Exercise Physiologist | Mackay | Mixed Caseload and Tropical Life

I’m Stuart, and I look after talent across the Proactive Health network. I’ll get straight to what makes this role different from every other regional EP ad you’ve scrolled past this week.

Mackay has a big mining and industrial workforce, and it keeps workers’ compensation referrals coming in steadily. Musculoskeletal injuries and return to work programs, with clients who want to get back on site. If you like rehab with a clear goal at the end, you’ll get plenty of it here. And it sits alongside DVA, NDIS, Medicare and aged care work, so no two days look the same.

You’ll join the team at proactive Health, led by Hayley Ferguson. Hayley has brought together an experienced group of clinicians, with a strong culture of empowerment, collaborative outcomes and realistic aims. You’ll work alongside physios, podiatrists, OTs, dietitians, and the team talks with each other about shared clients all the time.

Proactive Health is a national network of more than 40 allied health businesses across 350+ locations in Australia. You get the support, governance and development of a big organisation, while working in a local practice where the owner knows you and your clients by name.

Your Week

On a Monday morning you might run a session for a veteran managing COPD and lower back pain. After that comes an initial assessment for an NDIS participant working towards more independence at home. In the afternoon you see a mine worker three weeks into a graduated return to work program, then a Medicare EPC client with Type 2 diabetes and early osteoarthritis. In between, you’re catching up with the physio about a shared client.

Day to day, you’ll be:

• Running comprehensive assessments, including functional testing, health screening and exercise capacity
• Designing evidence based programs for clinic, gym, home and community settings
• Guiding workers’ compensation clients through graduated return to work rehab
• Managing a mixed caseload across DVA, Medicare EPC, NDIS, Home Care Packages, workers’ comp and private clients
• Delivering individual and small group sessions built around clinical need
• Coordinating care with the clinic team, local GPs, case managers and employers
• Keeping your clinical documentation in line with ESSA standards and Proactive Health’s governance framework

Then there’s life outside work. The Whitsundays are an easy weekend trip away. Eungella National Park is up the Pioneer Valley, and Cape Hillsborough gives you kangaroos on the beach at sunrise. You get tropical weather all year, and housing costs a lot less than in the south east corner.

Requirements

• ESSA accreditation as an Accredited Exercise Physiologist, or eligibility for accreditation
• A recognised degree in Exercise Physiology or Clinical Exercise Physiology
• Current professional indemnity insurance, or willingness to obtain it
• A current driver’s license and reliable vehicle for home and community visits
• A National Police Check and NDIS Worker Screening Check, current or willing to obtain
• A Queensland Blue Card, current or willing to obtain
• Strong assessment, clinical reasoning and program design skills
• The confidence to work independently in the community while staying connected to your team

Nice to have, but not essential: workers’ compensation or injury management experience, DVA experience, group exercise programming, and an interest in chronic disease or aged care.

New graduates: I’d genuinely love to hear from you. You’ll have a dedicated mentor and our structured graduate program behind you from day one.

Benefits

→ A salary that reflects your value: $80k to $95k + super, discussed openly at interview

→ Steady return to work rehab from the region’s mining and industrial workforce

→ A mixed caseload across DVA, NDIS, Medicare, aged care and private clients

→ Sustainable workloads, so you have time to do the work properly

→ A dedicated mentor, whether you’re a new grad or sharpening a specialty

→ The Proactive Health Academy, with structured CPD to keep your ESSA requirements covered

→ Clear career pathways into senior clinician, team lead, clinic management or ownership roles, at your pace

→ Staff rewards and wellbeing support, including retail discounts, wellbeing centre access, and a team that checks in on each other

→ The independence of private practice backed by a national network across 350+ locations

If you’ve ever thought about a tropical move, or you just want a caseload that keeps you thinking, I’d love to have a chat.

Apply now, or contact Stuart Smith, Head of Talent at [email protected] or 0481 179 106 for a confidential chat.

Proactive Health is committed to fostering a welcoming environment where everyone feels valued, respected and given genuine opportunity.

We also believe recruitment should remain personal. At Proactive Health, applications are reviewed by real people, not filtered or rejected by artificial intelligence screening tools. We are proud to offer a recruitment process that remains human centred, thoughtful and fair.