Help people with persistent pain, injury, disability and complex barriers build confidence, capability and sustainable employment.
MPES is Australia’s only specialist Inclusive Employment Australia provider dedicated to supporting people living with chronic and persistent pain. Our innovative model brings together employment services, vocational rehabilitation and allied health-informed practice to help people build meaningful careers and maintain long-term employment.
If you are looking for a role where you can build genuine relationships, work alongside an experienced multidisciplinary team and make a lasting difference in people’s lives, we would love to hear from you.
About MPES
Managing Pain Employment Services Pty Ltd (MPES) supports people experiencing chronic and persistent pain, injury, disability, health conditions and other complex barriers to employment through the Inclusive Employment Australia program.
Our approach brings together:
- vocational rehabilitation
- contemporary pain science
- biopsychosocial practice
- behavioural and work participation approaches
- interdisciplinary collaboration
- sustainable employment outcomes
Our purpose is to help participants build confidence, capability and sustainable work participation through a practical, person-centred and evidence-informed approach.
About the Role
As a Rehabilitation Consultant, you will support participants experiencing health-related, psychosocial and vocational barriers to obtain, maintain and succeed in sustainable employment.
You will combine vocational rehabilitation principles with employment support, behavioural coaching, employer engagement and participant-centred case management within a work participation framework.
You will work collaboratively with participants, employers, allied health professionals, support networks and MPES team members to improve work readiness, confidence, function and sustainable employment participation.
This role is ideal for someone who enjoys practical problem-solving, values interdisciplinary practice and understands that vocational recovery is often non-linear.
What You’ll Do
In this role, you will help participants progress toward realistic and sustainable employment by addressing health, functional, psychosocial and vocational barriers in a practical and coordinated way.
Your work will include assessment, planning, coaching, employer and stakeholder engagement, documentation, risk escalation and ongoing support before and after employment commencement.
Key Responsibilities
Vocational Rehabilitation and Case Management
- Deliver person-centred vocational rehabilitation services to participants experiencing persistent pain, injury, disability, mental health challenges and psychosocial barriers to employment.
- Conduct biopsychosocial and vocational assessments to identify participant strengths, barriers, work capacity considerations, support needs and vocational goals.
- Develop tailored vocational participation plans aligned with participant goals, current capability, support needs and realistic labour market opportunities.
- Support participants through graded vocational engagement, work preparation, job search activity and sustainable return-to-work or employment pathways.
- Maintain active participant engagement and provide support through pre-employment, placement and post-placement retention phases.
- Monitor progress and adapt strategies in response to participant needs and changing circumstances.
Behavioural Coaching & Work Participation Support
- Apply motivational interviewing, behavioural activation, pacing principles, and strengths-based coaching approaches within scope of practice.
- Support participants to build self-efficacy, confidence, resilience, and vocational identity.
- Assist participants to address barriers impacting work participation including fear-avoidance, low confidence, reduced function, uncertainty, and workplace anxiety.
- Promote sustainable work participation approaches consistent with contemporary biopsychosocial, pain-informed and recovery-oriented practice.
Employer & Stakeholder Engagement
- Collaborate with employers to identify suitable employment opportunities and support sustainable workplace participation.
- Support workplace adjustment discussions and return-to-work planning where appropriate.
- Liaise professionally with healthcare providers, insurers, support coordinators, and other stakeholders to facilitate coordinated vocational outcomes.
- Work collaboratively with MPES Employment Consultants,
- Employer Engagement staff, Pain Management Consultants, leadership and interdisciplinary team members.
Documentation, Compliance & Quality
- Maintain accurate, timely and professional case notes, servicing records and documentation within organisational and government systems, including WAOP and Microsoft 365 platforms.
- Deliver services in accordance with Inclusive Employment Australia contractual requirements, MPES policies, privacy obligations and quality frameworks.
- Participate in case reviews, supervision, quality improvement activities, and professional development.
- Identify and escalate clinical, psychosocial, or risk concerns in accordance with organisational procedures.
About You
Qualifications and Background
- You may bring qualifications or professional experience in one or more of the following areas:
- Rehabilitation Counselling
- Occupational Therapy
- Psychology
- Social Work
- Exercise Physiology
- Physiotherapy
- Vocational Rehabilitation
- Disability Employment Services
- Occupational Rehabilitation
- Human Services or related disciplines
Professional membership or registration relevant to your discipline is desirable where applicable.
Skills and Experience We’re Looking For
- Experience supporting people experiencing disability, injury, chronic health conditions, persistent pain, mental health challenges or psychosocial barriers.
- Understanding of vocational rehabilitation, employment services, occupational rehabilitation, disability support or related human services practice.
- Demonstrated ability to build rapport and maintain engagement with participants who may experience complex or fluctuating barriers to employment.
- Strong communication, motivational, and interpersonal skills.
- Ability to work collaboratively within an interdisciplinary environment.
- Strong professional boundaries and understanding of scope of practice.
- Excellent documentation, organisation, and case management skills.
- Ability to balance participant-centred support with employment outcomes, service quality and contractual obligations.
Highly Regarded
- Experience working with persistent pain populations.
- Knowledge of contemporary pain science and biopsychosocial approaches.
- Training or experience in:
- Motivational Interviewing
- Pacing and graded activity/exposure
- Return-to-work or occupational rehabilitation models
- Experience within Inclusive Employment Australia, DES, workers compensation, CTP, NDIS, or occupational rehabilitation sectors.
- Experience engaging employers and supporting workplace retention.
- Group facilitation or psychoeducation experience.
What Success Looks Like
You will succeed in this role if you bring empathy, structure, sound judgement and a practical vocational focus to your work. Success will be demonstrated through:
- participant engagement that is empathetic, practical and vocationally focused
- timely and accurate documentation that supports quality, compliance and continuity of service
- practical problem-solving and adaptive planning in response to participant needs
- effective behavioural coaching and work participation support within scope of practice
- collaborative interdisciplinary practice
- confidence working with complexity, uncertainty and non-linear participant progress
- contribution to sustainable employment, retention and work participation outcomes
- professionalism, accountability, teamwork and adaptability.
Why Join MPES?
You will join an experienced multidisciplinary team in a supportive, specialist employment service environment where genuine relationships, professional judgement, collaboration and practical impact are valued.
MPES offers:
- an innovative integrated health and employment model unlike traditional rehabilitation or employment services roles
- competitive salary based on qualifications, skills and experience
- professional development and CPD support relevant to vocational rehabilitation, pain-informed practice, employment services and interdisciplinary care
- regular supervision, case discussion and support from experienced multidisciplinary colleagues
- flexible work arrangements, with a practical balance of participant-facing, office-based and administrative work where service requirements allow
- meaningful, purpose-driven work supporting people with complex barriers to build confidence, capability and long-term employment
- opportunities to contribute to service innovation, practice improvement and the growth of a specialist national model
- career development opportunities within a specialist employment services environment
- a collaborative team culture that values professional judgement, learning, respect and continuous improvement.
Interested?
If you are passionate about helping people navigate complex barriers, build meaningful careers and maintain long-term employment, we would love to hear from you. Please apply with your resume and a brief cover letter outlining your relevant experience and interest in the role.
Inclusive Recruitment
MPES values diverse perspectives and is committed to a respectful, inclusive and accessible recruitment process. If you require an adjustment at any stage of the recruitment process, please let us know so we can support you to participate fully.
Please visit https://mpes.net.au/ for more information
