Clinical Lead - Youth Service

About the role

We are seeking a full-time fixed-term Clinical Youth Services Lead to support a youth-focused co-design pilot project. The role requires strong expertise in youth and community development and ideally behavioural addictions. The Clinical Youth Services Lead will guide the project across four core blocks of work: building the evidence base, participating in youth co-design, supporting sector test-site collaboration, and shaping and testing the final service model. They will ensure that all insights, prototypes, and design decisions remain grounded in clinical evidence and best practice. The clinician will take on a caseload of rangatahi that come into PGF and will test the youth support service as part of the co-design process. There is a dual reporting line: 1) to the National Clinical Director for clinical oversight and day to day management of caseload and 2) to the Youth Project Manager for project deliverables and outcomes. This role is fixed term for 12 months at which point we expect the youth pilot project should be complete.

About us

The PGF Services nationwide team consists of qualified counsellors providing free, professional and confidential counselling services for both gamblers and others affected by gambling and a dedicated public health team working on harmful gambling issues in the community using a health promotion approach.

Harmful gambling is a significant social issue in New Zealand and at PGF Services, we work with communities, district and city councils, gambling providers and policy makers to support the change necessary to reduce gambling harm.

Qualifications & Experience

• 5+ years’ clinical experience, ideally youth-focused
• Graduate qualifications from New Zealand recognized tertiary institution in counselling, applied mental health sciences, psychology, psychotherapy, social work or nursing
• Registered member of an appropriate professional body.
• Strong understanding of youth development, behavioural addictions, digital harm, and harm minimisation/non-abstinence approaches.
• Demonstrated experience working effectively with Māori and Pacific rangatahi, whānau, and communities, with knowledge of relevant treatment and holistic care models.
• Ability to interpret and apply academic evidence and communicate clearly within multidisciplinary teams.
• Skills in project coordination, including planning, monitoring, reporting, risk management, and use of coordination tools.
• Strong relationship management, knowledge of the mental health and addictions sector, and established networks
• Experience in co-design, service development, or establishing new interventions (advantageous).

What we Offer

• A work from home day
• One day of Birthday leave
• KiwiSaver
• Competitive salary based on skills and experience
• Phone plan
• Career development and training opportunities
• External supervision
• Use of company vehicle for work purposes

We are committed to delivering a mana enhancing service and the health, safety and wellbeing of all staff is important to us. We value the connections you have with your community and encourage people with diverse backgrounds to apply.

If you want to make a difference by working to reduce digital harm for rangatahi, then we want to hear from you. Shortlisted candidates will be contacted in the week after the listing’s closing date, 12th January 2026 at 5pm. This date may change depending on the number of applications we receive, and we will contact you before or after this date with your outcome. Interviews will take place on 30th January 2026. We anticipate a starting date for this role to commence in February 2026.

Please note: To apply for this role, you must be eligible to work in New Zealand.