• Join a Growing Team
• Full time leadership opportunity
• Join a respected Canterbury organisation making a real community impact

Lead with purpose. Strengthen a team that makes a difference.
 
At the heart of Aviva's work is a clear purpose: supporting whānau and communities to live safe and fulfilling lives free from family violence and sexual violence.
 
Over recent years, Aviva has grown into an organisation of more than 50 kaimahi delivering highly regarded services across Canterbury. That growth has been purposeful and values-led, with Aviva recognised as a credible and collaborative voice within the violence prevention sector.
 
An opportunity has opened to step into a key leadership role within their specialist Sexual Violence service, leading a dedicated and experienced team delivering critical, trauma-informed support.
 
About the opportunity

This is a hands-on leadership role, combining clinical practice with team leadership in a dynamic, crisis-response environment.
 
Reporting to the Client Services Manager - Sexual Violence, you will lead a team of 11 kaimahi within a wider group of 14, supporting both day-to-day operations and after-hours response services. You will maintain a small clinical caseload of complex clients, allowing you to stay connected to frontline delivery while modelling high-quality, trauma-informed practice.
 
In this role, you will take ownership of the day-to-day performance and delivery of the service, providing clinical oversight and guidance on complex cases while ensuring strong risk management, safety planning and documentation standards are upheld. You will support and develop a diverse team through supervision, coaching and capability building, fostering a collaborative and accountable environment.
 
You will also oversee rostering, including after-hours response, and play a key role in strengthening relationships with iwi, community partners and specialist agencies. Alongside this, you will contribute to service development, continuous improvement and broader organisational leadership, ensuring services remain responsive, effective and aligned with best practice in a high-intensity, meaningful setting.
 
What you'll bring:

• Experience working with adults and whānau affected by sexual violence, with a strong understanding of trauma-informed practice
• Proven leadership experience, with the ability to guide, support and develop kaimahi in complex environments
• Strong case management skills and the ability to hold complexity with calm, sound judgement
• Confidence providing clinical oversight, including risk assessment, safety planning and decision-making support
• The ability to build trusted relationships across agencies, communities and specialist support networks
• A commitment to culturally grounded, whānau-centred practice and Te Tiriti o Waitangi
• Professional registration, or progress toward registration, in social work or a related field preferred

About You
 
You are a grounded and capable practitioner who brings both clinical credibility and thoughtful leadership. You understand the complexities of sexual violence and the importance of safe, responsive and strengths-based support.
 
You lead with empathy and clarity, creating an environment where people feel supported, accountable and able to do their best work. You are comfortable navigating high-pressure situations, providing guidance and direction while maintaining a steady and considered approach.
 
You will ideally bring:  

• A relevant Social Work qualification and/or experience in the sexual violence or wider social services sector
• Eligibility for registration or membership with a professional body such as Aotearoa New Zealand Association of Social Workers, New Zealand Association of Counsellors or National Association of Social Services Providers
• Demonstrated experience supporting or leading others in practice, including supervision or coaching
• Experience working with complex client presentations, including co-existing needs such as mental health or housing instability
• Strong relationship-building and communication skills across a wide range of stakeholders
• A commitment to reflective practice, continuous improvement and team wellbeing
• A full, clean driver's licence

Why Aviva
 
Aviva is widely respected for the quality of its services, its principled approach and its commitment to collaboration across the sector. The organisation is known for doing its mahi with care, courage and integrity, and for placing people at the centre of its work.
 
For practitioners committed to making a genuine difference, Aviva offers a supportive and values-driven environment with strong professional support and supervision.
 
The role offers:

• Salary: This role is aligned to the Pay Equity Pay Spine and salary placement will be determined within this framework, recognising relevant experience
• Birthday leave and 2 days Wellness leave
• Flexible working arrangements
• Access to pool vehicles, laptops and safety applications for community work

If you are passionate about supporting safer families and communities and want to contribute to meaningful change, we would love to hear from you.
 
For a confidential conversation or to request a Candidate Briefing Document, please contact Heather Ewing on 03 2650 667 or click the 'Apply' button to express your interest in finding out more.