Post-Doctoral Fellow

Job Description:

Te Kaupeka Oranga | Faculty of Health
Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha | University of Canterbury
Located in Ōtautahi | Christchurch, Aotearoa | New Zealand

• Part-time 18.75 hours per week (0.5 FTE)
• Fixed term (3 years) position
• Salary range NZD$85-95k per annum

Kia hiwa rā, kia hiwa rā! He hiahia, he pūkenga nōu ki te mahi a te Postdoctoral Fellow? Nāia te pōwhiri nā Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha kia tono mai i te tūranga nei.

Āu Mahi | What You Will Do
We have an exciting opportunity for a Post-doctoral Fellow to join a research team in Te Kaupeka Oranga – the Faculty of Health. In this role, you will support excellence in research by contributing to an externally funded research project focused on the design and evaluation of neurodiversity-affirming support for Autistic children and their caregivers. The primary focus of this role is to support the development of digital programme content and undertake a range of research activities, including data collection and analysis, conducting assessments, and disseminating research findings to support the successful delivery of the project. The research is led by Prof. Laurie McLay and involves research collaborators and key community partners from across New Zealand.

Mōu | Who You Are
We are looking for someone with excellent interpersonal and organisational skills, experience in project or research administration, and a strong understanding of the research process. You will also have experience working with Autistic or neurodivergent children and their caregivers/whānau. The successful applicant will preferably be based in Christchurch; however, applicants based elsewhere in New Zealand may also be considered.

To be successful in this position, you will have:
• A PhD in psychology, health, education, or a related discipline
• A strong research background
• Expertise in autism or other forms of neurodivergence and caregiver-mediated support
• An understanding of, and commitment to, neurodiversity-affirming understandings of autism
• Quantitative research and data analysis skills preferred
• An emerging publication track record
• A proven ability to communicate complex ideas and concepts, both orally and in writing, to a wide range of groups, including scientific and non-scientific audiences
• The ability to work creatively and independently

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.

Within this role, you will work with a cross-institutional research team but ideally, be based in Canterbury.

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.

The University of Canterbury is committed to accessible higher education, service to 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.

What we offer
• Flexible working arrangements
• Supportive working environment
• Generous annual leave provisions and competitive salary
• Professional development opportunities
• 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 café’s and eateries, and more

For more information, please visit: http://www.canterbury.ac.nz/joinus

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

The closing date for this position is: Tuesday 8 September 2026 (midnight, NZ time)
Applications will be reviewed as they are received, and interviews may take place before the close date.

Pēhea te tono mai | How You Apply
Applications for this position must be submitted on our careers website and should include a cover letter and resume. Please note, we do not accept applications by email, however we are happy to answer your queries in relation to the application process. Please forward these to [email protected]

For further information specifically about the role, please contact: Prof. Laurie McLay to discuss the opportunities associated with this position.

Please note: If you have submitted your PhD, but not yet conferred, you will still be considered.

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