Lead Project & Improvement Officer

SA Health; Adelaide; On-site; AUD 116,000 - 125,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Salary packaging

Relocation assistance

Flexible working arrangements

Job summary

SA Health's Northern Adelaide Local Health Network seeks an experienced improvement leader to drive end-to-end projects at Modbury and Lyell McEwin Hospitals. You will apply Lean/Six Sigma to design sustainable changes and coordinate diverse clinical and administrative teams across sites.

You will report on progress to senior leaders, manage risks, and ensure delivery within the contract period, contributing to high-quality public health outcomes in Adelaide's north.

Qualifications

• Experience leading complex improvement projects in health or regulated environments.
• Proficiency with structured improvement methodologies (Lean, Six Sigma).
• Ability to coordinate multidisciplinary stakeholders and report to leadership.

Responsibilities

• Lead end-to-end project delivery across Modbury and Lyell McEwin Hospital sites.
• Apply structured improvement methodologies to design and embed sustainable change.
• Engage and coordinate multidisciplinary stakeholders, including clinical teams and executives.
• Monitor project performance, risks and outcomes; report progress to leadership.

Skills

Lean

Six Sigma

Stakeholder engagement

Project management

Executive-level reporting

Education

Tertiary qualifications in health management or project management

Tools

Lean/Six Sigma frameworks

Job description

• Northern Adelaide Local Health Network – Modbury Hospital – MODBURY SA 5092
• Salary: $116,089 - $125,490 p.a. plus Superannuation and Salary Sacrifice benefits – ASO7 $112,139 - $120,284 p.a. plus Superannuation and Salary Sacrifice benefits – AHP3 $132,794 - $138,730 p.a. plus Superannuation and Salary Sacrifice benefits – RN3
• Ongoing Full-time

About the Role:

Northern Adelaide Local Health Network (NALHN) is shaping the future of public healthcare for Adelaide's northern communities. If you're an experienced improvement professional ready to lead meaningful change across two of South Australia's busiest metropolitan hospitals, this contract role offers the scope and purpose to make your mark.

Where You'll Make an Impact

Based at Modbury Hospital with regular presence at Lyell McEwin Hospital, you'll lead project and improvement activity across NALHN through to 18 April 2027. Reporting into a network that serves a diverse and growing population, your responsibilities will include:

• Leading end-to-end project delivery across clinical and operational improvement initiatives at both Modbury and Lyell McEwin Hospital sites
• Applying structured improvement methodologies to identify, design, and embed sustainable change across services
• Engaging and coordinating multidisciplinary stakeholders, including clinical teams, executives, and external partners
• Monitoring project performance, risks, and outcomes, and reporting progress to NALHN leadership

What You'll Bring

• Demonstrated experience leading complex projects or improvement programs within a health or similarly regulated environment
• Proficiency in recognised improvement frameworks such as Lean, Six Sigma, or the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care standards
• Strong stakeholder engagement skills, with the ability to influence across clinical and non-clinical groups
• Proven ability to manage competing priorities across multiple sites or workstreams
• Experience preparing executive-level reporting, business cases, or briefing papers
• Tertiary qualifications in health management, project management, or a related discipline

About You:

In this role you will have strong interpersonal and communication skills which will enable you to successfully problem solve, resolve conflicts and negotiate, including the ability to engage in difficult conversations, whilst building and maintaining relationships. An ability to effectively manage multiple, diverse and competing priorities and demonstrated resilience within a stressful and complex environment is essential to this role.

You will be joining a dynamic and expanding Local Health Network that is committed to delivering contemporary, innovative and high‑quality health services within modern facilities.

This is an excellent opportunity to contribute to a passionate, highly driven, dedicated and progressive team.

