Lecturer/Senior Lecturer/Associate Professor in Child and Family Psychology

Faculty of Health

School of Health Sciences

Located in Ōtautahi | Christchurch, Aotearoa | New Zealand 

• Full-time 37.5 hours per week (1.0 FTE)
• Starting date: January 2026
• Continuing (permanent) position 

Kia hiwa rā, kia hiwa rā!

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

What You Will Do

The University of Canterbury is seeking to fill a permanent, full-time academic post in its prestigious Child and Family Psychology programme, commencing January 2026. The successful candidate will be an accomplished researcher and a highly experienced Psychologist. We are looking for someone who is dedicated to training our future Child and Family Psychologists; and who shares our programme’s philosophical emphases on cross-sectoral, and culturally-sensitive practice, within a scientist-practitioner framework.

Who You Are

The successful candidate will have an active research programme in a clinical child, developmental, family and/or parenting field, consistent with appointment at Senior Lecturer or Associate Professor level (Senior Lecturer and Associate Professor academic ranks are broadly equivalent to that of ‘Associate Professor’ and ‘Full Professor’ in North America, respectively). The successful candidate will also have significant professional standing as a psychologist working with children and families, including clinical leadership and/or senior advisory experience.

The essential selection criteria are:

• A PhD in Psychology or other relevant discipline (practising Psychologists, working towards completing a PhD in Psychology may be considered, depending on academic and professional experience)
• Registered to practice as a Psychologist in New Zealand, or (for overseas applicants) eligible to be registered in New Zealand
• Ideally at least 5 years post-registration experience as a Psychologist working with children, adolescents and/or families, with evidence of significant professional standing in your field of practice
• Experience leading a child and family psychology team or service, or other relevant clinical leadership and/or experience in senior clinical advisory roles
• Experience in culturally appropriate practice with indigenous, ethnic minority and/or immigrant families
• Research and scholarship in a field relevant to child and family psychological practice and/or policy, consistent with appointment at Senior Lecturer or Associate Professor level
• Experience teaching in a post-graduate Psychologist training programme that culminates in Psychologist registration / licensure 

Who You Will Work With

The Child and Family Psychology Programme encompasses a two-year open-entry Master’s degree, followed by a three-year limited-entry Postgraduate Diploma in Child and Family Psychology, which can be completed in four years of full-time postgraduate study. The diploma leads to registration as a Psychologist with the New Zealand Psychologists’ Board. This is a cross-sectoral programme that aims to equip psychologists to work with children and families in varied settings, including Child and Adolescent Mental Health, Paediatrics, Education, Child Welfare (including alternate care and adoption), Disability Services, and various types of non-government children’s services. The programme is unique to New Zealand and Australia, and is one of only a few of its kind in the world. The programme also operates the Pukemanu Centre, a state-of-the art university training clinic that offers considerable scope for carrying out clinical and applied developmental research with children, parents and families. 

The successful applicant will have opportunities for international conference travel to support their research and teaching activities and will have the opportunity to network with international  colleagues through the University’s unique Erskine Fellowship and Canterbury Fellowship Scheme (which enables the University to host world leading academics) and through the University’s academic staff exchange programmes with Oxford and Cambridge Universities in the UK.

For more information about our team and programmes, please visit us at Child and Family Psychology Programme 

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.

What we offer

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

• Relocation support
• Onsite childcare facilities
• Five weeks annual leave and five days university holidays
• UC Parental Leave (up to 9 weeks paid) + 26 weeks Government paid parental leave.
• 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/

The closing date for this position is: Monday, 28 April 2025 (midnight NZ time)

Please note, applications will be reviewed after the close date.

This role sits within the Academic Staff, Associated Staff and Academic Support Staff Collective Agreement and the following salary scale applies: Lecturer $89,645 - $108,144, Senior Lecturer $113,826 - $142,591, Associate Professor $148,098 - $159,640.

How You Apply

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

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

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: Senior Lecturer, Sarah Whitcombe-Dobbs  sarah.whitcombe-dobbs@canterbury.ac.nz 

For overseas applicants, please visit Immigration New Zealand website or the New Zealand Government’s official Covid-19 website, to review the latest health and visa requirements for visiting and working in New Zealand.