Clinical Advisor - Doctor | Multiple Locations

Job Description

Clinical Advisor – Coronial Services Unit, Ministry of Justice

Part Time (0.3 - 0.7 FTE) 

Fixed term until October 2025 with a possibility of extension

Remote work from a home office

Are you a clear communicator who enjoys problem solving, assessing clinical information, and giving high-quality advice?

We are seeking an experienced registered doctor to join a team of clinical advisors within the Coronial Services Unit, Ministry of Justice.

Te Haeata/The Opportunity

The coroner's role is to investigate “unnatural deaths to find out the cause and circumstances of the death, and where possible, make recommendations aimed at preventing similar deaths in the future. This includes deaths where there is no attending practitioner who can determine the cause of death. Coroners are supported by the Ministry of Justice's Coronial Services Unit. There may be rotation into some on-call weekend or evening work.

The Clinical Advisor role is an exciting opportunity to be a part of a new team that supports coroners in making well-informed decisions.

On a day-to-day basis, you would assist with the triage of incoming death reports and enquiries from police, doctors and nurse practitioners from around the country.  The role may include accessing and interpreting medical records, discussing the circumstances of the death with the reporting health professional, and providing guidance on death certification. You may engage with police and pathologists, and grieving whānau. You will provide well-informed advice to coroners.

You will provide clinical advice within your scope of practice to coroners during case investigations and be involved with delivering advice and education initiatives to other health professionals and to coroners.

This role will call upon your knowledge and experience as a clinician, and your communication and advisory skills. 

Your work will benefit grieving whānau by reducing the number of deaths that enter the coronial system unnecessarily. The aim is to reduce unnecessary stress to grieving whānau while also freeing up coroner and pathologist time to focus their effort where it is needed most.

Ō pūkenga/Skills and Experience

You will be a registered doctor with a minimum of ten years' post-graduate clinical experience such as (but not limited to) general practice, emergency, intensive care, pathology, mental health or gerontology. You will be a team-player with an interest in leading positive change.

You will need to:

• work calmly under time pressure
• be resilient in dealing with cases involving sudden, unexpected death and communicate with whānau in an empathetic manner
• have strong relationship management skills and be a team player
• be able to clearly convey clinical information to audiences of a non-medical background.
• have a high level of cultural capability.
• have good organisational skills, professional judgment, and be competent with information systems.

Mō mātou/About us

At Te Tāhū o te Ture - the Ministry of Justice, we're committed to strengthening people's trust in the law of Aotearoa, New Zealand.

Joining Te Tāhū o te Ture means you will become part of an organisation that welcomes and supports people of all gender identities, ages, ethnicities, sexual orientations, disabilities and religions. 

Ngā painga o tēnei wāhi mahi/What's great about working here

• Comprehensive training and induction
• Ability to shape the role and function in its early establishment phase.
• Work in a close-knit team of health professionals in close contact with coroners and pathologists.
• Contribute to improvements in systems of death certification, including contributions to meaningful legislative change.
• No two days the same
• Make a meaningful difference in the lives of whānau who have experienced the sudden loss of a loved one
• Remote working, including extensive IT support from the Ministry of Justice.

See our full range of benefits here.

With a wide range of jobs, you also get the chance to gain a variety of skills and experience while developing your career.

Utu ā-tau/Salary

The appointing salary for this role will be between $147,972 and $206,570 (pro rata) based on skills and experience.

Tono mai/Apply

To apply, click the Apply button below to be directed to our Careers Website. You can view a detailed position description here, as well as complete an online application form by attaching your CV and cover letter.

Applications close on 02/02/2025; however, we will be reviewing CVs as they come in and inviting successful candidates to interview before the close date.

If you have any questions, please contact recruitment@justice.govt.nz

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