Occupational Therapist

North Island - Wellington; Wellington; On-site; NZD 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora invites an experienced Occupational Therapist to join the Advancing Wellness at Home Initiative (AWHI). You will assess, plan rehabilitation, and coordinate care to support people transitioning from hospital to home.

Working within an interprofessional team, you will empower patients and whānau, deliver person-centred care, and strive for equitable health outcomes while practicing within your senior scope.

Qualifications

• A minimum of three years' relevant clinical experience.
• Registration with the relevant Allied Health professional body and a current Annual Practising Certificate.
• Experience in community rehabilitation and interprofessional practice.
• Commitment to Te Tiriti o Waitangi and improving equitable health outcomes for Māori.
• Excellent communication, relationship-building and clinical reasoning skills.
• A full New Zealand Driver Licence.

Responsibilities

• Provide comprehensive assessment, rehabilitation, intervention planning, care coordination and support for people living with acute, chronic, neurological, age-related and complex health conditions.
• Work within a rehabilitation, reablement and wellness-focused model of care to empower patients and whānau to maximise independence.
• Collaborate with an Interprofessional Practice (IPP) team to deliver coordinated, person-centred care.
• Operate at the top of your scope while contributing to equitable health outcomes and reduced hospital visits.

Skills

Clinical experience

Registration & APC

Community rehabilitation

Te Tiriti o Waitangi

Communication skills

Driver license

Job description

Jora New Zealand will close on 9th September 2026. Thank you for being with us, we are cheering you on as you continue your career journey.

North Island - Wellington - Wellington Central, North Island

Contract: Fixed Term (until February 2027), Full Time (Rostered and Rotating / Monday - Sunday business hours)

Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora is firmly grounded in the principles of Te Tiriti o Waitangi and is dedicated to serving all New Zealanders. Through integration and collaboration, we're building a health system underpinned by partnership, equity, sustainability, whānau-centred care, and excellence.

About the Role

We have an exciting opportunity for an experienced, energetic, efficient and motivated Occupational Therapist to join the Advancing Wellness at Home Initiative (AWHI), our innovative Early Supported Discharge (ESD) service supporting people to transition safely from hospital to home.

In this role, you will provide comprehensive assessment, rehabilitation, intervention planning, care coordination and support for people living with acute, chronic, neurological, age-related and complex health conditions. Working within a rehabilitation, reablement and wellness-focused model of care, you will empower patients and whānau to achieve their goals, maximise independence and maintain participation within their communities.

As part of an Interprofessional Practice (IPP) team, you will work collaboratively with Occupational Therapists, Physiotherapists, Social Workers, Speech Language Therapists, Dietitians, Psychologists, Nurses, Medical teams, Allied Health Assistants and community providers to deliver coordinated, person-centred care. This is an opportunity to work at the top of your scope while contributing to equitable health outcomes, reducing avoidable hospital admissions and supporting people to live well at home

About the Team/Service Location

AWHI is a dynamic Early Supported Discharge service supporting people recovering from medical events, injury, stroke and neurological conditions to achieve their rehabilitation goals at home. Our collaborative interprofessional team is committed to delivering culturally safe, strengths-based care that supports patients and whānau to live well and independently in their communities.

About you

You are an experienced Allied Health Professional who thrives in collaborative team environments and is passionate about supporting people to achieve their rehabilitation and wellness goals.

You will bring:

• A minimum of three years' relevant clinical experience.
• Registration with the relevant Allied Health professional body and a current Annual Practising Certificate.
• Experience in community rehabilitation and interprofessional practice.
• A commitment to Te Tiriti o Waitangi and improving equitable health outcomes for Māori.
• Excellent communication, relationship-building and clinical reasoning skills.
• A full New Zealand Driver Licence.

Desirable experience includes participation in quality improvement, service development, research, professional supervision, mentoring, and rehabilitation or Early Supported Discharge services. Experience working with older adults and people with complex, neurological, stroke, long-term medical conditions.

Working at Health New Zealand

Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora is 'the weaving of wellness'. We're dedicated to ensuring excellent healthcare for the people of Aotearoa/New Zealand.

Our people are at the heart of everything we do. Health New Zealand are committed to being good employers and honouring our equal employment opportunity obligations. We embrace diversity and welcome application from all people, including all gender identities, ages, ethnicities, sexual orientations, and disability. A workforce that is diverse and inclusive means that we are better positioned to understand and service our community. We are pro-equity health organisation, with a particular focus on Māori, Pacific Peoples, and the Disability Community.

If you have any questions about the role, please contact **************@tewhatuora.govt.nz