HREC Member Legal Representative

The Hospital:

The Royal Children’s Hospital’s (RCH) vision is to be a great children’s hospital – delivering Great Care.

RCH is a cornerstone member of the Melbourne Children’s Campus, partnering with Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, The University of Melbourne Department of Pediatrics 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 paediatric 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.

The Royal Children’s Hospital (RCH) HREC ensures ethical and legal compliance of paediatric research under the NHMRC National Statement on Ethical Conduct in Human Research (2023). The inclusion of an independent legal expert is essential to safeguard participant rights, ensure regulatory compliance, and interpret relevant laws, privacy guidelines, and contract frameworks.

Requirements & Qualifications

The NHMRC National Statement requires that every HREC include at least one qualified lawyer, who:

• a qualified lawyer, who may or may not be currently practicing and who is independent of the RCH and Melbourne Children’s Campus.

Role & Responsibilities

• Participate in monthly meetings (4 hrs) and prepare by reviewing materials (4–8 hrs)
• Attend 2–3 in-person meetings annually at RCH Parkville - this allows the committee to benefit from meeting in person
• Declare and manage any conflicts of interest
• Appointments are typically 3 years 

Expectations & Opportunities

• Serve on a fully constituted HREC, providing essential legal perspectives during ethical deliberations
• Engage in ongoing professional development

To Apply

Submit:

1. A cover letter outlining your interest, motivation, and legal expertise
2. A résumé with legal qualifications, registration, and relevant experience
3. Two referee contacts

Applicants will be asked to attend an online or in person interview in late August early September 2025

Contact:
Sophie Gatenby, Research Ethics Manager
sophie.Gatenby@rch.org.au
(03) 9345 4494
Research Ethics & Governance Office,
The Royal Children’s Hospital, 50 Flemington Rd, Parkville VIC 3052

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 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 fully vaccinated against Covid-19, and 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

Are you ready to join our team? 

 Apply online by clicking on the “Apply” button

Applications close: 21 Agust 2025