Post-Doctoral Fellow

University of Canterbury; Christchurch; On-site; NZD 85,000 - 95,000; Part time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible working arrangements

Supportive working environment

Generous annual leave provisions and a

Professional development opportunities

Unique campus environment with UC_fac"

Job summary

The University of Canterbury invites applications for a part-time Post-doctoral Fellow to join the Te Kaupeka Oranga – Faculty of Health. You will support an externally funded project focused on neurodiversity-affirming support for Autistic children and their caregivers, developing digital programme content and performing data collection and analyses.

The successful candidate will have a PhD in psychology, health, education, or related field, strong research background, and experience with

Qualifications

• PhD in psychology, health, education, or related discipline.
• Strong research background across health or psychology.
• Expertise in autism or neurodivergence and caregiver-mediated support.
• Understanding of neurodiversity-affirming approaches to autism.
• Quantitative data analysis skills preferred.
• Emerging publication track record.
• Ability to communicate complex ideas to diverse audiences.
• Ability to work creatively and independently.

Responsibilities

• Support development and evaluation of neurodiversity-affirming interventions for Autistic children and their caregivers.
• Contribute to design and evaluation of digital programme content.
• Conduct data collection, assessments and analyses.
• Disseminate findings to support project delivery.
• Collaborate with a cross-disciplinary team and community partners across NZ.

Skills

PhD research background

Autism/neurodiversity expertise

Quantitative data analysis

Scientific communication

Independent work

Education

PhD in psychology/health/education/related

Job description

The University of Canterbury was established in 1873. Based in Christchurch, on the South Island of New Zealand, the University of Canterbury (UC) has an impressive international profile in research, learning and advanced scholarship in...

Te Kaupeka Oranga | Faculty of Health
Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha | University of Canterbury
Located in Ōtautahi | Christchurch, Aotearoa | New Zealand

• Part-time 18.75 hours per week (0.5 FTE)
• Fixed term (3 years) position
• Salary range NZD$85-95k per annum

Āu Mahi | What You Will Do

We have an exciting opportunity for a Post-doctoral Fellow to join a research team in Te Kaupeka Oranga – the Faculty of Health. In this role, you will support excellence in research by contributing to an externally funded research project focused on the design and evaluation of neurodiversity-affirming support for Autistic children and their caregivers. The primary focus of this role is to support the development of digital programme content and undertake a range of research activities, including data collection and analysis, conducting assessments, and disseminating research findings to support the successful delivery of the project. The research is led by Prof. Laurie McLay and involves research collaborators and key community partners from across New Zealand.

Mōu | Who You Are

We are looking for someone with excellent interpersonal and organisational skills, experience in project or research administration, and a strong understanding of the research process. You will also have experience working with Autistic or neurodivergent children and their caregivers/whānau. The successful applicant will preferably be based in Christchurch; however, applicants based elsewhere in New Zealand may also be considered.

To be successful in this position, you will have:

• A PhD in psychology, health, education, or a related discipline
• A strong research background
• Expertise in autism or other forms of neurodivergence and caregiver‑mediated support
• An understanding of, and commitment to, neurodiversity‑affirming understandings of autism
• Quantitative research and data analysis skills preferred
• An emerging publication track record
• A proven ability to communicate complex ideas and concepts, both orally and in writing, to a wide range of groups, including scientific and non‑scientific audiences
• The ability to work creatively and independently

Mahi Ngātahi | Who You Will Work With

Te Kaupeka Oranga | Faculty of Health offers undergraduate and postgraduate programmes and research activities that respond to the dynamic nature of the health and sport sectors and their workforce. We offer undergraduate programmes in Sport and Health as well as postgraduate programmes in Counselling, Social Work, Child and Family Psychology, Nursing, Health Leadership and various population health and clinical endorsements within the Postgraduate Diploma and Master of Health Sciences.

Within this role, you will work with a cross‑institutional research team but ideally, be based in Canterbury.

For more information on our Faculty please visit us here .

The University of Canterbury is committed to accessible higher education, service to community and the encouragement of talent without barriers of distance, wealth, class, gender or ethnicity. The University explicitly aims to produce graduates and support staff who are engaged with their communities, empowered to act for good and determined to make a difference in the world.

What we offer

• Flexible working arrangements
• Supportive working environment
• Generous annual leave provisions and competitive salary
• Professional development opportunities
• A unique working environment in a beautiful campus with access to UC facilities such as the recreation centre and Staff club at discounted rates plus onsite café’s and eateries, and more

For more information about Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha | University of Canterbury, please visit www.canterbury.ac.nz

The closing date for this position is: Tuesday 8 September 2026 (midnight, NZ time)

For further information specifically about the role, please contact: Prof. Laurie McLay to discuss the opportunities associated with this position.

Please note: If you have submitted your PhD, but not yet conferred, you will still be considered.

For overseas applicants, please visit Immigration New Zealand website, to review the latest health and visa requirements for visiting and working in New Zealand.