Freedom of Information and Information Release Officer

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• Full-time
• Fixed-term - 12 months (leave cover)
• Immediate start available

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 Health Information Services department

Health Information Services (HIS) comprises the Medical Record Department, Freedom of Information, Clinical Coding Services and the Submissions team, with approximately 70 FTE across Austin Health’s three sites. The HIS is responsible for the management, integrity, reporting and governance of health information to support patient care, organisational decision-making, funding, research and compliance obligations. The service plays a key role in ensuring health information is accurate, accessible, secure and managed in accordance with legislative, regulatory and organisational requirements.

The Freedom of Information team manages Austin Health’s clinical, corporate and organisational records. The team ensures records are created, maintained, accessed, archived and disposed of in accordance with legislative and regulatory requirements. The team also provides transcription services to support patient care delivery.

About the role 

Austin Health is seeking a skilled and motivated Freedom of Information and Information Release Officer to join our team. This is an excellent opportunity to apply your expertise in freedom of information (FOI), privacy, medico-legal requests and information governance while supporting high-quality, timely and legally compliant service delivery.

A regular day will see you:   

• Coordinate FOI, medico-legal and other information release requests
• Interpret legislative and procedural requirements
• Oversee the production of records in response to subpoenas and other legal requests
• Review clinical and corporate records
• Identify consultation, exemption, redaction and disclosure issues
• Prepare detailed draft decisions, recommendations and correspondence for authorised decision-makers
• Monitor statutory timeframes
• Provide technical guidance and quality assurance to FOI Clerks

About you 

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

• Experience applying legislation relevant to information release, including the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (Vic), Health Records Act 2001 (Vic), Privacy and Data Protection Act 2014 (Vic), Public Records Act 1973 (Vic) and related health, family violence and child information-sharing requirements, preferably within a health or public-sector environment.
• Ability to assess applications and prepare clear, well-reasoned recommendations about access, consultation, exemptions, redaction and disclosure.
• Ability to interpret clinical and corporate records, identify privacy, confidentiality, legal and safety risks, and determine appropriate release or escalation pathways.
• Experience managing or supporting subpoenas, summonses, warrants, statutory information-sharing requests or comparable legal disclosure processes.
• Highly developed written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to prepare clear correspondence, explain complex legislative and procedural requirements, and communicate sensitively with applicants, patients, staff, external agencies and legal representatives.
• Ability to coordinate multiple requests, manage competing priorities, monitor statutory timeframes and maintain accurate records in a high-volume, time-sensitive environment.
• Ability to provide technical guidance, mentoring and quality assurance support to colleagues while contributing positively to team workflows.
• Capability in using electronic document, records or matter management systems, including supporting data quality, reporting and workflow improvement.

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. Austin Health is a child safe organisation, committed to upholding the rights, safety, and wellbeing of children and young people in line with Child Safe Standards. If you require any reasonable adjustments to the recruitment process, you are welcome to reach out to the hiring manager: Mardi Stephens, Freedom of Information Manager at mardi.stephens@austin.org.au

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

Application closing date: Thursday 5 November 2026