Recovery Partner - Physical Injury - Gisborne

New Zealand Government; Gisborne; On-site; NZD 78,000 - 100,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Comprehensive benefits package

Superannuation scheme

Flexible working options

Job summary

ACC is seeking a Recovery Partner in Gisborne to support people living with lifelong disability after injury. You will work closely with clients/kiritaki and whānau, understanding goals and coordinating the right supports across health, disability and community services.

You’ll collaborate with health professionals, employers and agencies to create plans, solve problems and keep things moving, always seeing the person beyond their injury and aiming for meaningful independence.

Qualifications

• Ability to build trusted relationships and coordinate multiple services.
• People-centred approach and strong communication.
• New Zealand work rights at time of application.

Responsibilities

• Coordinate support across health, disability and community services.
• Develop plans with clients and whānau to maximise independence.
• Navigate complex pathways and engage with partners to achieve outcomes.
• Support clients through change, using empathy and professional boundaries.

Skills

Relationship-building

People-centred approach

Complexity navigation

Communication & influencing

Collaboration

Resilience

Accountability

Curiosity & reflection

Job description

Recovery Partner- Physical Injury

• Make a lasting difference in the lives of people living with disability.
• Build trusted relationships with clients/kiritaki and their whānau.
• Coordinate support across health, disability and community services.

Start date: Monday 18 January 2027

About us

Mō mātou ACC is a trusted and high'performing organisation, providing care, supporting recovery and promoting injury prevention, now and into the future. You can find more about ACC and the work we do at www.acc.co.nz.

About the role

At ACC, we're here to help people get their lives back on track after injury. As a Recovery Partner, you'll play an important role in supporting people who are living with lifelong disability following injury to maximise their independence and live fulfilling, everyday lives. This is a role where relationships matter. You'll become a trusted partner for your clients/kiritaki and their whānau, understanding what matters to them, supporting their goals and helping them navigate what can sometimes be a complex journey. Through this work, you'll contribute to keeping Kiwis safe at work, at home, and everywhere in between.

What does a Recovery Partner do?

No two days will be the same. You might start your day meeting with a client/kiritaki and their whānau to understand their goals and identify what could help them live more independently. You could then be working alongside health and disability providers, community organisations or government agencies to coordinate the right support. You'll bring people together, develop plans, solve problems and keep things moving. Sometimes you'll celebrate important milestones; at other times you'll need to have challenging conversations, make difficult decisions or find a way forward when there isn't an obvious answer. Your role is to see the person beyond their injury or disability, understanding their strengths, circumstances, aspirations and what a fulfilling life looks like for them. You'll work with a range of internal and external partners across the health, disability and community sectors, coordinating support around the needs and goals of each client/kiritaki.

Salary

The appointing salary for this role is based on skills and experience.

• Level 1: $77,502 - $94,500
• Level 2: $90,039 - $100,043

Level1 / Level 2 Appointment Assessment Appointment level will be determined through the recruitment process based on demonstrated capability and Injury Rehabilitation Case Management experience. Candidates may be appointed at Band 15 (L1) or Band 16 (L2).

In addition, ACC offers a comprehensive benefits package which at present includes an advantageous superannuation scheme (9% contribution) with features like no mandatory employee contribution, optional life and income protection insurance.

About you

You will bring:

• Exceptional relationship-building skills. You establish trust and credibility quickly and engage with empathy, curiosity and respect.
• A people-centred approach. You see the person, not just their injury or disability, and understand what matters to them.
• The ability to think through complexity, consider different perspectives, identify the real issues and determine a way forward.
• Strong communication and influencing skills. You can bring people together, negotiate, have courageous conversations and influence without relying on authority.
• A collaborative approach. You're confident working with clients, whānau, health professionals, employers and other agencies to achieve shared outcomes.
• Resilience and adaptability. You can remain calm and constructive when situations are complex or challenging, while maintaining professional boundaries.
• Ownership and accountability. You follow through on your commitments, make sound decisions and are accountable for outcomes.
• Curiosity and reflection. You're open to feedback, willing to learn and continually look for ways to improve.
• You must hold New Zealand work rights at the time of application.

Culturally responsive practice is also important. You'll understand the value of culturally safe engagement and recognise when support such as using a Kaihāpai specialist can strengthen engagement with kiritaki and whānau.

Your experience

You may come from a health, disability, rehabilitation, social services, employment, insurance, government or another relationship-intensive background. You might have experience in occupational therapy, social work, nursing, physiotherapy, vocational rehabilitation, disability services, case management, health navigation, employment services, community services or another role where you've supported people through complex circumstances. A health or disability background is an advantage, as is case management experience, but you don't need to have worked at ACC to be successful in this role. What matters most is what you can demonstrate: your ability to build trusted relationships, navigate complexity, coordinate multiple people and services, make sound decisions and achieve meaningful outcomes for people whose lives have been significantly impacted.

Why join us?

This is an opportunity to do work that genuinely matters. You'll work alongside people at some of the most significant points in their lives and help them identify opportunities, overcome barriers and build confidence in what is possible. If you're a great relationship builder, a thoughtful problem solver and someone who gets satisfaction from helping people achieve things that matter to them, we'd love to hear from you.

Working at ACC

At ACC, we embrace the rich tapestry of Aotearoa New Zealand's cultures and are dedicated to providing equitable opportunities. We know that a diverse and inclusive team helps us meet the needs of our customers, and we encourage applications from individuals of all backgrounds, ethnicity, national origin, gender identity, age, and those with diverse abilities. It's important to us that people are free to be themselves at work. Here are some ways we encourage that:

• Employee networks to support our colleagues from diverse backgrounds.
• The option to explore flexible working that suits your needs and ours.

Bring your experience. Bring your curiosity. Bring your ability to make a difference. Join ACC as a Recovery Partner.