Programme Leader/Deputy Leader (Academic) – Interprofessional Education Programme (Te Tai o Pou[...]

Job description

Overview

The University runs two Complex Rural Immersion (CRI) Interprofessional Education (IPE) programmes of learning, one in Greymouth and the other in Tairāwhiti.

The programmes are supported by dedicated funding from Health NZ Te Whatu Ora.

This role is based in Greymouth and open to applicants living on the West Coast.

The programme focuses on four pillars of learning: interprofessional collaboration, rural health, Hauora Māori and long-term conditions.

Five rotations a year are offered for senior health professional students, including – but not necessarily limited to - dietetics, dentistry, medical laboratory science, medicine, midwifery, nursing, occupational therapy, oral health, paramedicine, pharmacy, physiotherapy, social work and speech language therapy.

The aim is to bring pre-registration final-year students together from a wide range of health and social care disciplines to learn how to provide high-quality, safe, culturally appropriate, team-based, person-centered care.

Students complete discipline-specific and interprofessional placements and other interprofessional and rural health learning in their five-week rotational block.

Students are primarily attached to clinical providers in Greymouth or Hokitika but also travel more widely to experience the challenges and solutions to providing health and social care in a rural setting.

The Role

We are seeking experienced health or social care professionals to take up the roles of Programme Leader and Deputy Programme Leader.

The successful candidate should have a keen interest in health professional education with strong Hauora Māori, iwi and community knowledge, and excellent coordination and teamwork skills.

These academic roles are supported by a full-time Programme Coordinator.

The expectation is to work from Te Whare Ako – Greymouth Learning Centre on Mondays and Fridays, as most student interactions happen on Fridays, while team discussions are scheduled for Mondays.

Key Tasks

• Working closely with the Director of the IPE Centre who is also Director of the CRI programmes.
  
  
• Liaising closely with the University of Otago CRI Programme Manager and the programme’s interprofessional Education Operations Group (EOG) about the initiation, promotion and functioning of the programme.
  
  
• Utilising educational expertise and educational resources to implement the interprofessional education programme.
  
  
• Fostering and further developing effective relationships and appropriate agreements with iwi and other stakeholders in the region.
  
  
• Ensuring the delivery of the curriculum in conjunction with the Programme Administrator/Coordinator.
  
  
• Attending the noho marae on a rotational basis, with team members taking turns on agreed Sundays at the start of each 5-week block.
  
  
• In conjunction with the Programme Administrator/Coordinator: secure and support discipline-specific clinical placements and interprofessional placements, assure programme quality, and ensure student hours are completed.
  
  
• Training and supporting clinical placement provider staff to provide both discipline-specific and interprofessional learning in clinical workplaces.
  
  Liaising with these staff about the placement experience to see if improvements are needed.
  
  
• Arranging for a local stakeholder to nominate a community project for students to complete.
  
  Helping develop the plan for the community project.
  
  
• Supporting and facilitating learning for students while on clinical placements in relation to their own and each other’s discipline principles and practice.
  
  
• Ensuring student pastoral care issues, concerns, and complaints are quickly, sensitively and appropriately managed.
  
  
• Providing in-programme assessment and feedback to students.
  
  

Professional Practice Fellow activities

• Maintaining own practice (clinical, education, research if so desired) in a health or social care profession, demonstrating knowledge of technical developments and involvement with professional organisations relating to the practice, as well as key current and future health issues for Māori, nationally and locally.
  
  
• An understanding of and/or willingness to learn the principles of interprofessional education (IPE) and interprofessional collaborative practice (IPCP), and their application.
  
  Attending training as it becomes available.
  
  
• Maintaining an awareness of research/teaching developments in the IPE field and interprofessional educational principles.
  
  
• As appropriate to the region, maintaining cultural protocols and integrity of Māori principles and values, demonstrating knowledge of cultural developments and involvement with professional organisations and the local iwi.
  
  

Your skills and experience

This role will suit a health or social care professional with experience in education or educating students, who possibly holds a part-time clinical role, and is a well-respected leader in and beyond the relevant professional community.

The successful candidate will also have:

• A tertiary qualification(s) in a health or social care profession.
  
  
• An understanding and appreciation of the principles of the te Tiriti o Waitangi.
  
  
• Cultural competency and ability to work effectively with a wide range of people.
  
  
• The ability and commitment to working interprofessionally with students and colleagues across a range of health and social care professional disciplines.
  
  
• Educational experience using online learning platforms and resources or willingness to learn about these.
  
  
• An appreciation of rural values in the context of Aotearoa New Zealand
• Self-motivation and capability to undertake project planning, and management.
  
  
• Experience supervising and managing staff.
  
  
• The ability to complete high-quality work within tight timeframes.
  
  
• Excellent communication skills, both oral and written.
  
  
• The ability to be flexible and demonstrate maturity of judgement.
  
  

Further details

Both the Lead and Deputy roles are fixed-term, part-time positions (0.5 FTE and 0.3 FTE respectively) until 31 December 2026.

There is some flexibility depending on other work commitments and hours of work are negotiable with the successful candidate.

Appointment will be made at an appropriate step on the University of Otago Professional Practice Fellow salary scale (pro rata), depending on the candidate’s qualifications and experience.

The salary range is $105,665 to $137,444 per annum pro rata.

You must have the right to live and work in Aotearoa New Zealand to apply for this role.

We are committed to equity, and we value the benefits that diversity brings to our work and our community.

For further information please contact Professor Eileen McKinlay, IPE Director, via the contact details below.

Application

Candidates are requested to submit the following:

• A letter of application, clearly stating what you would bring to the role.
  
  
• A CV, including employment history.
  
  
• 3-4 referee contact details, including telephone number and email address.
  
  

To submit an application please click the apply button.

Applications quoting reference number will close Sunday, 26 October 2025.

Applications will be considered as they are received.

The University reserves the right to close this vacancy at any time.

Required Skill Profession

Project & Process Management