Step into a rewarding challenge as a Senior Social Worker in Adult Mental Health Services at Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora Waitematā District, where you will lead practice, strengthen equity, and influence meaningful outcomes for whai ora.

Senior Social Worker Adult Mental Health (Leadership Role)

About the role

We are seeking an experienced, clinically astute Social Worker ready to step into a senior leadership role within Adult Mental Health. This position will suit a confident, thoughtful practitioner who can lead with credibility, apply sound professional judgement, and advocate for high-quality, evidence-informed social work practice across acute and community settings.

This is a key leadership opportunity to influence practice across services. You will provide professional leadership to a skilled social work workforce, partner closely with operational managers, and represent social work across the wider systemincluding community, primary care, and NGO interfaces with specific focus on inpatient.

Drawing on advanced clinical expertise, you will drive service development, strengthen discipline-specific practice, and contribute to strategic initiatives that shape how social work is delivered across Adult Mental Health Services.

Key responsibilities include:

Providing visible, accountable leadership, including advanced consultation, coaching, and mentorship to social workers
Strengthening clinical practice through evidence-informed, discipline-specific leadership
Leading and contributing to service improvement and innovation withi special focus o inpatient
Supporting workforce development through supervision, performance review, and targeted coaching
Contributing to professional development initiatives, including training, guideline development, and models of best practice
Maintaining strong professional links across the sector to support integrated, responsive care

Click here to view the Job Description

About you

You will be a clear, credible communicator who can operate effectively within the Adult Leadership Group, translating service direction into strong clinical practice. You bring a grounded, principled approach to social workable to navigate complexity, hold professional boundaries, and make balanced decisions that reflect both individual need and system responsibility.

You are confident working across clinical and leadership domains, with the ability to influence practice, support others to develop, and contribute to a cohesive and accountable social work culture. Alongside your leadership role, you will maintain a clinical component, with the focus determined by your experience and service needs.

A strong commitment to Te Tiriti o Waitangi is essential, along with the ability to work in genuine partnership with tangata whai i te ora, applying culturally responsive and mana-enhancing practice.

If you are interested and would like to take your next career step we look forward to hearing from you.

For further information about this opportunity, please contact Gemma Whittam, Operations Manager for Adult Mental Health Services, via e-mail. For further information on the recruitment process please contact Abigail Sana Matic, Recruitment Consultant via email

We will review applications as received and may proceed with the recruitment process, before the closing date of this advert.

Position number: WDHB21132

Closing date: 12 July 2026

Let Employers Find YouUpload Your Resume