Professional Leader & Social Worker

Professional Leader & Social Worker

Professional Leader & Social Worker | Social Work Services

Permanent part-time opportunities (0.3 and 0.2 FTE) Flexible opportunity - apply for one role or combine both for a 0.5 FTE position

Be part of a highly respected Allied Health service

Influence the future direction of Social Work services in South Canterbury

Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora is the country's largest employer, delivering universal public healthcare to 5 million New Zealanders. We provide essential hospital, specialist, and community health services across 80+ locations - from large urban centres to rural towns and remote communities.

Our goal is to improve health outcomes for all New Zealanders by delivering equitable, accessible and innovative care.

About the Role

As Professional Leader Social Work (0.2 FTE), you will provide professional and operational leadership for Social Work services across South Canterbury. You'll support workforce development, clinical governance, quality improvement, service planning, and the continued growth of a skilled and sustainable social work workforce. If applying for both roles, the role includes leadership of a team of social workers while maintaining a clinical practice component.

As a Social Worker (0.3 FTE), you'll provide high-quality assessment, intervention, advocacy, discharge planning, and support for patients and whānau across inpatient, outpatient, and community settings. You'll work closely with multidisciplinary teams to achieve positive outcomes for the people of South Canterbury.

About You

For both opportunities, you will need to hold Registration with the Social Workers Registration Board and a current Practising Certificate as well as the following:

For the Professional Leader role, you'll have:

• Strong clinical leadership skills
• Experience supporting workforce development, professional standards, and quality improvement
• Excellent relationship-building and facilitation skills
• A commitment to culturally safe practice and health equity outcomes.

For the Social Worker role, you'll have:

• Experience working within health, community, or social service environments
• Strong assessment, intervention, and communication skills
• A collaborative approach to multidisciplinary practice
• A commitment to evidence-based practice and culturally responsive care.

Working for 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.

Salary

This role is covered by the terms and conditions of the Allied PSA and the Pay Scale, determined on relevant experience.

How to Apply

Please confirm which opportunity you are open to within your application.

To apply please click "apply now." All applications must be submitted through our online careers' portal by 26 August 2026.