Manager, Surveillance Systems

Health System Support Group; Sydney; On-site; AUD 154,000 - 183,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible work arrangements

Job summary

Ministry of Health in New South Wales seeks a Manager, Surveillance Systems to lead the epidemiology and data systems effort, ensuring high‑quality surveillance and timely reporting across NSW Health.

You will guide notifiable condition surveillance, work with partners on data governance and policy impact, and drive data‑driven decision making for public health outcomes.

Qualifications

• Postgraduate qualifications in public health or related discipline.
• Extensive experience in developing, operating and managing public health surveillance systems.
• Extensive data management experience including collating, reporting and ensuring data quality.
• Understanding of ethical and privacy principles and their application to data collections.
• Excellent written and oral communication with policy writing and stakeholder engagement.

Responsibilities

• Lead a multi-disciplinary team of epidemiologists, data managers, analysts and biostatisticians to manage data, surveillance, reporting and evaluation of health policies.
• Provide expert advice on data governance, privacy and security and interpretation of results for stakeholders.
• Coordinate state-wide data collection to inform national and state management of communicable diseases.
• Represent NSW Health on data collection and use forums with government departments and partners.
• Develop and manage relationships to deliver on national agreements and contracts related to health data.

Skills

Oral and written communication

Leadership

Time management

Negotiation

Education

Postgraduate qualifications in public health

Job description

Role Title: Manager, Surveillance Systems

Employment Type: Full Time Permanent
Position Classification: Health Manager Level 4
Remuneration: $153,559- $182,954 plus Superannuation
Location: 1 Reserve Road, St Leonards NSW
Hours Per Week: 38 hours
Requisition ID: REQ692290
Closing Date: Sunday 25 October at 11:59pm 2026

Join the People & Culture team at Ministry of Health for an exciting ongoing opportunity and be part of the team enriching health in millions of ways every day.

About us

• Our core values of collaboration, openness, respect, and empowerment are more than just words – they are the guiding principles that shape every aspect of our work.
• While regular office presence is essential, we offer flexible work arrangements to support your needs.
• Committed to fostering diverse and inclusive workplace for all.

To learn more about the Ministry and what benefits we offer, access our Employee Benefits Handbook.

About the role

With your skills and experience, you can contribute to the millions of ways we are enhancing health and wellness while developing your career as part of the largest health organisation in Australia.

The position is located in the Epidemiology and Data Systems Branch, Health Protection NSW (HPNSW). The Manager leads a team of professionals in the administration, management and enhancement of information systems to support the prevention, surveillance, investigation and control of notifiable conditions in NSW.

Working closely with the Public Health Network, NSW Health agencies, local health districts, the Australian Government, external government partners, health professional organisations and other key stakeholders, the role drives collaboration to strengthen public health surveillance capabilities and outcomes.

The position also provides expert advice to senior managers, leadership and government stakeholders on surveillance systems, health data governance and public health intelligence, helping inform evidence-based policy and decision-making.

For more information, please read the full Role Description.

What you will be doing

• Manage a dedicated team of staff and working across teams with epidemiologists, data managers, data analysts and biostatisticians to carry out data management, surveillance, timely and accurate reporting, and monitoring and evaluation of health policies to support the control of notifiable conditions in NSW in collaboration with other teams in Health Protection NSW.
• Provide advice and support across HPNSW, NSW public health network, other government agencies and non-government stakeholders on sharing unit record data including data governance, privacy and security considerations, interpretation of results/data and disclosure of data.
• Coordinate activities to ensure the state-wide collection of surveillance data is available to the NSW public health network and other agencies (including the Commonwealth) to inform national and state management and control of communicable diseases.
• Represent the NSW Health position on communicable disease data collection and use at Commonwealth and State levels with government departments, non-government organisations, industry, health professionals and the community, and development policy responses for these forums.
• Develop and manage relationships and partnerships, collaborate, and consult with key stakeholders, including with Local Health Districts, NSW Government partners, other Australian jurisdictional agencies, research institutes and non-government and community-based organisations and ensure NSW Health delivers on the requirements of national agreements and contracts related to data in the Health Protection NSW's program of work.

About you

• Postgraduate qualifications in public health or related discipline, and relevant experience.
• Experience in the development, operation and management of public health surveillance systems.
• Extensive experience in data management including collating, reporting and ensuring data quality.
• Understanding of ethical and privacy principles and their application to statutory and other data collections.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills, coupled with negotiation skills with demonstrated experience in producing high-quality writing for policy development, ministerial correspondence and peer reviewed publication.
• Excellent leadership skills, with experience to engender enthusiasm in a multi-disciplinary team, to delegate effectively and to contribute to the success of others, including experience of working with a variety of stakeholders.
• Demonstrated high level time-management and organisational skills and capacity to deliver high quality products within agreed timeframes.

At The Ministry of Health, we want you to make the most of the opportunities you will get to grow your skills and your career, surrounded by authentic, smart people and leaders.

For role related queries or questions contact Hao Zheng on [e-mail] and quote REQ692290.

As an organisation we are committed to creating an accessible and inclusive workplace. If you require any adjustments during the recruitment process, please contact Karen Kennedy on [e-mail].

For more information about adjustments for individual needs, please visit Adjustments for individual needs | I Work For NSW and Inclusive recruitment of people with disability | NSW Government.

Our commitment to diversity and inclusion

At the Ministry of Health, we are committed to creating a diverse, inclusive, and flexible environment which reflects the community and customers we serve. We actively promote the employment of women, people with a disability, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, LGBTIQ+ community and people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds. For more information, please visit Diversity Inclusion Belonging.

If you identify as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander and would like assistance with your application or to obtain more information on how to apply, please visit The Stepping Up Initiative.

To be eligible for employment in these roles you must be an Australian citizen, or a permanent resident, or a New Zealand citizen, or hold a valid visa with permission to work in Australia.

Additional information

• This recruitment may be used to create a Talent Pool for similar future roles (ongoing or temporary) that may arise over the next 18 months.
• For more information on applying visit our career portal.
• Please note that the selection process will include a range of comparative assessment techniques to assist in determining your suitability for the role.

Closing Date: Sunday 25 October at 11:59pm 2026

Advertising Close: Sunday 25 October at 11:59pm 2026