Posted:
7/31/2025, 2:13:54 PM
Location(s):
Melbourne, Victoria, Australia ⋅ Victoria, Australia
Experience Level(s):
Senior
Field(s):
Medical, Clinical & Veterinary
Join St Vincent’s Hospital Melbourne as Director of Nephrology
Are you a visionary clinical leader with a passion for nephrology? St Vincent’s Hospital Melbourne (SVHM) invites you to lead our Department of Nephrology — a dynamic, high-performing team delivering world-class kidney care across inpatient, outpatient, and community settings.
About Us
St Vincent’s Hospital Melbourne is a premier teaching, research and tertiary health service, part of Australia’s largest not-for-profit Catholic health and aged care network — St Vincent’s Health Australia. We deliver compassionate, innovative, and patient-centred care to thousands of Victorians every year, supported by over 7,500 staff across 16 sites.
Our Nephrology Department provides comprehensive tertiary care, including acute and chronic renal failure management, renal transplantation, dialysis services, and more, with a strong commitment to education, research, and continuous improvement.
The Role
We are seeking an experienced and visionary Director of Nephrology to provide exceptional leadership across all clinical, educational, research, and operational aspects of the department.
Reporting to the Chief Operating Officer (and operationally to the General Manager of Medicine, Emergency & ICU Services), you will:
What We’re Looking For
Key Responsibilities
Clinical Service Delivery
Education and Training
Research Leadership
People and Workforce Leadership
Financial and Operational Management
Essential Qualifications & Experience
Pre-Employment Requirements
Employment is conditional upon completion of all pre-employment checks including relevant immunisations as per SVHM Employee Health Screening and Immunisation Policy. You must also provide a current National Police Check.
Equal Opportunity
SVHM values diversity and inclusion and is committed to providing equal employment opportunities for all applicants.
How to Apply
If this is the role for you, please hit the APPLY button now! Your application must include:
Have a Question and Want to Know More
If you would like to discuss this opportunity, please contact Amber Mccullagh- SVHM General Manager Medicine, Emergency & ICU [email protected] or Jonty Karro, Clinical Program Director Medicine, Emergency & ICU [email protected]
Respectfully, no recruitment agencies.
Please see below Job Description
1. THE ORGANISATION AND OUR MISSION
St Vincent’s Hospital Melbourne (SVHM) is a leading teaching, research and tertiary health service, which employs more than 7,500 staff across 16 sites throughout Melbourne.
Part of Australia's largest not-for-profit Catholic health and aged care network, St Vincent's Health Australia, SVHM provides a diverse range of adult clinical services including acute medical and surgical services, sub-acute care, medical diagnostics, rehabilitation, allied health, mental health, palliative care, correctional health and community residential care.
SVHM's mission is to provide high quality and efficient health services to the people of Victoria in accordance with the philosophy of St Vincent’s Health Australia. This mission is based on the values of compassion, justice, integrity and excellence.
The mission of the Department of Nephrology is to provide the highest quality holistic care to our patients by highly skilled Nephrologists and to support the ongoing development of trainees through excellence in education and training.
3.LOCAL WORK ENVIRONMENT
The Nephrology Department at SVHM provides tertiary care to a wide spectrum of patients and conditions including acute and chronic renal failure, renal transplantation (live and deceased), islet cell transplant, renal supportive care, renal biopsy and acute, outpatient and home dialysis services. The Nephrology Department support these services across the organisation in both inpatient, outpatient and community settings. The Nephrology Department also supports a large regional network including seven dialysis sites including St Georges Hospital.
4. POSITION PURPOSE
The Director of Nephrology will provide professional and clinical leadership to the Department whilst meeting agreed operational, service delivery and other relevant targets as determined by the Chief Operating Officer. The Director will ensure high quality healthcare is delivered through exceptional leadership and knowledge across all aspects of Nephrology. The Director will lead and inspire a dedicated team of skilled Nephrologists to deliver excellence in patient care and outcomes and implement plans to meet the SVHM strategic plan. The Director will be a role model for demonstrating the mission and values of the organisation to internal and external stakeholders and affiliates.
