Consumer Engagement Officer

The Hospital:

The Royal Children’s Hospital’s (RCH) Vision is “A world where all kids thrive”.

RCH is a cornerstone member of the Melbourne Children’s Campus, partnering with Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, The University of Melbourne Department of Paediatrics and The Royal Children’s Hospital Foundation.

RCH has cared for the children and young people of Victoria for more than 150 years since it was founded in 1870. A full range of paediatrics and adolescent health services are provided plus tertiary and quaternary care for the most critically ill and medically complex patients in Victoria, Tasmania, southern NSW and other states around Australia and overseas. The Hospital has more than 6,000 staff, a budget of $850M, 12 wards and 350 beds. Annually, the RCH has 300,000+ Specialist Clinic appointments, 90,000+ Emergency Department presentations and 20,000 elective surgeries.

The RCH is committed to the Child Safe Standards. 

RCH enjoys high employee engagement and is committed to staff safety and a positive culture through enactment of our Compact.

For further Information on RCH is available here.

Consumer Engagement Officer – Virtual Care

• Fixed-Term, Part-Time 0.4 EFT (18 months, grant-funded)
• Work for Australia's leading Children's Hospital
• Champion the voices of children, families and communities in a landmark virtual care program
• Excellent employee benefits including salary packaging
• Flexible work options available

About the Role:

This is a Fixed-Term Part-Time position at 0.4 EFT within the Allied and Digital Health Division, funded by the RCH Foundation for 18 months.

The Royal Children's Hospital (RCH) is building the foundation for the RCH Virtual Care Hub — a $1.38 million RCH Foundation-funded program to transform how specialised paediatric care reaches children and families across Victoria. As Consumer Engagement Officer, you will be the voice of patients and families within this program — making sure that the virtual care tools, workflows and communications we design actually work for the people who matter most.

You will coordinate the structures and activities that connect consumers with the Virtual Care program — from establishing a Consumer Reference Group and facilitating co-design workshops, to creating plain-language resources and supporting clinical teams to communicate with families about their virtual care options. Your work will be especially important in reaching families from rural and regional Victoria, culturally and linguistically diverse communities, and others who face barriers to accessing care.

Classification for this position will range from AO41–AO45 (0.4 FTE base salary pro rata, plus superannuation).

What you'll achieve:

• Coordinate the establishment and administration of a Virtual Care Consumer Reference Group — scheduling meetings, preparing agendas and papers, recording minutes and following up actions
• Support the recruitment and onboarding of consumer representatives from diverse communities, including those from rural and regional Victoria, working with the Patient and Family Centred Care team and community networks
• Plan and facilitate consumer co-design workshops and feedback sessions so that patients and families can meaningfully shape virtual care tools, workflows and communications
• Develop plain-language consumer resources and communications about the RCH Patient Portal, telehealth appointments, e-consults and remote monitoring tools
• Act as a first point of contact for consumer queries about program participation, directing inquiries and providing timely, friendly responses
• Coordinate surveys and feedback tools to track consumer experience, Patient Portal adoption and appointment satisfaction — contributing to grant KPI reporting and RCH Foundation acquittals
• Support clinical teams in Specialist Clinics to communicate virtual care options to patients and families, including those with limited digital literacy or technology access
• Provide administrative support to the program team, including logistics for engagement events and maintenance of participant registers and program documentation

If this sounds like you, or if you would like more information, please click here for the position description.

Your skills and experience:

• Relevant tertiary qualification or equivalent experience in community engagement, communications, health promotion, social sciences or a related field
• Demonstrated experience coordinating consumer, community or stakeholder engagement activities, including secretariat support to committees or working groups
• Proven ability to work respectfully and effectively with diverse consumer and community groups, including families from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, people with disability and those in rural and regional areas
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including experience preparing plain-language resources, meeting papers, minutes and correspondence
• High-level organisational skills with the ability to manage competing priorities and meet deadlines
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office and experience using online platforms and content management systems

Highly regarded:

• Experience in a health, hospital or community health setting, with an understanding of patient and family centred care principles
• Familiarity with virtual care, telehealth or digital health tools and their use in consumer-facing settings
• Experience coordinating co-design or participatory design activities with health consumers
• Knowledge of digital inclusion challenges and strategies for supporting consumers with limited technology access
• Experience using survey and data collection tools such as REDCap, SurveyMonkey or Microsoft Forms
• Experience preparing content for grant acquittal reports or philanthropic funding reporting

About the Virtual Care Program:

Virtual care is a strategic priority for RCH — bringing telehealth, the Patient Portal, remote monitoring and AI-enabled tools together to deliver specialised paediatric care closer to home. The Stage 1 Virtual Care Hub program builds on proven pilots at RCH and is designed to make virtual care routine practice across Specialist Clinics and beyond, with a particular commitment to equity and access for families who face the greatest barriers.

Consumer engagement isn't a box to tick — it's central to how this program works. This role puts you at the heart of that commitment.

What we offer:

• Salary packaging option with our partner, SmartSalary – Increase your take home pay by up to $11,500 per annum!
• Looking for a new set of wheels to get you to the office? We offer Novated Leases through our partnership with SmartSalary
• Workplace culture of continuous improvement, support and training
• Discounted Private Health Insurance
• Support for working mothers including two on-site Early Learning Centres, flexible working arrangements, breast feeding and pumping facilities 
• Help when you need it most! Staff counselling, financial coaching, legal support, nutritional support and specialist helpline services, and more through our EAP partner, Converge
• Unlimited access to select fitness facilities in your local area via Fitness Passport
• Retail discounts & more!

Other requirements:

• Current National Criminal Record Check, or willing to obtain
• Valid Working with Children Check
• Compliance with RCH's 'Staff Immunisation – Prevention of Vaccine Preventable Diseases' procedure

Application process:

To apply, you will need a resume and a tailored cover letter outlining your skills, experience, and suitability for the position in line with the requirements of the position description.

Shortlisting for this position will commence immediately. We encourage you to apply promptly as the advertisement may close early should a suitable applicant be sourced.

For more information about this position please contact Doug McCaskie, Executive Director Digital Health and Chief Alied Health Officer, email: Doug.McCaskie@rch.org.au

The RCH is committed to a diverse and inclusive workforce. We encourage applications from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, people from culturally and/or linguistically diverse backgrounds, all members of the LGBTQI community and people with disability.

Why work at the RCH?

RCH enjoys high employee engagement and is committed to staff safety and a positive culture through enactment of our Compact. We offer the opportunity to work in world-class facilities, surrounded by Royal Park and only a short tram trip from the heart of Melbourne city.

We also offer staff benefits such as discounted staff parking, salary packaging, and an award-winning health and wellbeing program.

The RCH is committed to a diverse and inclusive workforce. We encourage applications from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, people from culturally and/or linguistically diverse background, all members of the LGBTQI community and people with disability.

It is a requirement of your employment that you be vaccinated against Influenza annually for Category A and B roles, in compliance with any public health orders in place at the relevant time, unless you have a medical exception in line with those public health orders, which has been accepted by The Royal Children’s Hospital.  Applicants will be required to provide their Australian Government Immunisation History Statement, it is a requirement of the RCH to collect, record and hold vaccination information.

It is also a requirement of your employment that you comply with any direction given by The Royal Children’s Hospital that you be vaccinated against, or prove immunity to, any other disease, unless you have a relevant exemption, and offers of employment are conditional on successful completion of background checks including reference checks. 

Are you ready to join our team?

Apply online by clicking on the “Apply” button

Applications close: 09 June 2026.