tasks to Allied Health Assistants
• Identifying service needs and contributing towards quality improvement initiatives
• Being involved in patient-centred discharge planning
• As part of the team you will also contribute to the weekend roster on a regular basis

You

You will have a passion and desire to work in acute care within a team environment, and want to grow and develop professionally as an occupational therapist. You can expect to be well supported in your role. You will receive mentoring, supervision and professional development so that you can grow as an occupational therapist and progress in your career. This role is available immediately, so we are seeking someone to join us as soon as possible.

skills/ experience will include:

• Sound clinical assessment and problem solving skills
• The ability to work autonomously and collaboratively, to develop positive interpersonal relationships, and work flexibly within the inter-disciplinary team, with a team player attitude
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills
• Strong clinical reasoning skills and use of evidence informed practice
• Effective time management, organisational and prioritisation skills
• Experience with discharge planning
• The willingness to engage in quality improvement mahi
• A willingness to learn and to share your learning
• Registration with the NZ Occupational Therapy Board and current Annual Practicing Certificate
• Knowledge of te ao Māori, tikanga, and te reo Māori or a commitment to starting your journey and taking ownership of your learning and growth

Workingfor Health New Zealand

Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora is dedicated to ensuring excellent healthcare for the people of New Zealand. We embrace a workforce that is diverse and inclusive so that we are better positioned to understand and service our community. We welcome applications from our diverse Māori, Pacific, disabled, and rainbow communities.

All applications must be submitted through our online careers portal before 11:59pm on 14th October 2026.

To be eligible for this role you must hold the legal right to work and live in New Zealand, if you do not hold the legal right to live and work in New Zealand your application will be declined.

If you have any questions about the role, please contact Recruitment Partner Courtney Bell at [e-mail] or Clinical Manager Bronwyn Suzana at [e-mail].