The individual will demonstrate an ability to work as part of an interdisciplinary team demonstrating effective communication skills and the capacity to liaise professionally and collegiately with internal and external stakeholder groups.
The Director of Nephrology will be a leader with proven leadership skills and knowledge across all aspects of the speciality of Nephrology and use these skills to provide strategic direction for the unit that is aligned with the wider hospital strategy.
5. POSITION DUTIES
Clinical Service Delivery
• Provide strategic and clinical leadership to ensure the delivery of high quality, evidence based care across all Nephrology services.
• Develop strategic and operational plans for the Department of Nephrology that are aligned and consistent with the St. Vincent’s Health Australia’s strategic plan
• Promote a culture that values high quality clinical care, supports learning and encourages a culture of reporting errors.
• Provide expert advice, specialist knowledge and build the capacity of the unit clinical staff to problem solve and deliver improvement in line with patient and staff needs
• Lead and support activity to achieve Unit Key Performance Indicators
• Establish a safe work environment and improve staff engagement across the broader organisation
• Drive and endorse the strategic planning, quality improvement, performance improvement, teaching and research for the unit as a whole in association with key stakeholders
• Identify, develop and implement new opportunities for growth in collaboration with the COO, CMO and senior managers
• Engagement with government, RACP, ANZCA and other external representatives as appropriate
• Actively engage consumers in the planning, delivery and evaluation of SVHM services
• Ensure robust talent identification, training, development and succession planning and be actively engaged in a leadership role in workforce recruitment and appointments as appropriate.
• Ensure all junior clinical staff are appropriately supervised by senior clinical staff and trained to provide safe clinical care
• Undertake the required administrative duties as Director of Nephrology
Teaching, Education and Evaluation
• Establish and manage effective working relationships between the Department and other key departments, relevant research bodies, external academic institutions and college.
• Participate in and ensure that the Departments’ senior medical staff are appropriately involved in teaching activities of the University and Hospital, including medical student teaching, physician education and training, and undertake continuing medical education activities.
• Provide an effective and appropriately supervised training environment for junior medical staff.
• Provide an effective and appropriately supervised training environment for Basic Physician and Advanced Trainees employed by the hospital who are registered with the Royal Australasian College of Physicians RACP, including the provision of required teaching and education time and appropriate time for supervisors of training to fulfil their requirements.
• Ensure regular Morbidity and Mortality meetings are held for the department, with minutes of the meetings made available to the hospital Mortality and Morbidity review committee.
• Ensure that the Department maintains accreditation by the RACP for Advanced Training positions in Nephrology.
• Ensure regular quality and safety meetings are held and promote engagement by the Senior and junior medical staff and key nursing staff of the unit in quality improvement activities.
People Leadership
• Actively manage individual and team performance to maximise performance and minimise workplace problems and conflict.
• Continuously seek individual and team improvement and take responsibility for the introduction of any changes required to bring about such improvements.
• Provide leadership in organisational issues and ensure that operational and financial performance targets are met.
• Promote and encourage a culture of innovation and improvement whilst embedding quality systems, processes and measures to create optimal departmental performance.
• Ensure staff in the Department actively participate in relevant quality improvement meetings and forums including the Senior Medical Staff meetings.
• Oversee professional and clinical governance of staff within the Department.
• Represent SVHM externally in relevant settings as requested from time to time.
• Supervise, train and counsel Department staff including Senior Medical Staff, office staff, HMOs and/ or Registrars allocated to the Department.
• Participate in the overall appointment process for Senior Medical Staff, and accredited registrar positions (in conjunction with Supervisor of Training).
• Ensure all those who work in the area undertake an annual performance review and are continually developed to reach their full potential.
• Ensure workplace planning (including succession planning) is regularly undertaken and implemented to provide for the ongoing resource need.
Workplace Health and Safety
• Ensure all health and safety related policies and procedures are adhered to
• Ensure all staff behave professionally and in accordance with the SVHM Code of Conduct and undertake annual Workplace Culture and Equity Training.