About Adelaide:

Adelaide is consistently recognised as a city that artfully combines its compact charm and world‑class cuisine with picturesque nature escapes. Ranked one of the worlds “Most Liveable Cities” and “Most Beautiful Cities”, Adelaide provides something for everyone combining a wonderful mix of nature with nearby beaches, rolling hills and wildlife and culinary delights with fine dining restaurants, award‑winning cafes, bustling food markets and booming boutique bars. Events like the LIV Golf, SANTOS Tour Down Under, Adelaide Fringe and the Adelaide Cabaret Festival add extra appeal to living here.

About Us:

The Northern Adelaide Local Health Network (NALHN) is a leading provider of public healthcare services in South Australia, and one of the largest employers in northern Adelaide.

NALHN serves over 400,000 people in northern Adelaide with a comprehensive range of high-quality healthcare services, including emergency, surgical, obstetric, neonatal, paediatric, oncology, geriatric, palliative care and rehabilitation, and mental health care, as well as primary health care services with a focus on community health promotion and chronic disease management.

With a commitment for ongoing upgrades to our facilities and the introduction of new services, our priority is delivering exceptional health and wellbeing services that enhance the quality of life for our community.

With over 7,000 employees, NALHN emphasises quality care and a supportive work environment guided by respect, integrity, and accountability. Our core values foster excellence, innovation, and equitable health outcomes.

At NALHN Everyone Has a Story, Everyone Matters, Everyone Contributes and Everyone Grows.

Our Local Health Network Sites and Services:

NALHN provides a range of hospital (inpatient), outpatient, community and home-based services across multiple sites in Adelaide’s north and north‑eastern suburbs, including Aboriginal health, mental health, and GP services.

Lyell McEwin Hospital – the major hospital in northern Adelaide for emergency care, complex and multi‑day surgery, medicine, obstetric, paediatrics and outpatient services.

Modbury Hospital – a general hospital with emergency care, elective surgery, medicine, outpatient and sub‑acute services, rehabilitation, geriatric and palliative care.

Mental Health Services – adult and older persons mental health services and statewide forensic mental health services, across hospital and community settings.

Watto Purrunna Aboriginal Primary Health Care Services – provides culturally responsive primary healthcare services for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in‑hospital and across four community sites.

Primary Health Care Services – including GP Plus sites at Elizabeth, Modbury and Gilles Plains.

Benefits of working at NALHN:

• From salary packaging to flexible working arrangements, a large range of opportunities for movement and career progression, you’ll find there are lots of benefits of working with Northern Adelaide Local Health Network.
• Salary packaging is an option for saving money by paying for some of your everyday expenses from your salary before it is taxed.
• Relocation assistance may be available for successful applicants from interstate or overseas.
• NALHN supports and fosters a culture in which employees feel they belong and feel safe at work. The culture aims to encourage all people to use their talents and to be valued and rewarded for their contributions.
• SA Health is committed to providing an inclusive workplace that embraces diversity and inclusion for all employees. We strongly encourage applications from people of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander descent, culturally diverse backgrounds, members of the LGBTIQA+SB community and people who live with disability and/or neurodivergence.
• We are committed to making workplace adjustments to provide a positive and supportive work environment. You are encouraged to let us know if you have any support or access requirements during the recruitment process and beyond to ensure you can perform at your best.
• The South Australian public sector promotes diversity and flexible ways of working including part‑time. Applicants are encouraged to discuss the flexible working arrangements for this role.
• Appointment will be subject to a satisfactory Criminal History Check.

Check(s):

• National Police Check (National Police Certificate) for vulnerable person-related employment – apply to any of the accredited bodies approved to offer a service direct to the public. Accreditation is provided by the . See our page for links to lodge screening requests.

Immunisation Risk for this position is – Category B (indirect contact with blood or body substances)

SA Health Services are required to implement the in the workplace.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander applicants are encouraged to apply. Job Ref: 951734

Enquiries:

Liz Duncan

Lead Innovation and Improvement Facilitator

Phone: [phone]

E-mail:

Application Closing Date:

6 November 2026 – 11.55PM

Role Description and Further Information:

* Refer to the SA Health Career Website – for further information.