Director - Microbiology

Department of Health; Darwin; On-site; AUD 316,000 - 349,000; Full time

Job summary

Territory Pathology in Darwin seeks a Senior Staff Specialist Clinician to lead Microbiology as Director of Microbiology, overseeing metropolitan, regional and remote services with a focus on quality and safety.

You will hold RCPA Microbiology Fellowship with AHPRA specialist registration (or equivalent), bring senior leadership experience, and drive governance, accreditation and advanced diagnostics across the NT public pathology system. This is a full-time ongoing vacancy.

Qualifications

• Fellowship of the RCPA in Microbiology with specialist registration (or equivalent).
• Significant consultant experience at Senior Staff Specialist/Clinical Director level.
• Strong leadership in microbiology, governance, quality and accreditation.
• Knowledge of NPAAC, NATA and RCPA requirements and audits.
• Experience in molecular diagnostics, AMR surveillance and QA.
• Experience in Australian public pathology/public health microbiology.

Responsibilities

• Provide senior clinical oversight across metropolitan, regional and remote Microbiology services.
• Lead governance, quality improvement, risk management and accreditation activities.
• Advise on diagnostic microbiology, antimicrobial susceptibility and resistance.
• Oversee test validation/verification and adoption of new technologies.
• Support outbreak response and public health initiatives.
• Ensure compliance with NPAAC, NATA, RCPA and ISO accreditation.

Skills

Senior leadership

Clinical governance

Quality & patient safety

Molecular diagnostics

Antimicrobial susceptibility testing

Antimicrobial resistance

Public health microbiology

Accreditation & audits

Education

Fellowship of the RCPA in Microbiology

AHPRA specialist registration

Job description

Senior Staff Specialist Clinician SMO2.1 - SMO2.3 - Remuneration Package Range $315,843 - $349,187
(including salary $270,033 - $298,705)
Territory Pathology
Darwin
One full time ongoing vacancy is available

About the role

As Director of Microbiology, you will provide clinical leadership and oversight across the Territory Pathology Microbiology service, ensuring safe, high-quality, clinically responsive and sustainable services.

Working closely with Pathologists, Supervising Scientists, laboratory managers, quality teams, Public Health, Infectious Diseases, Infection Prevention and Control and Department of Health leadership, you will:

• Provide senior clinical oversight across metropolitan, regional and remote Microbiology services.
• Provide specialist advice on diagnostic microbiology, antimicrobial susceptibility, antimicrobial resistance, molecular testing and emerging infectious diseases.
• Lead clinical governance, quality improvement, risk management and accreditation activities.
• Maintain oversight of NPAAC, NATA, RCPA and ISO 15189:2022 requirements.
• Provide clinical oversight of new test validation, verification, methodologies and technologies.
• Support outbreak response, public health initiatives and emerging infectious disease preparedness.
• Identify and elevate significant clinical, patient safety, quality and accreditation risks.
• Contribute to the development of sustainable, resilient and contemporary Microbiology services across the Northern Territory.
• Provide expert advice to Territory Pathology and Department of Health leadership on Microbiology and infectious disease matters.

About you

You will be an experienced specialist Pathologist with demonstrated senior leadership capability and a strong commitment to clinical governance, quality and patient safety.

You will have:

• Fellowship of the RCPA in Microbiology, with AHPRA specialist registration or an equivalent RCPA-recognised qualification.
• Significant consultant experience at Senior Staff Specialist, Clinical Director, Medical Director, Head of Department or equivalent level.
• Demonstrated senior leadership in Microbiology, clinical governance, quality, patient safety and accreditation.
• Strong knowledge of NPAAC, NATA and RCPA requirements, including accreditation and audit processes.
• Experience in quality improvement, risk and incident management.
• Contemporary expertise in molecular diagnostics, antimicrobial susceptibility testing and antimicrobial resistance.
• Experience in an Australian public pathology service, public health microbiology, outbreak response, antimicrobial resistance surveillance, accreditation assessments or implementation of new microbiology technologies will be highly regarded.

Why Territory Pathology?

This is an opportunity to make a genuine statewide impact, working in one of the most interesting microbiology diverse areas in Australia.

You will work across a geographically diverse health system, providing specialist leadership to services that support some of the Northern Territory's most complex clinical and public health challenges.

From tertiary hospital diagnostics to regional and remote healthcare, you will help shape the future of Microbiology services and ensure Territorians have access to safe, contemporary and clinically responsive pathology.

Join Territory Pathology and help lead the future of Microbiology across the Northern Territory.

The key focus of the Department of Health is to achieve the best health and wellbeing for all Territorians through the development, management and performance of the public health system.

The Department of Health is responsible for strategic leadership and funding; system-wide policy development and planning; and system governance, performance and accountability.

The Chief Executive Officer of the department is the accountable officer with Territory-wide responsibility.

Source: This is an extract from the company's own website.

The key focus of the Department of Health is to achieve the best health and wellbeing for all Territorians through the development, management and performance of the public health system.

The Department of Health is responsible for strategic leadership and funding; system-wide policy development and planning; and system governance, performance and accountability.

The Chief Executive Officer of the department is the accountable officer with Territory-wide responsibility.

Source: This is an extract from the company's own website.