Senior Psychologist

Oranga Tamariki—Ministry for Children; Palmerston North; On-site; NZD 126,000 - 139,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary

Multidisciplinary team

Role in a government ministry

Job summary

Oranga Tamariki—Ministry for Children is seeking a Senior Psychologist to join the Te Ara Hou programme at the Military Style Academy, Palmerston North. You will conduct psychological assessments, develop formulations and deliver targeted interventions for rangatahi in a secure residence and community phase.

Role requires a Master's or Doctoral in Psychology, NZ registration and APC, 2–4 years of relevant experience, and a commitment to culturally responsive practice.

Qualifications

• A highly skilled psychologist with relevant clinical experience.
• Strong interpersonal and collaboration skills.
• Experience in assessment, formulation and structured interventions.
• Excellent report writing and consultation abilities.
• Commitment to Te Tiriti o Waitangi and culturally responsive practice.
• Team player with ability to work autonomously.

Responsibilities

• Complete comprehensive psychological assessments and develop evidence-based formulations.
• Deliver individual psychological interventions tailored to rangatahi's needs.
• Support rangatahi to address offending behaviour, trauma and mental health concerns.
• Provide specialist psychological advice to multidisciplinary teams.
• Contribute to treatment planning, risk assessment and rehabilitation strategies.
• Support programme delivery through coaching and education of frontline staff.
• Participate in case reviews, clinical consultations and quality improvement.
• Support reintegration of young people into their communities.

Education

Master's or Doctoral in Psychology

Job description

Palmerston North

Full Time

Provide specialist psychological expertise. Support rehabilitation. Help transform the lives of rangatahi

Oranga Tamariki is seeking an experienced and passionate Senior Psychologist to join our Te Ara Hou programme that is delivering a therapeutic intervention to serious and persistent youth offenders as part of the Military Style Academy (MSA) team, based at Te Au rere a te Tonga Youth Justice Residence in Palmerston North.

As Senior Psychologist, you will provide specialist psychological assessment, formulation and intervention services to rangatahi participating in the MSA programme. Working as part of a multidisciplinary team, you will play a critical role in understanding the factors contributing to offending behaviour, support rehabilitation and help rangatahi build the skills and strategies needed for positive futures.

Delivered within a secure youth justice residence, the MSA programme is founded on therapeutic principles and combines educational, vocational, cultural and physical activities to support sustainable behavioural change and positive long-term outcomes for rangatahi. Following the 6 month residential phase, this role works with the rangatahi within the community phase to reinforce learning, strengthen protective factors and support successful reintegration.

Mō te tūnga | About the role

This is a unique opportunity to apply your psychological expertise within an innovative, strengths-based and mana-enhancing programme focused on achieving lasting change for rangatahi.

Key responsibilities include:

• Completing comprehensive psychological assessments and developing evidence-based formulations.
• Delivering individual psychological interventions tailored to the needs of each young person.
• Supporting rangatahi to address offending behaviour, emotional regulation, trauma, mental health concerns and relapse prevention.
• Providing specialist psychological advice and consultation to multidisciplinary teams.
• Contributing to treatment planning, risk assessment and rehabilitation strategies.
• Supporting programme delivery through co-facilitation, consultation and specialist input where required.
• Building capability through coaching, training and education of frontline staff.
• Participating in case reviews, clinical consultations, and continuous quality improvement initiatives.
• Supporting young people through transition and reintegration into their communities as required.

He kōrero mōu | About you

You are a highly skilled psychologist who is passionate about supporting young people to make meaningful and lasting changes in their lives. You are comfortable working in complex environments and thrive in a collaborative, multidisciplinary setting. You can work effectively in both team and autonomous situations. You will be resilient, have a mature life outlook and be willing to go the extra mile to support this intensive mahi.

You will bring:

• A Master's Degree or Doctoral qualification in Psychology.
• Registration with the New Zealand Psychologists Board and a current Annual Practising Certificate.
• Clinical Scope of Practice preferred or significant experience working in youth mental health or justice settings.
• 2-4 years experience conducting comprehensive psychological assessments, formulations, and interventions.
• Experience working with young people experiencing complex behavioural, emotional, mental health, or offending-related challenges.
• Strong knowledge of adolescent development, rehabilitation, forensic psychology and risk reduction.
• Understanding of criminogenic needs, responsivity factors and offending behaviour change.
• Be a team player and have experience working collaboratively within a multidisciplinary teams.
• Excellent communication, consultation and report-writing skills.
• A commitment to Te Tiriti o Waitangi and culturally responsive practice.
• A current full New Zealand Driver Licence.

Why join the Military Style Academy?

The MSA provides an opportunity to make a genuine difference in the lives of rangatahi, whānau, and communities across Aotearoa.

• Deliver specialist psychological services within a unique and innovative rehabilitation programme.
• Support meaningful behaviour changes and long-term positive outcomes for rangatahi.
• Work alongside a passionate multidisciplinary team committed to excellence.
• Influence programme development and continuous improvement.
• Strengthen connections between young people, whānau, culture, and community.
• Be part of a purpose-driven environment where your expertise has a lasting impact.

About Oranga Tamariki

At Oranga Tamariki, our vision is that New Zealand values the wellbeing of tamariki above all else. We work alongside whānau and communities to ensure tamariki and rangatahi are safe, strong, connected, and able to flourish.

Remuneration for this position starts between $125,926 and $139,459 dependent on experience.

Applications close at midnight on the 16th of October 2026!

If you are interested, please ensure that you make yourself familiar with our Code of Conduct as it sets out our expectations for our kaimahi and requires you to present at work free from the influences of both drugs and alcohol.