Early Response Manager – Pou Whakahaere Tuatahi

• Strategic and operational role
• Key member of the senior management team
• Based in Wellington CBD

Vitae is a nationwide provider of workplace wellbeing and employee assistance services. As a not-for-profit organisation, they take a values-based approach to working with their customers, which include a wide range of industries, national corporates and government departments, small to medium sized businesses, not-for-profit entities, and education institutions. Their vision is ‘people realising their potential and engaged in healthy relationships, work and communities in Aotearoa New Zealand’.

Reporting to the Chief Executive – Tumuaki, you’ll be part of the Vitae senior management team and will be responsible for providing leadership and direction to the Early Response Team.

You’ll be responsible for the intake team of ten, split between Wellington and Hamilton, and ensuring professional oversight and service development at intake referral, ensuring Vitae’s services are safety focussed, well-coordinated and person-centred including supporting the Early Response Lead with the day to day leadership of team and processes.

You’ll also be responsible for professional oversight and service development of traumatic and critical incident responses, including supporting the Early Response Lead with the recruitment, training, support and ongoing practice development of the national critical incident responder network, backup coordination of critical incidents and post-incident standdown support for responders and follow up with customers. Service development may include consultation and training for customer organisations.

As a member of the senior management team, you will contribute to the development, implementation and review of organisational and clinical strategies, policies, procedures and goals.

Vitae has a strong bicultural commitment to its work and kaupapa that values diversity and inclusion. As such, a strong cultural awareness and understanding of the principles of Te Tiriti o Waitangi will be valued.

This is a full time permanent position based at Vitae’s national office on The Terrace in Wellington. As a senior manager, the Early Response Manager will be required to be part of the after-hours roster, currently one week in seven or eight.

Person Profile:

• Experience in working at a senior leadership level; an effective coach and leader, with the ability to inspire high levels of productivity, teamwork and quality outcomes
• A relevant health related qualification in psychotherapy, psychology, counselling, nursing, social worker related fields (note, professional registration is not required)
• Robust and recent experience at a mental health clinical practice level that can demonstrate sound client initial assessment, robust knowledge and skill, critical thinking and sound clinical judgement
• Experience in responding to critical incidents / trauma / mental health and/or working in the area of trauma
• Demonstrates the ability to identify, implement and continually improve business processes and systems, leading and facilitating groupwork or training
• Ability to identify, manage and mitigate clinical and operational risk
• Effectively manages time and demonstrates a proactive and disciplined approach to planning, problem solving and work prioritisation
• Very highly developed written and oral communication skills
• Strategic and analytical, with conceptual thinking abilities
• Open and transparent, with a consultative and collaborative way of building and maintaining relationships
• An affinity with Vitae’s values and with their vision to partner with people in realising their potential and to be engaged in health relationships at work, home and in communities in Aotearoa

Applications close: Wednesday 26 March 2025
Applications to: Please send your CV and cover letter to Kirsty McLaren via mclaren.co.nz
Position description: Available to view at mclaren.co.nz

P: 04 499 1069

W: mclaren.co.nz

View the position description by copying this link into your browser: https://mclaren.co.nz/wp-content/uploads/Vitae-PD-Early-Response-Manager-12.3.25.pdf