Divisional Director Mental Health

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Austin Health is the major provider of tertiary health services, health professional education and research across three campuses in the north-east of Melbourne and statewide. We have a highly engaged, diverse and collaborative workforce that is unified by our goal to help people live healthy and fulfilled lives. 

About Clinical Services and the Mental Health Division

Austin Health has a highly integrated and networked organisational design that harnesses the collective contribution of clinical and non-clinical expertise to affect exceptional patient centered care. Clinical services within Austin Health are underpinned by strong cross discipline partnerships, stakeholder engagement and collaborative practice.    

The clinical services governance structure provides a formal foundation and mechanism through which the Directorates come together to explore, discuss and review complex system wide service design and development whilst collaborative processes and practices within the portfolio enable a collective contribution and performance at the local level. Austin Health clinical services comprise a complex range of national, statewide, organisational wide and specialty clinical services. 

Clinical services within the office of the Deputy CEO/COO operate across all Austin Health campuses and some community-based settings and comprise a range of statewide, organisational wide and specialty clinical services. Those services are delivered across the following Clinical Divisions: 

• Access, Critical Care, Imaging and Ambulatory Services 
• Allied Health  
• Continuing Care 
• Medical and Cancer Services 
• Mental Health  
• Surgery, Anaesthesia & Procedural Medicine 

The Mental Health Division at Austin Health delivers specialised care for individuals with severe and ongoing mental illness, serving both consumers and their carers across Victoria through campus-based and community services. The Division emphasises recovery-oriented and supported decision-making frameworks, focusing on partnerships with consumers and individualized care. With over 770 staff, it includes comprehensive services for infants, children, youth, adults, and older adults, as well as specialty and statewide programs provided in inpatient and community settings. Leadership is driving the implementation of major transformational reforms in line with the Royal Commission into Victoria’s Mental Health system, focusing on expanding services, infrastructure co-design, and achieving recommended priorities over a ten-year period.

About the role 

The Mental Health Divisional Director along with the Divisional Medical Director collaboratively provide strategic leadership and are responsible for developing innovative, future-focused service models that align with Austin Health’s vision and support the implementation of recommendations from the Royal Commission into Victoria’s Mental Health System Transformation Reform. This includes actively seeking opportunities for service and infrastructure growth. By contributing to the division’s strategic planning and performance, the role involves environmental scanning to identify emerging trends, technologies, and fostering innovation in service delivery.

The position also involves leading the implementation of quality and safety systems, championing continuous improvement in clinical care, and ensuring compliance with accreditation and audit requirements. Supporting research and education initiatives within the division is vital, ensuring adequate resources for balanced program management.

Reporting to the Deputy CEO | Chief Operating Officer, the Divisional Director works closely with the Deputy Chief Operating Officer and other Divisional Directors to realise the delivery of contemporary, innovative and patient focused care within the health system.

About you 

You will be someone who has excellent communication skills, with a strong commitment to excellence in patient care. You will bring energy and drive to your work and have a keen interest in developing your skillset.

To be successful in this role you’ll bring with you:

• Ability to act with foresight and contribute a strategic perspective to the work of the Division and the organisation as a whole 
• Significant experience in the translation of strategic priorities into annual business plans with the ability to align communication, accountabilities, resource capabilities, internal processes, and ongoing measurement systems to ensure that strategic priorities yield measurable and sustainable results 
• Extensive experience in the leadership and management of a complex health service/function preferably within a major public hospital 
• Knowledge of contemporary leadership models/frameworks and demonstrable experience in leading teams and coaching to support the development of individual, team and organisational capability
• Excellent leadership and interpersonal skills, including the ability to initiate and foster sound working relationships with a range of stakeholders acting within a complex and dynamic environment
• Demonstrated understanding of and ability to facilitate effective workplace change and act for the long term, building organisational change readiness, capability and resilience
• Ability to initiate and maintain strategic relationships with stakeholders inside the health system (e.g., physicians, cross-functional partners) to advance clinical and business goals
• Demonstrated understanding of contemporary patient centric models, frameworks and services and experience in the implementation of service practices that meet customers’/patients and organisational needs  
• Demonstrated experience in the implementation of safety direction, goals and strategies; implementation of strategic organisation-wide safety and wellbeing initiatives, standards and practices 
• Demonstrated understanding of service innovation models and frameworks and experience in the testing and implementation of new approaches that result in unique and differentiated solutions 
• Proven ability to develop an environment of Healthcare improvement and implementation of quality and risk management strategies, reviews and initiatives 
• Sound experience in managing service improvement initiatives and local change processes, with capacity to work with highly motivated professional staff with competing allegiances to Austin Health and their professional disciplines 
• Significant strategic business and financial acumen with extensive budget management experience 
• Experience in managing projects and the utilisation of project management frameworks and tools 

Our benefits 

Working at Austin Health means enjoying a strong sense of purpose, engaging in meaningful work every day. Our people also receive a variety of rewarding benefits, including: 

• Greater take-home pay through generous salary packaging, for living expenses, meals, and holiday accommodation. 
• A suite of wellness initiatives designed to support you, including discounted fitness memberships and special offers on health insurance, and a comprehensive wellbeing program. 
• Onsite childcare at Austin Hospital, easy access via public transport and car parking options. 
• Mentoring and career development opportunities. 

Work with us! 

We are committed to cultural safety and health equity for Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander People. We celebrate, value, and include people of all backgrounds, genders, identities, cultures, bodies, and abilities. We welcome and support applications from talented people identifying as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander, people with disability, neurodiverse people, LGBTQIA+ and people of all ages and cultures. 

If you feel this role is right for you, we encourage your early application. Even if you don’t meet every single requirement, we encourage you to apply. What matters most is your passion, your drive and your willingness to learn and contribute. Applications will be reviewed as they are received, and interviews may take place prior to the closing date. This means we reserve the right to close a job ad prior to the advertised closing date. 

All appointments are made subject to a satisfactory National Police Check and if required, a Working With Children Check. If you require any reasonable adjustments to the recruitment process, you are welcome to reach out to the hiring manager: Cameron Goodyear, Deputy CEO | Chief Operating Officer at Cameron.Goodyear@austin.org.au

Interested in finding out more about this opportunity? Read the position description for further details. 

Application closing date: Friday 20 March 2026