Director, Review and System Learning

Victorian Government - Department of Health; Melbourne; On-site; AUD 180,000 - 280,000; Full time

Job summary

Victorian Department of Health seeks a Director, Review and System Learning to lead an integrated approach to patient safety, learning from sentinel events, and translating evidence into timely system-wide action. The role shapes safety intelligence, risk monitoring and proactive improvements across the Victorian health system.

The ideal candidate will provide strategic advice to senior leaders, build trusted relationships across health services and government, and lead a multidisciplinary team

Qualifications

• Senior leadership experience within health systems, with a focus on safety, quality and risk management.
• Proven ability to lead multidisciplinary teams and drive system-wide safety initiatives.
• Deep knowledge of incident review methodologies, human factors and risk mitigation frameworks.
• Experience translating insights into policy, guidance and practical improvement actions.
• Ability to influence health service and government leadership to improve safety and outcomes.

Responsibilities

• Provide authoritative strategic advice on patient safety and system performance to executive leaders.
• Lead Safer Care Victoria's Review and System Learning functions for sentinel events, investigations and risk monitoring.
• Foster trusted relationships with health services, clinicians, consumers and government partners to drive coordinated action.
• Develop and lead a multidisciplinary workforce in patient safety, data analytics and epidemiology.
• Ensure reviews and investigations are rigorous, no-blame, and translate findings into actionable recommendations.

Skills

Strategic leadership

Stakeholder engagement

Health system safety

Change management

Education

Tertiary qualification in a relevant discipline

Postgraduate qualification in public health/health services management

Job description

About the role:The Director, Review and System Learning leads Safer Care Victoria's (SCV) integrated approach to learning from serious patient harm, identifying emerging safety risks and translating evidence into action across the Victorian health system.The role provides strategic leadership across Sentinel Events and Safety Reviews and Intelligence and Risk Monitoring, bringing together insights from incident reviews, safety investigations, health service intelligence, performance information, data and emerging risk signals. Through this integrated approach, the Director ensures SCV can identify patterns and system vulnerabilities, anticipate and assess emerging risks, and provide timely, authoritative advice to support executive, government and health service decision-making.The Director is accountable for ensuring that reviews and safety investigations are rigorous, systems-focused and no-blame, and that findings are translated into practical recommendations, guidance, alerts and improvement activity. The role also strengthens SCV's proactive safety intelligence and risk-monitoring capability so that concerns are identified early, prioritised appropriately and supported through coordinated system responses.Working in partnership with health services, clinicians, consumers, the Department of Health and other system partners, the Director supports the implementation and sustained impact of system safety improvements. The role leads a multidisciplinary workforce and ensures the Unit's priorities, capabilities and resources are aligned to SCV's strategic objectives and the evolving safety needs of the Victorian health system.About us:At the Victorian Department of Health we want a future where Victorians are the healthiest people in the world. A Victoria where our children and people thrive, our workplaces are productive and safe, and our communities are more connected.We see it as our job to support Victorians to stay healthy and safe. And to deliver a world-class healthcare system that ensures every single Victorian can access safe, quality care that leads to better health outcomes for all.About you:Key Accountabilities Include:Provide authoritative strategic advice to the Executive Director, Chief Executive Officer and, where appropriate, the Department of Health, the Minister and other senior leaders on patient safety, system performance, emerging risks and opportunities to improve safety and quality outcomes across the Victorian health system.Lead SCV's Review and System Learning function, ensuring a coordinated approach to sentinel event reviews, safety investigations, risk monitoring, safety intelligence and system-wide learning.Build and maintain trusted relationships with health services, clinicians, consumers, researchers, government agencies and sector leaders to strengthen system learning, support improvement and drive coordinated action to address safety risks.Lead and develop a multidisciplinary workforce spanning patient safety, clinical oversight, human factors, data science and analytics, epidemiology, implementation and system improvement, fostering a respectful, inclusive, psychologically safe and high-performing culture.Qualification(s)EssentialTertiary qualifications in a relevant discipline such as medicine, nursing, allied health, paramedicine, health services management, human factors, patient safety, epidemiology, or data science.Postgraduate qualification in a relevant field such as public health, clinical governance, patient safety, health services management, epidemiology, data science, or health policy.DesirableAdditional qualifications or formal training in implementation science, human factors engineering, health informatics, or system design.Clinical background (e.g. medicine, paramedicine, allied health) with relevant experience in patient safety leadership.Specialist ExpertiseDemonstrated extensive experience in a senior leadership role within the health system, with a strong focus on safety, quality, risk management, or health system improvement.Proven capability to lead multidisciplinary teams and drive strategic safety initiatives in complex environments.Significant understanding of incident review methodologies (e.g. root cause analysis, systems-based investigation), human factors, and risk mitigation frameworks.Demonstrated understanding of safety and quality improvement developed through significant experience in health system or governmentUnderstanding of the application of insights in the area of health care safety and quality.Proven experience in developing innovative solutions to improve patient outcomes.Proven experience influencing health service and government leadership in improving the health system.What we offer:The opportunity to perform meaningful work, making direct contributions toward enabling Victorians to be the healthiest people in the world.A wide range of growth and development opportunities within the department and wider Victorian Public Service.A strong commitment to work-life balance, including a diverse array of flexible working arrangements.How to apply:Applications should include a resume and a cover letter. Click the `Apply' button to view further information about the role including key contact details and the advertisement closing date.We are committed to developing and supporting a workforce that is well equipped and highly motivated to provide responsive and quality services to all Victorians. We continue to build an inclusive workplace that embraces diversity of backgrounds and differences to realise the potential of our employees for innovation and delivering services aimed at enhancing the lives of all Victorians. All roles can be worked flexibly and we encourage applications from Aboriginal people, people with disability, LGBTIQ+ and people from culturally diverse backgrounds. Please contact us if you require any adjustments to participate in the recruitment process at [e-mail]. For more information on our commitment to inclusion and diversity see inclusion and diversity at the Department of Health.If you have any queries in relation to participation in recruitment processes at Health, or experience any issues in applying, please feel free to email [e-mail]. Please note that unsolicited applications from third parties cannot be accepted. If you have questions regarding the role, please message the contact person listed on the advertisement directly.Preferred applicants may be required to complete a police check and other pre-employment checks. Information provided will be treated in line with our Privacy Policy.