Executive Director of Medical Services jobs

The Department of Health plays a critical role in the Victorian health system and is responsible for shaping it to meet the health needs of all Victorians. We’re focused on
supporting Victorians to be as healthy as they can; whether through alerting them to seasonal risks like thunderstorm asthma, notifying them of contact with
communicable diseases, safeguarding their drinking water, developing the best health, wellbeing and care facilities in the world, being at the forefront of mental health and
wellbeing treatment or accelerating medical research. It’s all part of the way we partner with the community to help every individual lead a healthy life.

About the role:

The Director, Review and System Learning leads Safer Care Victoria's (SCV) integrated approach to learning from serious patient harm, identifying emerging safety risks and translating evidence into action across the Victorian health system.

The role provides strategic leadership across Sentinel Events and Safety Reviews and Intelligence and Risk Monitoring, bringing together insights from incident reviews, safety investigations, health service intelligence, performance information, data and emerging risk signals. Through this integrated approach, the Director ensures SCV can identify patterns and system vulnerabilities, anticipate and assess emerging risks, and provide timely, authoritative advice to support executive, government and health service decision-making.

The Director is accountable for ensuring that reviews and safety investigations are rigorous, systems-focused and no-blame, and that findings are translated into practical recommendations, guidance, alerts and improvement activity. The role also strengthens SCV's proactive safety intelligence and risk-monitoring capability so that concerns are identified early, prioritised appropriately and supported through coordinated system responses.

Working in partnership with health services, clinicians, consumers, the Department of Health and other system partners, the Director supports the implementation and sustained impact of system safety improvements. The role leads a multidisciplinary workforce and ensures the Unit's priorities, capabilities and resources are aligned to SCV's strategic objectives and the evolving safety needs of the Victorian health system.

About us:

At the Victorian Department of Health we want a future where Victorians are the healthiest people in the world. A Victoria where our children and people thrive, our workplaces are productive and safe, and our communities are more connected.

We see it as our job to support Victorians to stay healthy and safe. And to deliver a world-class healthcare system that ensures every single Victorian can access safe, quality care that leads to better health outcomes for all.

About you:

Key Accountabilities Include:

• Provide authoritative strategic advice to the Executive Director, Chief Executive Officer and, where appropriate, the Department of Health, the Minister and other senior leaders on patient safety, system performance, emerging risks and opportunities to improve safety and quality outcomes across the Victorian health system.
• Lead SCV's Review and System Learning function, ensuring a coordinated approach to sentinel event reviews, safety investigations, risk monitoring, safety intelligence and system-wide learning.
• Build and maintain trusted relationships with health services, clinicians, consumers, researchers, government agencies and sector leaders to strengthen system learning, support improvement and drive coordinated action to address safety risks.
• Lead and develop a multidisciplinary workforce spanning patient safety, clinical oversight, human factors, data science and analytics, epidemiology, implementation and system improvement, fostering a respectful, inclusive, psychologically safe and high-performing culture.

Qualification(s)

Essential

• Tertiary qualifications in a relevant discipline such as medicine, nursing, allied health, paramedicine, health services management, human factors, patient safety, epidemiology, or data science.
• Postgraduate qualification in a relevant field such as public health, clinical governance, patient safety, health services management, epidemiology, data science, or health polic y.

Desirable

• Additional qualifications or formal training in implementation science, human factors engineering, health informatics, or system design.
• Clinical background (e.g. medicine, paramedicine, allied health) with relevant experience in patient safety leadership.

Specialist Expertise

• Demonstrated extensive experience in a senior leadership role within the health system, with a strong focus on safety, quality, risk management, or health system improvement.
• Proven capability to lead multidisciplinary teams and drive strategic safety initiatives in complex environments.
• Significant understanding of incident review methodologies (e.g. root cause analysis, systems-based investigation), human factors, and risk mitigation frameworks.
• Demonstrated understanding of safety and quality improvement developed through significant experience in health system or government
• Understanding of the application of insights in the area of health care safety and quality.
• Proven experience in developing innovative solutions to improve patient outcomes.
• Proven experience influencing health service and government leadership in improving the health system.

What we offer:

• The opportunity to perform meaningful work, making direct contributions toward enabling Victorians to be the healthiest people in the world.
• A wide range of growth and development opportunities within the department and wider Victorian Public Service.
• A strong commitment to work-life balance, including a diverse array of flexible working arrangements.

How to apply:

Applications should include a resume and a cover letter. Click the ‘Apply' button to view further information about the role including key contact details and the advertisement closing date.

We are committed to developing and supporting a workforce that is well equipped and highly motivated to provide responsive and quality services to all Victorians. We continue to build an inclusive workplace that embraces diversity of backgrounds and differences to realise the potential of our employees for innovation and delivering services aimed at enhancing the lives of all Victorians. All roles can be worked flexibly and we encourage applications from Aboriginal people, people with disability, LGBTIQ+ and people from culturally diverse backgrounds. Please contact us if you require any adjustments to participate in the recruitment process at inclusion@health.vic.gov.au. For more information on our commitment to inclusion and diversity see inclusion and diversity at the Department of Health.

If you have any queries in relation to participation in recruitment processes at Health, or experience any issues in applying, please feel free to email talentacquisition@health.vic.gov.au. Please note that unsolicited applications from third parties cannot be accepted. If you have questions regarding the role, please message the contact person listed on the advertisement directly.

Preferred applicants may be required to complete a police check and other pre-employment checks. Information provided will be treated in line with our Privacy Policy.

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