- Starship - New Zealand’s premier children’s hospital
- Permanent position
- Supportive and collaborative multidisciplinary environment
About the role
Starship Child Health is looking for an experienced Kaiwhakaora Ngangahau, Clinical Lead Occupational Therapist with a passion for working with tamariki and whānau, to lead our Occupational Therapy team. This is an exciting new role, which encompasses both operational and clinical leadership of a team of dedicated and skilled paediatric Occupational Therapists. You will drive and influence the development of the Occupational therapy service across Starship to provide high quality clinical care. Your passion for enabling child and whānau occupational performance together with that of your team, will be integral in delivering premium Occupational Therapy services for our tamariki and rangitahi. You will apply your advanced clinical knowledge and leadership skills to lead and represent Occupational Therapy at Starship, working closely with your MDT colleagues.
This is a permanent role for which full-time and part-time applicants considered.
You will have the opportunity to:
- Lead a team of passionate and dedicated paediatric Occupational Therapists, both in development of their professional practice, and operational delivery
- Hold a clinical caseload, demonstrating advanced clinical reasoning knowledge and skills in the area of paediatric occupational therapy
- Represent Occupational Therapy as a profession within the MDT, and lead delivery of quality paediatric professional practice which is evidence- based
- Remain focused in the pursuit of Māori health gain as well as achieving equitable health outcomes for Māori
- Support the development and embedding of the Occupational Therapy profession across Starship including service development, audit, and clinical pathways
- Lead culturally safe practice that encompasses a diverse range of beliefs, values and practices
- Further develop operational management and leadership skills
- Thrive within a vibrant, innovative and diverse setting amongst a supportive multidisciplinary team of Dietetics, Hospital Play Specialists, Physiotherapists, Occupational Therapists, Speech Language Therapists and Social Workers
About the Team/Service/ Location
Our team of Occupational therapists excel in a fast-paced, challenging environment where evidence-based practice, strengths in interdisciplinary practice, clinical reasoning, and decision-making skills are highly valued. The team provides a service to all inpatient areas in Starship, Child Health and selected outpatient areas.
- Meaningful support and orientation to your practice contexts with robust opportunities for critical reflection on practice, including peer review and professional supervision
- On the job training with continuous improvement and development opportunities
- A great team environment and supportive work culture
About you
As the ideal person for this role, you will have the following skills and attributes:
- NZ registration as an Occupational Therapist with a current Annual Practicing Certificate
- 7+ years of post-graduate clinical work experience and proven experience within paediatrics
- Committed to modelling and promoting the values of the Occupational Therapy profession through active demonstration of the Occupational Therapy competencies and code of ethics.
- Proven experience working in clinical mentorship, training, and service development/quality improvement
- Excellent skills in relationship building and communication to a broad range of stakeholders
- Ability to lead and manage change effectively
- Proven skills in working with tamariki and a whānau-centred approach
- Ability to work collaboratively with a range of professional groups in an multidisciplinary setting
- Effective time management, prioritisation and organisation skills
- Drive, energy and initiative with excellent interpersonal skills
For further information on this role please contact Anna Creak – Service Clinical Director, Allied Health Starship at acreak@adhb.govt.nz
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.
Starship Child Health is a dedicated paediatric healthcare service and major teaching centre, providing family centred care to neonates, children and young people throughout New Zealand and the South Pacific. Starship is a part of Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora and is the only comprehensive children’s hospital in New Zealand serving a population of approximately 1 million children.
How to apply
We will be reviewing applications and conducting interviews as they come in. If you're interested, we encourage you to apply as soon as possible.
Advertising closes: Tuesday 09 September 2025 at Time 11:59 pm (New Zealand standard time).
To apply please click on the ‘Apply’ tab below and submit your application online attaching your updated CV and Covering Letter.
If you have any queries about accessibility, or technical issues with the online process, please contact Vaidehi Sharma - Recruitment Consultant at Vaidehi.sharma@TeWhatuOra.govt.nz quoting ref #ADHB23244 to discuss how we can best support your application.
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