• Ensure all in the unit undertake annual Fire and Emergency Training and comply with fire and emergency procedures.
• Organise for regular safety audits with Health and Safety Representatives are completed and implement required improvements.
• Minimise WorkCover costs by actively assisting the return to work of any employee injured in the area they manage.
Research
• Provide leadership and foster excellence in research relevant to the discipline.
• Work closely with academic colleagues to develop and implement a research strategy for the Department.
• Provide leadership and direction in the relevant discipline research including:
o Enhance the profile, quantum and level of research
o Develop collaborative relationships with other SVHM departments, institutes and external academic bodies as relevant.
o Seek external funding for research.
o Publish research papers, particularly in high impact journal.
o Encourage presentations at national/international meetings
o Foster a culture of involvement in clinical research in junior staff.
Business Planning
• Develop and implement an annual clinical services plan that is aligned with organisational strategy.
• Contribute to the development and implementation of service plans.
• Review the Department’s goals and strategies and formulate an annual operational plan for the Department.
• Contribute to broader strategic planning, quality improvement, performance improvement, teaching and research for the service as a whole, in association with others.
Finance and Assets
• In conjunction with General Manager Emergency, Medicine and Intensive Care Services, manage budget performance including monitoring EFT and expenditure to ensure spending remains within budget allocation.
• Manage the budget pertaining to the Department including financial and activity planning and monitor activity levels against the agreed budget and targets.
• Set annual budget for SP accounts and actively manage revenue and spend.
• Approve CME in accordance with the policy.
• Ensure decision making remains within delegated authority.
• Contribute to capital planning as required.
• Participate in the development of the annual budget allocation for the area managed.
6. INCUMBENT OBLIGATIONS
General
• Perform duties of the position to best of their ability and to a standard acceptable to SVHM
• Comply with all SVHM policies, procedures, by laws and directions
• Treat others with respect and always behave professionally and in accordance with the SVHM Code of Conduct
• Only access confidential information held by SVHM when this is necessary for business purposes, maintaining the confidentiality of that information once accessed
• Participate in the annual SVHM performance review process
• Display adaptability and flexibility to meet the changing operational needs of the business
• Comply with applicable Enterprise Bargaining Agreement provisions
• Display a willingness to develop self and seek to improve performance
Clinical Quality and Safety
• Ensure clinical care is undertaken within established procedures in order to provide safe clinical care for patients/residents, ensuring clinical risk is minimised
• Ensure clinical staff work within their approved scope of practice and at all times with appropriate supervision.
• Ensure all clinical staff maintain their clinical registration and any required indemnity cover
• Ensure all junior clinical staff are appropriately supervised by senior clinical staff and trained to provide safe clinical care
• Ensure all staff attend necessary training that enhances safety and quality of clinical care
• Promote a culture that supports learning and encourages reporting of errors
• Implement systems to identify and manage risks and to deal with and learn from incidents and complaints
• Implement all facets of the SVHM safety and clinical quality programme within clinical area managed
• Collaborate with more senior levels of management to implement the SVHM safety and quality agenda
• Provide feedback to more senior management in relation to problems or issues that impact on safety and clinical quality.
Person Centred Care
• Ensure consumers receive information in an appropriate and accessible format
• Actively support consumers to make informed decisions about their treatment and ongoing care
• Ensure consumers are aware of their rights responsibilities and how to provide feedback
Health and Safety
• Ensure all health and safety related policies, procedures and directions are complied with in the area they manage
• Ensure all in the area they manage undertake annual Fire and Emergency Training and comply with fire and emergency procedures
• Ensure all those in the area they manage, treat others with respect, behaving professionally and in accordance with the SVHM Code of Conduct and undertaking annual Workplace Culture and Equity Training
• Conduct regular safety audits with Health and Safety Representatives and implement required improvements
• Minimise WorkCover costs by actively assisting the return to work of any employee injured in the area they manage.
