Orthoptist

Taranaki District Health Board; Dunedin; On-site; NZD 60,000 - 85,000; Part time

Job summary

Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora Southern Ophthalmology department is seeking a capable Orthoptist to deliver comprehensive assessments for paediatric and adult patients across Otago. You will work with a multidisciplinary team to provide expert testing and treatments, including amblyopia management and diplopia therapy.

The role is permanent part-time (0.4 FTE) with opportunities to develop clinical skills and contribute to efficient clinic operations and patient care.

Qualifications

• Qualified Orthoptist with current practicing certificate.
• Strong communication and patient-facing skills.
• Experience working with paediatric and adult patients.

Responsibilities

• Deliver comprehensive orthoptic assessments for paediatric and adult patients.
• Perform specialist testing: visual fields, ocular motility, binocular vision, OCT, fundal photography.
• Initiate treatments such as patching for amblyopia and Fresnel prism therapy for diplopia.
• Collaborate with ophthalmologists and allied health to provide high-quality care.
• Support clinics with patient administration and equipment maintenance.

Skills

Orthoptist

Communication

Team collaboration

Education

Orthoptics qualification

Tools

OCT

Fundal photography

Visual fields testing

Job description

• Part-time (0.4 FTE 16 hrs per week) permanent opportunity

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.

If you're a skilled Orthoptist who's ready for a lifestyle change and new career opportunities, you'll find just what you're looking for here at Te Whatu Ora Southern. Our department services more than 350,000 people, so you'll see all types of patients and cases in a fast dynamic environment.

About the Role

Join our Ophthalmology team and play a key role in delivering high-quality orthoptic services across Otago. Working alongside a multidisciplinary team, you'll provide expert assessment and treatment for children and adults with a range of visual and ocular motility conditions. From psychophysical testing and amblyopia management to supporting clinics, teaching colleagues, and maintaining specialist equipment, this is a varied role offering excellent opportunities to develop your skills while making a meaningful difference to patient care.

In this role, you will:

• Deliver comprehensive orthoptic assessments and treatment for paediatric and adult patients.
• Perform specialist testing, including visual fields, ocular motility, binocular vision, OCT and fundal photography.
• Initiate and monitor treatments such as patching for amblyopia and Fresnel prism therapy for diplopia.
• Work collaboratively with ophthalmologists, nurses and allied health professionals to provide exceptional care.
• Support the smooth running of clinics through patient administration, audits and equipment maintenance.

About you

You'll be a skilled and patient-focused Orthoptist with excellent communication skills and a strong commitment to delivering high-quality care. Confident working with both children and adults, you'll bring experience across a broad range of orthoptic assessments and treatments, alongside a willingness to continue learning and developing your clinical expertise.

You will bring:

• Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to build rapport with patients, whānau and colleagues.
• Experience assessing visual acuity using age-appropriate paediatric and adult testing methods.
• Knowledge of amblyopia management, diplopia treatment and neuro-ophthalmic assessments.
• Experience using specialist diagnostic equipment, or a willingness to learn new technologies.
• A collaborative approach and commitment to continuous improvement and professional development.

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.