Rehabilitation & Recovery Specialist

Rehabilitation & Recovery Specialist

Auckland | Fixed-term

Help shape a new model of rehabilitation and return-to-work support in primary care

Are you an experienced occupational therapist, physiotherapist or registered nurse with a background in rehabilitation, injury recovery, occupational health, or return-to-work support?

We are recruiting four Rehabilitation & Recovery Specialists to join a new programme focused on improving recovery and helping injured people return to work safely, confidently, and sustainably.

This is an opportunity to help establish a new health professional role within our primary care network, working across healthcare, workplace, community, and ACC systems to address the barriers that can delay recovery.

About the role

As a Rehabilitation & Recovery Specialist, you will work alongside patients (and their whānau) who may be at risk of delayed recovery or prolonged work absence following an injury.

Using a biopsychosocial approach, you will identify the practical, psychological, social, workplace, and system barriers affecting recovery. You will then work with the patient, their employer, primary care team, ACC, and other providers to help overcome these barriers and support the successful implementation of agreed recovery and return-to-work plans.

This is not a case-management role - it is a clinically informed, non-treating role embedded within the patient’s primary care team.

Your focus will be on proactive follow-up, coordination, communication, problem-solving, and helping agreed plans work successfully in practice.

What you’ll be doing

• Supporting patients at risk of delayed injury recovery through proactive follow-up and coordination
• Identifying biopsychosocial, workplace, practical, and system barriers affecting recovery and return to work
• Helping patients and whānau understand and engage with agreed treatment, rehabilitation, and return-to-work plans
• Working closely with primary care teams to deliver recovery-focussed care
• Engaging employers to support the practical implementation of safe and sustainable return-to-work arrangements
• Providing follow-up through clinic, phone, and telehealth appointments
• Contributing insights as the programme model is tested, refined, and embedded

Why join us?

• Be part of something new: bring your knowledge and expertise to help establish and embed an innovative model of rehabilitation support in primary care
• Work collaboratively: partner with patients, whānau, primary care teams, employers, ACC, and community providers
• Influence change: use your expertise to help overcome barriers and improve how recovery support works in practice
• Grow your expertise: develop further capability in rehabilitation, return-to-work support, and integrated care
• Make a meaningful difference: help people regain confidence, independence, function, and participation in work

What we’re looking for

We are looking for experienced, empathetic professionals who thrive in collaborative environments.

You will bring:

• Current New Zealand registration and an Annual Practising Certificate in a relevant health profession
• Demonstrated experience in rehabilitation, injury management, occupational rehabilitation, primary care, return-to-work support, or a related setting
• Confidence working autonomously and exercising sound professional judgement
• Strong communication, negotiation, and relationship-management skills
• Confidence navigating complex or challenging conversations with patients, whānau, clinicians, employers, and external agencies
• The ability to influence others without relying on formal authority
• Strong organisation, documentation, follow-up, and caseload-management skills
• A practical, solutions-focused approach to complex situations
• Commitment to equitable outcomes, culturally safe practice, and Te Tiriti o Waitangi

What success looks like

You will be someone who:

• Builds trust quickly with patients, whānau, clinicians, employers, and partner organisations
• Identifies barriers early and takes practical steps to help resolve them
• Brings people together around clear, shared next steps
• Knows when to escalate clinical, treatment, or rehabilitation needs
• Works confidently in a new and evolving programme environment
• Is motivated by meaningful recovery outcomes, not simply completion of processes
• Brings empathy, resilience, sound judgement, and a genuine commitment to helping others

Ready to make an impact?

If you are excited about helping establish a new approach to rehabilitation and return-to-work support in primary care, we would love to hear from you.

Apply now and join our founding Rehabilitation & Recovery Specialist team.