Human Resource Management
• Ensure that workforce planning is regularly undertaken and implemented to provide for the ongoing resource needs of the area they manage
• Ensure recruitment and rostering practices comply with applicable Enterprise Bargaining Agreement and cost effectively support delivery of quality service
• Ensure new employees are properly inducted to their local work environment and attend the General Hospital Orientation program
• Ensure all those who work in the area managed, undertake an annual performance review and are continually developed to reach their full potential
• Ensure leave is rostered fairly and that employees regularly take leave and do not accumulate excessive leave except where a plan is in place as to when that leave will be taken.
• Actively manage individual and team performance to maximise performance and minimise workplace problems and conflict.
• Continuously seek individual and team improvement and take responsibility for the introduction of any changes required to bring about such improvements.
Financial management
• Participate in the development of the annual budget allocation for the area managed.
• Monitor EFT and expenditure to ensure spending remains within budget allocation
• Ensure decision making remains within delegated authority
8. SELECTION CRITERIA
8.1 ESSENTIAL REGISTRATION, LICENSE OR QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS
• Appointees must be legally qualified medical practitioners, registered or registrable with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA).
• Fellowship of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians.
• Evidence of ongoing CME participation
• Indemnification with recognized Medical Defence Association
8.2 OTHER ESSENTIAL REQUIREMENTS
• Leadership qualities with proven ability to direct and encourage a team of clinicians, researchers and support staff to deliver high quality clinical care.
• Relevant experience in leadership and management roles within healthcare.
• Strong track record in creating high performing teams that deliver high impact outcomes.
• Highly regarded as a clinician leader with good communication skills with both patients and colleagues.
• Teaching commitment and skills in the areas of undergraduate, postgraduate and continuing medical education.
• Commitment to and participation in ongoing Quality Improvement in clinical, hospital services and business activities.
• Commitment to and participation in continuing professional development activities.
• Involvement in wider hospital/ community activities.
9 REQUIRED IMMUNISATIONS
SVHM Employee Health Screening and Immunisation Policy outlines the requirements for staff working in SVHM facilities.
Table 1: Vaccine Preventable Diseases for which vaccination and/or assessment is required within SVHM
Chicken pox (varicella)
Hepatitis B
Measles
Mumps
Rubella Whooping cough (pertussis)
Diphtheria
Tetanus
Influenza
Tuberculosis
NOTE: Vaccination requirements may differ according to individual jurisdictional requirements and policy directives and where there is a conflict the higher directive will apply.
SVHM has grouped individuals according to their risk of transmitting vaccine preventable diseases and their risk of exposure to blood or body substances (Table 2).
Table 2: Health Care Worker Risk Categorisation
Risk Category Description Vaccination requirement
Category A Vaccination is required for this category of health care worker. Healthcare workers within this category have the potential to transmit Vaccine Preventable Diseases to vulnerable patients most at risk of mortality and morbidity from these diseases within SVHM.
This includes employees with direct physical contact with patients/clients, deceased persons, blood, body substances or infectious material or surfaces/equipment that might contain these or contact that would allow acquisition and/or transmission of a specific infectious disease by respiratory means.
This includes laboratory workers.
Required
Category B Vaccination is recommended for this category of HCW. This includes individuals who do not work with the risk of exposure to blood or body substances, their normal work location is not in a clinical area (e.g. chef, administrative staff) and only attends the clinical area for short periods of time. Essentially, these individuals have no greater level of risk than that of the general community.
10 PRE-EXISTING INJURY
Prior to any person being appointed to this position it will be required that they disclose full details of any pre-existing injuries or disease that might be affected by employment in this position.
At St Vincent's we acknowledge the importance of creating a work environment that is welcoming, safe, equitable and inclusive for Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Employees. As part of our Commitment to Reconciliation and Closing the Gap in employment related outcomes, we encourage applications from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples.
For further information, visit https://www.svha.org.au/about-us/reconciliation or get in contact at [email protected]
View Reconciliation Action Plan
Website: https://svhs.org.au/
Headquarter Location: Darlinghurst, New South Wales, Australia
Employee Count: 1001-5000
IPO Status: Private
Industries: Association ⋅ Education ⋅ Health Care