• Dunedin Hospital
• Permanent, part-time role (0.75 FTE)
• Salary band: $193,386 – $282,645 (as per ASMS MECA 2022)

Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora invites applications for a dual trained Pain Medicine Specialist for Dunedin Hospital. With grounding in the principles of Te Tiriti o Waitangi and through integration and collaboration, we are building a service that is underpinned by partnership, equity, sustainability, whānau-centred care, and excellence.

About the role

The Persistent Pain Service is a contemporary interdisciplinary team that includes physiotherapy, clinical psychology, occupational therapy, and other senior medical specialists. The service operates under a broad biopsychosocial framework, with staff being co-located and delivering care from Dunedin Hospital, either in person or via Telehealth.

This role is aimed to improve patient’s access to the Persistent Pain Service across the Southern region. The model of care is continuing to evolve and as such it is an exciting time to join and be actively involved in service development and improvement. The Pain Medicine Specialist will work closely with patients, their family, and whānau providing advanced level assessment, intervention, and evaluation of their health-related difficulties in an outpatient setting.

As part of the role, you will also work within an interdisciplinary team, other health professionals, organisations, and stakeholders, including primary care practitioners and non-government organisations who have a supportive care function locally and regionally.

About you

Candidates should hold a pain specialist qualification or have a special interest in pain such that you are knowledgeable and experienced in working with complex needs clients and able to demonstrate excellent assessment, formulation, treatment planning and therapy skills.

To be considered for substantive roles, it is essential that you:

• have completed a recognised postgraduate training in Pain Medicine
• have a postgraduate qualification in Pain Medicine
• have the ability to apply for vocational registration in Pain Medicine with the New Zealand Medical Council
• have specialist qualification in your area of speciality such as Anaesthesia, Internal Medicine, Psychiatry, or Palliative Medicine.

We are open to discussing this further with clinicians from other specialist areas.

We would also consider interests for fixed-term positions from six months to a year, or part-time inquiries.

You will need to:

• be a confident and effective communicator
• bring a flexible approach with excellent organisational skills
• be passionate about your work
• be a strong, supportive team player
• be proactive in the interdisciplinary team.

Working at Health New Zealand

Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora is ‘the weaving of wellness’. We’re dedicated to ensuring excellent healthcare for the people of Aotearoa New Zealand.

Our people are at the heart of everything we do. Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora are committed to being good employers and honouring our equal employment opportunity obligations. We embrace diversity and welcome application from all people, including all gender identities, ages, ethnicities, sexual orientations, and disability.

A workforce that is diverse and inclusive means that we are better positioned to understand and service our community. We are pro-equity health organisation, with a particular focus on Māori, Pacific peoples, and the disability community.

Salary range

This role belongs to the ASMS Collective Agreement and falls between Step 1 ($198,386) and Step 15 ($282,645 per annum pro-rata).

How to apply

To apply please click ‘apply now’. All applications must be submitted through our online careers portal by Thursday, 4 June 2026. If you have any questions about the role, please contact Agatha Chen, Recruitment Advisor – Senior Medical Officers agatha.chen@tewhatuora.govt.nz

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

Pre-employment checks

In the interests of protecting our people and our patients, all appointments will be subject to:

• an Occupational Health Assessment
• police vetting/Ministry of Justice safety checks
• serious misconduct checks (previous public service departments and statutory Crown entities only).

We only accept online applications. Please apply via our website.