Physiotherapist Advanced Practitioner - Neonatal Intensive Care

New Zealand Government; Christchurch; On-site; NZD 118,000 - 144,000; Part time

Job summary

Christchurch Hospital is recruiting a part-time physiotherapist to provide advanced clinical leadership in the NICU at Christchurch Women’s Hospital. You will optimise neurodevelopmental outcomes for premature and complex infants through expert assessment, intervention and leadership.

A designated role with emphasis on development, governance and service innovation. The role requires NZ Registration with APC, extensive neonatal experience and the ability to influence practice across

Qualifications

• Experience in neonatal physiotherapy and developmental care.
• Ability to provide advanced clinical leadership within NICU.
• Proven involvement in education, quality improvement or clinical governance.

Responsibilities

• Provide expert physiotherapy assessment and management for neonates with complex needs.
• Lead developmental care practices within NICU, including positioning and handling guidance.
• Develop and implement individualised developmental care plans with families and team.
• Support family-integrated care to boost infant development and parent confidence.
• Identify at-risk infants and coordinate referrals and follow-up pathways.
• Drive innovation and evidence-informed practice through audits and quality improvement.
• Lead the development and evaluation of clinical pathways and models of care.
• Contribute to research and translate evidence into practice.
• Establish regional and national neonatal physiotherapy networks.

Skills

Neonatal physiotherapy

Clinical leadership

Research & QI

Mentoring & supervision

Job description

Christchurch Hospital – Part time 32 hours a fortnight (0.4 FTE) permanent role

Designated role. Salary starting at $130,913.

Join a specialist neonatal multidisciplinary team providing expert physiotherapy assessment, intervention, and leadership for neonates and their whānau within Canterbury's tertiary Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. 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 Physiotherapist to provide advanced clinical leadership within the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at Christchurch Women's Hospital. This Advanced Practitioner role focuses on optimising neurodevelopmental outcomes for premature and medically complex infants through expert assessment, intervention, consultation and leadership. Working within a highly specialised multidisciplinary team, you will provide clinical leadership for developmental care practice across the NICU, influencing care delivery through advanced clinical expertise, education, quality improvement and service innovation. The role combines expert clinical practice with leadership responsibilities across service development, workforce development, clinical governance, research and quality improvement. As a recognised clinical expert, you will work collaboratively across organisational and professional boundaries to advance neonatal physiotherapy practice and developmental care services, ensuring equitable outcomes for infants and whānau.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide expert physiotherapy assessment and management of neonates with complex neurodevelopmental needs.
• Delivering expert assessment of movement quality, neurobehaviour and developmental progression.
• Lead physiotherapy contributions to developmental care within NICU by providing expert guidance regarding positioning, handling, sensory regulation and environmental modification.
• Develop and implement individualised developmental care plans in partnership with whānau and the multidisciplinary team.
• Support family-integrated care approaches that enhance infant neurodevelopment and parent confidence.
• Identify infants at risk of adverse developmental outcomes and facilitate appropriate referral and follow-up pathways.
• Drive innovation and evidence-informed practice through research, audit and quality improvement activities.
• Lead the development, implementation and evaluation of clinical pathways, standards, guidelines and models of care related to neonatal physiotherapy and developmental care.
• Contribute to research and the translation of emerging evidence into clinical practice.
• Establish and maintain effective regional and national professional networks to support advancement of neonatal physiotherapy practice.

About the Team

This role is part of the Christchurch Hospital Physiotherapy Service and is based within the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Christchurch Women's Hospital, the tertiary neonatal service for Te Waipounamu. The Advanced Practitioner works within a highly specialised multidisciplinary team providing care to premature and medically complex infants requiring intensive and specialist neonatal care. This role sits within the Musculoskeletal & Paediatric cluster, part of the wider physio service. This cluster is a skilled and collaborative team that prides itself on high-quality, evidence-based care and a culture of mutual support delivering effective physiotherapy across diverse clinical settings.

Why You’ll Love This Role

• Opportunity to practice at an advanced level within a tertiary neonatal service.
• Work alongside nationally recognised neonatal and paediatric specialists.
• Influence service development and quality improvement initiatives.
• Contribute to improving outcomes for some of our most vulnerable patients and their whānau.
• A friendly and collaborative workplace with a strong commitment to clinical excellence.
• Live in a region offering an amazing lifestyle.

About You

You will hold NZ Registration and a current APC as well as be able to demonstrate the following:

• Registration with the Physiotherapy Board of New Zealand and current Annual Practising Certificate.
• Extensive post-registration clinical experience, including significant expertise in neonatal physiotherapy and developmental care.
• Recognition as an expert clinician with a demonstrated ability to manage highly complex clinical presentations autonomously.
• Demonstrated leadership in service development, quality improvement, education, research or clinical governance.
• Ability to influence practice and lead change across multidisciplinary teams and organisational boundaries.
• Experience contributing to workforce development through mentoring, coaching and advanced clinical supervision.
• Demonstrate an understanding of the significance of and obligations under Te Tiriti o Waitangi, including how to apply Te Tiriti principles in a meaningful way in your role.

Additional Information

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.

For more information on living and working in Canterbury click here.

All applications must be submitted through our online careers' portal by 28th October 2026.

If you have any questions about the role, please contact Courtney Bell at [e-mail]. We will review applications as received and may proceed with the recruitment process, before the closing date of this advert.