Healthcare & Life Sciences

Physical Therapist Job Description

A Physical Therapist assesses movement and function, develops evidence-informed rehabilitation plans, delivers authorised interventions, and helps patients progress towards meaningful mobility goals.

Verify the locally recognised title, registration, direct-access rules, setting, caseload, supervision, and physical demands.

Use the template Prepare the intake meeting

Candidate-facing template

Edit the description for your organisation

Replace bracketed details, remove anything that is not genuinely required, and obtain the appropriate internal approval before advertising.

Ready-to-edit job description

Copying excludes all recruiter notes below.

Physical Therapist

Location
[Location or working arrangement]
Employment type
[Full-time, part-time, temporary, contract, or per-diem as locally applicable]
Reports to
[Named therapy and clinical lead]

About the role

[Organisation name] is seeking a Physical Therapist for [service and population]. You will assess movement and functional needs, agree rehabilitation goals, deliver authorised treatment, educate patients and carers, and adapt plans from progress and safety evidence.

What you will be responsible for

  • Assess function, mobility, pain, strength, risk, environment, history, and patient goals.
  • Plan and deliver authorised exercise, manual, mobility, equipment, and education interventions.
  • Measure progress, document reasoning, coordinate discharge or referral, and escalate deterioration or safeguarding concerns.

What success looks like

  • Patients have individual goals and a documented plan reflecting current ability and preference.
  • Treatment changes are based on response, outcome measures, risk, and shared decisions.

Essential qualifications

  • Current Physical Therapist registration, licence, checks, and eligibility required locally.
  • Competence with the setting’s assessment, intervention, mobility, documentation, and escalation duties.
  • Patient-centred communication and safe moving, handling, consent, and safeguarding practice.

Preferred qualifications

  • Experience or credential in [speciality, patient group, setting, or technique].
  • Experience with service improvement, student supervision, home visits, or multidisciplinary care.

Tools and working knowledge

  • Electronic health record and therapy outcome systems
  • Mobility, exercise, assessment, transfer, and rehabilitation equipment
  • Telehealth, scheduling, incident, and patient-education platforms

Compensation: [Add approved range, currency, visit or shift basis, benefits, travel, registration, and education support.]

[Organisation name] will assess essential clinical functions individually and discuss reasonable adjustments and equipment.

How to apply

Apply through [secure method] with evidence of local registration and relevant clinical experience.

Performance expectations

What good performance looks like

Use these outcomes to replace vague activity lists with the evidence the hiring manager expects to see after the person joins.

Assessments connect impairment and environment to meaningful activity goals.

Rehabilitation plans are safe, measurable, reviewed, and coordinated across care transitions.

Hiring-manager intake

Questions to settle before advertising

Record specific answers so sourcing, screening, and interview decisions use the same definition of the role.

  1. 1

    Which patients, conditions, settings, referral routes, visits, shifts, and caseload apply?

  2. 2

    What registration, checks, driving, credential, supervision, and continuing education is required?

  3. 3

    Which interventions, equipment, lone-working, physical, and exposure demands are genuine?

Evaluation criteria

Evidence to use in a Physical Therapist scorecard

Agree the criteria before interviews begin, then score examples against the same evidence standard.

Functional reasoning
Connects assessment, patient goal, context, risk, intervention, and outcome measure.
Applies a preferred technique before understanding function and goals.
Adaptive care
Changes treatment from patient response, evidence, preference, and safety.
Continues a standard plan despite limited progress or new risk.

Structured interview

Physical Therapist interview questions and strong signals

Ask the same core questions in the same order, then use follow-ups to understand the candidate’s individual contribution.

1

Tell me about a rehabilitation plan that changed significantly.

Strong answer signal

Shows new evidence, patient input, revised goals, consultation, and measured follow-up.

2

How do you respond when a patient’s goal appears unsafe?

Strong answer signal

Explores meaning, explains risk, offers graded alternatives, and coordinates appropriate review.

Related titles

Check the scope behind the title

Physiotherapist — the commonly recognised title in many jurisdictions.
Rehabilitation Therapist — may be broader or differently regulated; verify scope locally.

Common hiring mistakes

Problems to remove before publishing

Using Physical Therapist and Physiotherapist without checking local title and registration.

Omitting travel, manual handling, caseload, visit timing, and lone-working conditions.

Continue the hiring workflow

Related roles and recruiter resources

Related job descriptions

Occupational Therapist Registered Nurse Medical Assistant

Helpful recruiter resources

AI Candidate Screening Software

Structure credential and clinical evidence review.

Interview Scheduling Workflow

Coordinate clinical panels and candidate adjustments.

Interview Question Generator

Draft questions after local clinical criteria are agreed.

Candidate Experience Guide

Build a respectful, accessible hiring process.

Source and review notes

How this template was prepared

Language
International English
Prepared by
ATZ CRM Editorial Team
Review
ATZ CRM Recruitment Editorial Review
Last reviewed
2026-08-05

O*NET: Physical Therapists

Reference for occupation tasks, knowledge, skills, abilities, and work activities.

ESCO: occupations and skills

Reference for internationally recognised occupation and skills terminology.

Local health profession regulator

Confirm current registration, scope, supervision, safeguarding, and credential requirements for the role location.

Qualifications, compensation, licences, working conditions, and equal-opportunity wording must be checked for the role and location before use.

Recruiter questions

Physical Therapist job description FAQs

What should a Physical Therapist job description include?

State registration, setting, population, caseload, assessment and treatment scope, schedule, travel, physical demands, supervision, and outcomes.

Is a Physical Therapist the same as a Physiotherapist?

The titles often describe the same profession in different countries, but local protection, registration, and scope must be confirmed.