Professional Leader Occupational Therapy

# Professional Leader Occupational Therapy at Health New Zealand - Te Whatu Ora Te Pae Hauora o Ruahine o Tararua MidCentral, Manawatu / Whanganui## Mō tēnei tūranga mahi | About this role**Professional Lead – Occupational Therapy****Permanent Part time****Palmerston North****Shape the future of Occupational Therapy across MidCentral**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.This is an exciting opportunity to provide district-wide professional leadership for the Occupational Therapy workforce across physical health, mental health, and addictions services throughout the MidCentral region.**About the role**Reporting to the Chief Allied Health, Scientific & Technical Officer, you will provide strategic and professional leadership that supports excellence in Occupational Therapy practice. You will champion high-quality, culturally responsive care, strengthen professional governance, and support workforce development across a diverse range of services.Key responsibilities include:* Providing professional leadership and guidance to Occupational Therapists across the district.* Leading professional governance, practice standards, and quality improvement initiatives.* Supporting workforce development, supervision, mentoring, and professional growth.* Partnering with operational leaders to support effective service delivery and workforce planning.* Driving innovation and service improvement initiatives that enhance patient outcomes.* Promoting evidence-based practice and ensuring compliance with professional standards and legislative requirements.* Supporting Health New Zealand's commitment to Te Tiriti o Waitangi, equity, and Māori health outcomes.**About you**You will be a highly respected Occupational Therapist with a passion for leadership, workforce development, and service improvement.To be successful in this role, you will have:* Current registration and Annual Practising Certificate as an Occupational Therapist in New Zealand.* Significant clinical experience across hospital and/or community settings.* Demonstrated leadership experience, including professional supervision and workforce development.* A strong understanding of clinical governance and quality improvement.* Experience implementing Te Tiriti o Waitangi principles in practice.* Excellent communication, relationship-building, and change leadership skills.* A commitment to equity, cultural safety, and achieving better health outcomes for Māori and all communities.### **What we offer*** A meaningful leadership role with district-wide influence.* Opportunities to shape the future direction of Occupational Therapy services.* A supportive and collaborative Allied Health leadership team.* Ongoing professional development and leadership growth opportunities.* The chance to contribute to improving health outcomes for our communities.If you are passionate about professional leadership, developing people, and advancing Occupational Therapy practice, we would love to hear from you**About the Location****Manawatū is known for its effortless blend of city and rural living; here you can choose your ideal lifestyle, from peaceful rural villages to bustling townships, or city life.** It's a family-friendly place that's easy to live and work, with easy access to an array of outdoor activities – beaches, ski fields, lakes, mountains, as well as fantastic mountain biking and hiking tracks. No traffic and an easy commute to work, really help a with true work-life balance. Our fantastic central location means exploring other parts of New Zealand is easy as a drive or a short flight. We are well served with excellent schooling options, as well as two tertiary institutes – Massey University and the International Pacific College.Discover more hidden gems that Manawatū and Palmerston North have to offer here: Manawatū & Palmerston North - Visit | Live | Study | Business (manawatunz.co.nz). Check out our careers site here for more information about Palmerston North hospital.We actively encourage a life work balance and appreciate flexibility can be important, so we are open to discuss options!**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.**How to Apply**To apply please click “**apply now**.” All applications must be submitted through our online careers' portal**.** If you have any questions about the role, please contact Tara Penketh, Recruitment Advisor (Allied Health) at [email protected]>Whilst Health New Zealand is undergoing change, affected employees will be given preference and priority for this position.*We are looking to fill this position as soon as possible so may withdraw the advert if the perfect candidate is found before the expiry date.* *We strive to be a place where people love to work and learn. We aim to develop a diverse team that reflects the communities that we serve, and we welcome people of all ethnicities, genders, sexual orientations, religious and political beliefs, socio-economic situations and accessibility needs.* *MidCentral actively seeks Māori into our workforce to reflect the community we serve.* *Some positions are defined as a Core Children's worker under the Children's Act and require full safety checks completed before employment commences.*## Ngā taipitopito tūranga mahi | Job details| | || --- | --- || Employer: | Health New Zealand - Te Whatu Ora Te Pae Hauora o Ruahine o Tararua MidCentral || Location: | Manawatu / Whanganui || Position type: | Permanent Part time || Category: | Health || Date listed: | 25-Jun-2026 || Salary range: | $128,147 - $133,531 || Closing date: | 31-Jul-2026 || Reference: | 1930240 || Attachment: | Occupational therapy PL-1930240.docx (Word, 310KB) Job Description Occupational therapy PL-1930240.docx (Word, 310KB) Job Description || File links: | || Website: | http://www.midcentraldhb.govt.nz | #J-18808-Ljbffr