Occupational Therapy Community Clinical Lead

Health New Zealand - Te Whatu Ora Taranaki; Taranaki; On-site; NZD 90,000 - 120,000; Part time

Benefits offered by this job

Orientation and induction

Clinical training access

Modern facilities

Local project opportunities

Professional development

Job summary

The Occupational Therapist Community Clinical Lead at Taranaki Base Hospital is a permanent part-time role (0.8FTE) based in New Plymouth. You will provide clinical leadership across community OT, wheelchair and seating services, and rehabilitation, while guiding staff development and ensuring high-quality, safe patient care.

Collaborating with the Occupational Therapy Professional Lead and allied health teams, you will supervise staff, coordinate services, support accreditation processes, and

Qualifications

• NZ Registered Occupational Therapist with current APC.
• 7+ years of experience and leadership/management of a team.
• Experience implementing Te Tiriti o Waitangi in action.

Responsibilities

• Provide clinical leadership across community OT, wheelchair and seating services, and rehabilitation.
• Lead staff development, orientation, and performance development.
• Coordinate services, quality assurance, and service improvement initiatives.
• Support staff training and staff accreditation activities.
• Collaborate with Allied Health teams and multidisciplinary colleagues across sites.

Skills

Leadership

Clinical leadership

Staff development

Communication

Project coordination

Education

NZ Registered Occupational Therapist

APC current

Tools

Enable NZ processing

Job description

Occupational Therapist Community Clinical Lead

Taranaki Base Hospital, New Plymouth; Permanent part-time 0.8FTE; 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.

About the Role

We are seeking an experienced and motivated Occupational Therapist to join our team as the Community Clinical Leader at Taranaki Base Hospital. This is an exciting opportunity to provide clinical leadership, support staff development, and promote high-quality, safe, and effective occupational therapy services across Taranaki. The role provides leadership across community occupational therapy, wheelchair and seating services, equipment services, and Intermediate and Enhanced Intermediate Rehabilitation Services, with responsibilities including clinical supervision, staff orientation, performance development, quality assurance, and service coordination. Working collaboratively with the Occupational Therapy Professional Lead, Allied Health teams, and multidisciplinary colleagues at Taranaki Base and Hāwera Hospitals, you will support consistent clinical practice, service improvement, and compliance with relevant professional, ACC, and Enable New Zealand requirements. You will also contribute to staff training, service accreditation, and the ongoing development of community and rural occupational therapy services across the region. This role would suit an Occupational Therapist with strong clinical reasoning, leadership and communication skills, who is passionate about supporting colleagues and delivering responsive, high-quality services to our community.

About the Team/Service/Location

At Te Whatu Ora Taranaki we are committed to recognising the value our people bring to our organisation within a supportive team of healthcare professionals that provide comprehensive care to our patients. We believe having workforce that is diverse and inclusive, we are a pro-equity Health Organisation, and this means that we will be better positioned to understand and serve our community. When you choose to work with us, we will offer you:

• A comprehensive orientation and induction to our organisation and your department
• Access to clinical training and education
• Up to date facilities, Have a look at
• Opportunities to participate on local project and regional collaboration teams
• Professional development

Taranaki boasts some of New Zealands most iconic natural landscapes like Mt Taranaki and many adventure activities. The rugged and wild coastline is home to more than 12 world-class surf breaks. Taranaki is a place where you can ski and surf in the same day. For a more relaxing experience, there are many walks (bush, coastal or mountain) as well as art trails, festivals and award-winning museums and galleries and a thriving caf culture.

About you

• A degree or diploma in Occupational Therapy.
• NZ Registered Occupational Therapist and hold a current APC and 7 or more years experience.
• Experienced as a lead and management of a team.
• Experience with Enable NZ housing and equipment processes and applications.
• Understanding ACC service / contracts for Wheelchair seating.
• Experienced in wheelchair and seating level 2.
• Full NZ Drivers Licence.
• Experience in implementing Te Tiriti o Waitangi in action.

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.