Director of Medical Services, Armidale Rural Referral Hospital

Hunter New England Local Health District

REQ692882

Employment Type:PermanentFull Time

Position Classification:Staff Specialist

Remuneration:197583 - 243822

Hours Per Week:40

Requisition ID:REQ692882

Director of Medical Services - Armidale Rural Referral Hospital

Permanent Full-time / Staff Specialist / 1.0 FTE

Applications Close: 10 October 2026

Hunter New England Local Health District is seeking applications from suitably qualified candidates for the position of Director of Medical Services (DMS) - Armidale Rural Referral Hospital. We are looking for an energetic, visionary and collaborative medical leader to provide expert professional and clinical leadership to the medical workforce for Armidale Rural Referral Hospital, providing support to its surrounding referral sites. This is a unique opportunity to shape the future of rural and regional healthcare while working within one of Australia's largest and most diverse health districts.

As Director of Medical Services, you will be responsible for the coordination and delivery of high-quality, safe clinical services, performance management and wellbeing of junior and senior medical staff, and strategic workforce planning to ensure the medical workforce is operating at its full potential. You will work closely with the General Manager to drive service excellence and support a culture of innovation, collaboration and continuous improvement.

You will also join an experienced network of Director of Medical Services colleagues across Hunter New England Local Health District, working collaboratively to drive innovation, excellence and positive change across the region.

About the Role

As Director of Medical Services, you will lead the way in delivering exceptional healthcare while fostering a positive and inclusive workplace culture.

Key responsibilities include:

• Providing strategic leadership of medical services and workforce matters
• Ensuring a commitment by all medical staff to the district's vision of "Excellence, Every Patient, Every Time."
• Collaborating with executive leaders to shape organisational priorities and future direction.
• Leading medical workforce planning, performance management, professional development and staff wellbeing initiatives.

Coordinating the delivery of safe, high-quality clinical services and supporting continuous improvement.

Developing innovative workforce redesign proposals for senior and junior medical officers, creating contemporary and attractive rural and regional workforce models that support sustainable service delivery.

About You

You are an inspiring and optimistic leader who thrives on creating positive change and empowering others to succeed.

You will bring:

• Visionary leadership with the ability to inspire and engage medical teams through periods of change and growth.
• A passion for excellence and a commitment to delivering outstanding patient-centred care.
• Strong collaborative skills, with the ability to build effective relationships with clinicians, managers and executive stakeholders.
• A commitment to team empowerment, fostering an inclusive, respectful and supportive workplace culture.
• Demonstrated expertise in medical management and leadership, including workforce planning, clinical governance and operational management.
• Experience leading complex workforce initiatives and developing innovative solutions to contemporary healthcare challenges

Armidale is perched high on the picturesque Northern Tablelands and is renowned for its beautiful tree-lined streets, spectacular autumn colours and distinct four-season climate. Conveniently located midway between Sydney and Brisbane on the New England Highway, Armidale offers excellent transport connections while providing the lifestyle benefits of a vibrant regional city. The region boasts an abundance of outdoor activities, including bushwalking through nearby World Heritage-listed national parks featuring breathtaking gorges, waterfalls and natural landscapes. Armidale is also a major educational centre, home to a university, excellent public and private schools, a regional conservatorium and a wide range of childcare and family services. Combining professional opportunity with exceptional lifestyle benefits, Armidale offers the perfect setting for a medical leader seeking to make a meaningful impact on rural healthcare while enjoying all the advantages of regional living.

Qualifications and Requirements

• A primary medical degree registrable with AHPRA and Fellowship of an Australian specialist medical college, and/or overseas trained specialist pathways. Fellowship of the Royal Australasian College of Medical Administrators (FRACMA) is desirable, but not essential.
• Proven ability to function as part of a large results oriented senior leadership and management team and to work successfully with other professionals in the leadership and management of health care services in a manner that reflects Excellence and the values of the NSW Health Service.
• Demonstrated understanding of industrial, legislative and regulatory requirements in healthcare and the complexities of providing healthcare services within the NSW public health system.
• Demonstrated understanding of financial management and experience in managing budgets, costing services, negotiating and managing contracts.
• Knowledge of current professional standards of practice including "Framework for Managing Quality of Health Services in NSW", the Australian Commission on Safety & Quality in Health Care National Safety and Quality Health Service Standards, NSW Work Health & Safety Act and NSW Health Enterprise Wide Risk Management Policy & Framework, HETI and College requirements.
• Demonstrated high level communication, interpersonal and negotiation skills including superior written and presentation skills and a high level of emotional intelligence.
• Experience with, and commitment to, clinical governance and clinical best practice, quality improvement and ensuring psychological safety. Able to demonstrate a sound understanding of the medical workforce issues that may impact Armidale Rural Referral Hospital and an ability to develop appropriate strategies to address same.

NSW Health acknowledges the people of the many traditional countries and language groups of New South Wales. It acknowledges the wisdom of Elders past and present, and pays respect to all Aboriginal communities of today.