Head of Department - Infectious Diseases

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.

Head of Department – Infectious Diseases

• Work for Australia’s leading Children’s Hospital
• Challenging and rewarding work environment
• Senior leadership opportunity

About the Role

This is a full-time (0.4 FTE Clinical, 0.6 Administrative) 3 year, fixed term position tasked with providing leadership for the Department of Infectious Diseases (ID) in the Division of Medicine in line with RCH wide vision and strategy. Working closely with the Chief of Medicine and General Manager (General Medical Units), you will be responsible for the overall leadership, strategic and operational performance of the department and its services, patient safety and quality related activities. This involves ensuring the department consistently provides the highest quality clinical care, education and research, whilst maintaining a sound and sustainable financial position, strong staff engagement and support, as well as effective relationships with the community and consumers of care. 

What you’ll achieve:

• Fostering a high-performance culture that aligns to the RCH Operational Excellence Framework.
• Promoting an environment of co-operation and continual improvement of team performance, patient outcomes and experience.
• Identifying, building, and maintaining strong working relationships with all internal non-clinical services, clinical units; external stakeholders, and with the campus partners.
• Facilitating and driving high quality original research in the Department, including building, and supporting relevant internal and external research collaborations.
• Collaboratively developing and contributing to the educational activities of the department to facilitate a learning environment.

Your skills and experience:

• Eligible for specialist registration with the Australian Health Practitioners Regulation Agency.
• Fellowship with a relevant college.
• Formal leadership training is desirable.
• A higher degree such as MD or PhD is desirable. 
• Experience in a major public teaching hospital preferably at department/director level or demonstrated experience leading a department and or large group of professionals.

If this sounds like you, click here to view the position description.

About the Department of Infections Diseases

Recognising the increasingly complexity of patients attending RCH that require comprehensive infectious diseases team input, the RCH executive team recently endorsed a comprehensive investment in the ID unit that will be staged over three years to enable the unit to support the most unwell patients within speciality units. The Director of ID will directly oversee the required changes associated with this investment while also developing systems to ensure long term sustainability.

What we offer:

• Salary Packaging – Increase your take home pay!
• Parkville location and close to public transport
• Culture of continuous improvement

Other requirements:

• Current National Criminal Record Check, or willing to obtain
• Valid Working with Children Check
• Compliance with RCHs “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

You must attach certified credentials and a completed “SMS Application for Appointment Form”

Shortlisting for this position will commence immediately, we encourage you to apply promptly!

For more information about this position please contact: Maddi Playford, Executive Assistant: email -maddi.playford@rch.org.au Phone - +61393456528

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 23 May 2024