Research and Development Intern

Who we are | Ko wai mātou

Umbrella is a team of Clinical Psychologists and Counsellors who work with organisations throughout New Zealand, supporting leaders and their people to create positive, high-performing workplaces that enhance wellbeing.

Our psychological expertise, combined with business insight, allows us to take best-practice scientific research and translate it into practical, engaging solutions that make a meaningful difference in workplaces.

As part of our Research & Development work, you’ll have the opportunity to contribute to the continued development of Umbrella’s digital psychosocial risk and wellbeing assessment tools, helping turn psychological research and workplace data into meaningful insights and practical action.

About the Role | He kōrero whakamārama mō tēnei tūranga

This is an exciting R&D Internship opportunity based in Auckland for a Psychology student or recent graduate who wants to gain practical experience at the intersection of psychology, research, workplace wellbeing and digital innovation.

Working alongside our Wellbeing Assessment and Strategy Specialist and wider project team, you’ll contribute to real research and development projects that help organisations better understand and respond to psychosocial risk and workplace wellbeing.

Key focus areas include:

Psychosocial Risk Research & Survey Design

• Conducting structured reviews of psychosocial risk frameworks, validated measures, measurement approaches and scoring methodologies.
• Supporting the development of psychosocial risk surveys within Umbrella’s digital assessment platform.
• Contributing to the selection, refinement and testing of survey constructs and items.
• Helping develop reporting outputs, organisational insights and recommendations that translate psychosocial risk data into meaningful and actionable information.
• Reviewing emerging research and best-practice guidance to help ensure our assessment tools remain scientifically robust, practical and relevant to New Zealand workplaces.

Wellbeing Assessment & Strategic Support

• Supporting the delivery of Umbrella’s client wellbeing assessment journey.
• Assisting with survey setup, logistics and delivery.
• Supporting data analysis using SPSS.
• Contributing to report writing and strategic recommendations.
• Supporting the development of insights that can be reported back to organisational clients.

Digital Product Design & Development

• Contributing to the continued development of Umbrella’s existing wellbeing assessment platform.
• Liaising with internal stakeholders and external IT vendors.
• Supporting feature development and testing.
• Assisting with the development of evidence-based intervention pathways and wellbeing resources linked to assessment results.
• Helping translate psychological research into practical digital tools that organisations can use to support their people.

Team Support

• Writing evidence-based articles for Umbrella’s website.
• Updating and refreshing eLearning courses.
• Organising and refreshing training resources, including slide decks and workbooks.
• Supporting other research and development projects across the team as required.

What you will bring | Ngā tohungatanga mō tēnei tūranga

To be successful in this role, you will:

• Be studying, or have recently completed within the last 12 months, an undergraduate or postgraduate qualification at NZQA Level 6–10.
• Be studying or have studied Science (Psychology) at a New Zealand tertiary education institution.
• Have a genuine interest in the intersection of psychology, business and workplace wellbeing, with an interest in organisational psychology particularly valuable.
• Understand quantitative and qualitative research methodologies.
• Be comfortable working with data, with experience or knowledge of SPSS beneficial.
• Have strong written communication skills and the ability to translate research into clear, plain-language information for a general audience.
• Demonstrate strong attention to detail and a good work ethic.
• Be confident working independently while also contributing positively within a collaborative team.
• Bring curiosity, enthusiasm and a growth mindset to your work.
• Be able to work effectively using your own laptop.
• Be legally permitted to work in New Zealand.

Why Us | He aha ai mātou?

This internship is a fantastic opportunity to:

• Gain hands-on experience working alongside experienced workplace psychology and wellbeing professionals.
• Apply your psychology and research knowledge to real-world organisational challenges.
• Build practical experience in psychosocial risk assessment, an increasingly important area of workplace health and wellbeing.
• Develop skills across research, survey design, data analysis, report writing and digital product development.
• See how psychological research is translated into practical tools, insights and recommendations for organisations.
• Contribute to digital assessment tools designed to help organisations create healthier, higher-performing workplaces.
• Join a supportive and respectful team that values curiosity, collaboration, evidence-based practice and professional growth.

If you’re a motivated Psychology student or recent graduate looking to take your academic knowledge beyond the classroom and gain practical experience in workplace psychology, psychosocial risk and digital wellbeing innovation, we would love to hear from you.

Apply today and bring your research skills, curiosity and passion for psychology to Umbrella’s Research & Development team.

Applications Close | Te katinga o tēnei whai tūranga: 23 October 2026

Applications will be reviewed as they are received, and the role may close early if the right applicant is found.

Applicants must be a NZ Resident/Citizen or hold a valid NZ work permit.