Lecturer / Senior Lecturer in Counselling

Te Kaupeka Oranga | Faculty of Health

Located in Ōtautahi | Christchurch, Aotearoa | New Zealand

• Full-time 37.5 hours per week (1.0 FTE) We are also open to considering part-time arrangements.
• Continuing (permanent) position
• Generous annual leave provisions and professional development opportunities

Kia hiwa rā, kia hiwa rā!

He hiahia, he pūkenga nōu ki te mahi a te Pūkenga / Pūkenga Matua Nāia te pōwhiri nā Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha kia tono mai i te tūranga nei.

Āu Mahi | What You Will Do

Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha | the University of Canterbury invites applications for a continuing academic position/s at the level of Lecturer or Senior Lecturer (including Above the Bar) in Te Kaupeka Oranga | Faculty of Health, in Counselling. This is an exciting opportunity to join a collegial, future-focused Faculty and contribute to high-quality research, teaching, and service in counselling.

The holder of the position will share responsibility for delivery of the Post-Graduate and Master of Counselling programmes, within the faculty, as well as supervision of Masters and Doctoral level student research.

In this role, you will lead curriculum development, teaching, and coordination of courses in counselling, and duties may include programme coordination.

As an academic staff member, you will be expected to champion research excellence, foster interdisciplinary collaboration, and actively pursue external funding and partnerships to develop sustainable and innovative research initiatives. You will also be expected to supervise postgraduate research students and help ensure that academic programmes remain current, impactful, and responsive to emerging needs in the field. You will have a sound grasp of contemporary ethical and practice issues in the field of counselling, while a strong knowledge of research skills and methodologies will be an advantage, and/or experience in professional supervision.

This appointment represents a significant opportunity for an emerging or established academic to shape the direction of research and education within the Faculty of Health and to contribute meaningfully to the development and delivery of the Counselling programmes.

Mōu | Who You Are

The successful applicant will have a Doctoral degree in Counselling, Education or Counselling Psychology (or a closely aligned discipline), and have a demonstrated record of published research. However, applicants who are working towards a Doctoral degree, or have experience and are willing to work towards a Doctoral will be considered.

What you will bring:

• Be a member (preferably full) of your professional association, such as New Zealand Association of Counsellors / Te Roopu Kaiwhiriwhiri o Aotearoa (NZAC)
• Expertise in social constructionist and postmodern approaches to counselling and counsellor education, with experience practising and/or teaching solution-focused brief therapy
• Experience in and knowledge of supervision practices
• Active commitment to upholding the values, tikanga (protocols and processes), kawa (rules) of cultural practice and traditions as guided by mana whenua, Ngāi Tūāhuriri, and valuing Te reo Māori.
• A demonstrated commitment to promoting diversity, equity and social justice
• Knowledge of counselling codes of ethics and legal frameworks in Aotearoa, including issues of confidentiality and privacy
• Demonstrated excellence in coordinating and leading course development and teaching in counselling
• Experience supporting or leading supervision of postgraduate research students.
• A commitment to inclusive teaching practices and reflective professional development.

If you are passionate about advancing the field of Counselling and ready to make a significant contribution to research and teaching, we encourage you to apply and join us.

Mahi Ngātahi | Who You Will Work With

Te Kaupeka Oranga | Faculty of Health offers undergraduate and postgraduate programmes and research activities that respond to the dynamic nature of the health and sport sectors and their workforce. We offer undergraduate programmes in Sport and Health as well as postgraduate programmes in Counselling, Social Work, Child and Family Psychology, Nursing, Health Leadership and various population health and clinical endorsements within the Postgraduate Diploma and Master of Health Sciences.

For more information on our Faculty please visit us here.

Ngā Painga o UC | Why UC

Tangata Tū, Tangata Ora – Engaged, Empowered, Making a Difference.

We are committed to accessible higher education, service to the community and the encouragement of talent without barriers of distance, wealth, class, gender or ethnicity. The University explicitly aims to produce graduates and support staff who are engaged with their communities, empowered to act for good and determined to make a difference in the world.

Mea e tukua nei | What we offer

The University is committed to providing an excellent working environment, this includes:

• relocation support
• five weeks annual leave and five days university holidays
• UC Parental Leave (up to 9 weeks paid) + 26 weeks Government paid parental leave and onsite childcare facility
• widely accessible sabbatical provision
• generous employer contribution to superannuation (up to 6.75%)
• University and Faculty scholarship support for post-graduate students
• a unique bequest funded endowment (Erskine Fund) that supports an extensive visiting fellowship programme
• flexible working arrangements
• supportive working environment
• professional development and study opportunities
• living in revitalised Ōtautahi | Christchurch, Aotearoa New Zealand
• a unique working environment in a beautiful campus with access to UC facilities such as the recreation centre and Staff Club at discounted rates plus onsite cafés and eateries, and more.

For more information on our Benefits, please visit https://www.canterbury.ac.nz/joinus/benefits/

For more information about Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha | University of Canterbury, please visit https://www.canterbury.ac.nz/

This role sits within the Academic Staff, Associated Staff and Support Staff Collective Agreement and the following salary scale applies: Lecturer $94,181 - $113,616; Senior Lecturer $119,586 - $135,630, Senior Lecturer Above the Bar $141,600 - $ 149,806.

The closing date for this position is: 21 June 2026 (midnight NZ time)

Please note, applications will be reviewed prior to the close date.

Pēhea te tono mai | How You Apply

Applications for this position must be submitted on our careers website and should include the following:

1. a 1-page cover letter, a 1-page research statement outlining your research interests and goals,
2. and a 1-page teaching philosophy statement (combined)
3. a Resume which includes a list of relevant research publications (combined).

Please note, only 2 documents can be uploaded in the application process.

We do not accept applications by email, however, we are happy to answer any queries at WorkatUC@canterbury.ac.nz

For further information specifically about the role, please contact: Shanee Barraclough shanee.barraclough@canterbury.ac.nz

For overseas applicants, please visit Immigration New Zealand website, to review the latest health and visa requirements for visiting and working in New Zealand.