Occupational Therapist - Rotational Position

South Island - Otago; Dunedin; On-site; NZD 79,000 - 91,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

On-site gym

KiwiSaver

Job summary

Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora in Dunedin invites new or recent Occupational Therapy graduates to join our Graduate Rotational Programme at Dunedin Hospital.

You will rotate every six months through acute care, rehabilitation and community services, gaining experience across medical, stroke, orthopaedics and elder care while developing autonomous practice.

Qualifications

• New graduate or recent graduate Occupational Therapists encouraged to apply.
• Ability to work in a multidisciplinary team and adapt to rotational placements.
• Willingness to participate in weekend on-call roster.

Responsibilities

• Provide assessment and treatment to a diverse patient population in both individual and group settings.
• undertake rotations across acute care, rehabilitation and community services across Dunedin and Wakari Hospital sites.
• Contribute to high-quality, patient-centred care by applying evidence-based practice within a supported learning environment.

Job description

Jora New Zealand will close on 16th September 2026. Thank you for being with us, we are cheering you on as you continue your career journey.

Occupational Therapist - Rotational Position

South Island - Otago – Dunedin, South Island

Occupational Therapist – Rotational Position

Dunedin

Salary Band: 79,014 - 90,843p.a for fulltime + Kiwisaver + on-site employee gym

• New or Recent Graduate Occupational Therapists encouraged to apply
• Permanent, Full time (1.0 FTE), 40 hours per week

About the role

Kick-start your Occupational Therapy career with our Graduate Rotational Programme at Dunedin Hospital!

We have an exciting opportunity for a new or recent New Zealand Occupational Therapy graduate to join our supportive and dynamic rotational programme.

Gain valuable experience across the full patient journey through six-month rotations in acute care, rehabilitation and community services, working across both Dunedin and Wakari Hospital sites. You'll develop your clinical skills in a wide range of specialties, including internal medicine, stroke, orthopaedics, oncology, older persons' health, and community occupational therapy.

Working alongside experienced Occupational Therapists and multidisciplinary health professionals, you'll provide assessment and treatment to a diverse patient population in both individual and group settings. This structured programme is designed to build confidence, broaden experience and support your professional growth in a collaborative learning environment.

Rotations occur every February and August, offering ongoing variety and development opportunities.

Please note, participation in a weekend on-call roster is a requirement of this role.

About you

We're looking for passionate, motivated and adaptable Occupational Therapy graduates who are eager to grow their clinical knowledge and skills across a diverse range of practice areas within Health New Zealand Southern. If you're excited by new challenges and open to working across different rotations and hospital sites, we'd love to hear from you.

You’ll be a collaborative team player with excellent communication and interpersonal skills, a positive attitude and a genuine commitment to ongoing learning. We value proactive learners who take ownership of their professional development and are keen to contribute to high-quality, patient-centred care.

This role offers the opportunity to build confidence and expertise across a variety of settings, including acute medical and respiratory services, rehabilitation and intensive, critical and high-dependency care. You’ll work alongside experienced multidisciplinary teams while progressively developing the skills to practice autonomously.

Success in this programme requires flexibility, resilience, strong organisational skills and the ability to thrive in a dynamic and evolving healthcare environment.

Please provide as part of your application:

• A CV and a cover letter including “why Dunedin Hospital is the right place for you”.
• Please include your final year Clinical Supervisor as one of your referees and confirm your permission for us to contact each of your referees.

Working at 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.

We will review applications as received and may proceed with the recruitment process, before the closing date of this advert.